The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-07-24
NOT all RECOVERED
Exact Number of Dead in River
Accident Unknown.

Hamburg, July 22.-The steamship
Primus, of Hamburg, with 1s5 passen-
gers on board, was cut in two and sunk
by the tug Hansa on the River Elbe at
1880 o'clock Monday morning.
1t is asserted that divers have al
ready recovered As bodies, but as yet
it is impossible to verify the death
list. An attempt win Immediately
be made to float the vessel, and when
this is done it is believed a number
of bodies will be found. Estimates
of the number of dead vary from so
to 60. A large number of the sur
vivors were injured, though not seri-
ously.
The Primus was an excursion steam
er from Buxtehude, province of Kan
over, Prussia. The disaster occurred
between Blankenez and Nienstdten.
Among the passengers were the mem
bers of the Eilbeck Male Choral So
ciety.
At the time of the accident the
Primus was crossing the river chan
mel near Blankenez, from the southern
into the northern fairway. Accord
ing to witnesses aboard the Hama,
the movement was made too precipi-
lately.
The Primus struck the tugs engine
room and the Hansa endeavored to
push her ashore, but the tug grounded
and the ships parted. The Primus
then sank. In the interval, however,
about so of her passengers were able
TO reach the Hansa by means of ropes
and ladders. Seventy more were
picked up by the tugs boats, while
others swan ashore.
Stories of the Disaster.
The terrible panic that occurred on
the Primus when the Hansa struck her
rendered the efforts to save her pas
sengers almost useless. Fortunately,
the steamer Dolphin came up immedi-
ately and succeeded in saving 60 of
those on board the sinking steamer,
while other boats assisted in the work
of rescue. Some of the survivors fur
nish graphic descriptions of the awful
suddenness of the disaster. According
to their story, the band was playing
and many couples were dancing on
deck when the crash of the collision
came like a thunderbolt. The vessel
gave a great list, her deck taking such
an angle that it was impossible for the
passengers to keep their feet. Those
below scrambled up the companion
ways, but most of the persons in the
saloon were drowned. Men fought for
their own safety regardless of others.
Boilers Explode.
In the midst of the confusion the
boilers exploded, adding to the horrors
of the scene, and many persons are
said to have been injured by flying
splinters of metal. More of the
Primus' passengers would have been
saved by the ropes thrown from the
Hansa had it not been that before
those who seized the ropes could be
hauled on board they were pulled off
from the lines they had grasped by
other persons struggling in the water,
and all were drowned in the hideous
confusion.
Monday morning enormous crowds
OuU lTOlH " lhC
scene of the collision, and the shore
was thronged with thousands of
friends and relatives of those on board
the sunken steamer, who had come
in heartrending anxiety to learn the
fate of their friends who were among
the excursionists. Many sad scenes
were witnessed as the bodies of those
lost were washed upon the beach or
brought ashore by divers.
Fifteen Drowned in Russia.
Kieff, European Russia, July e.
Fifteen persons were drowned by
sudden thrush of water into the base
ments of various houses in the lower
portions of the town. A torrential
rainstorm, accompanied by violent
wind and hail, broke over Kieff during
the afternoon and turned the streets
into veritable torrents, flooding cell
lars and drowning their occupants be-
fore they were able to escape.
Heavy Loss of Life.
St. Petersburg, July ga ferry
boat while crossing the River Volga
Monday at Heresnil<i sank and So harv-
eSters were drowned.
H