Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-22
Among the List Are the Members Of
Eilbsck Male OhOral Society.
ccIDENT OCCURS CROSSING CHANNEL
Many of the Passengers Saved Use Ropes
and Boats Of the Tugs,
DISASTER CAUSES SORROW At HAMBURG
Captains of Both Boats Give Then,-
selves UD 20 Police and Tell
what They Know of
Collision.


mus Of Hamburg with is5 passengers on
board, was cut In two and sunk by the tug
Hansa on the River Elbe at 1880 o'clock
this morning.
So fer as is ascertainable about nifty per-
sons were drowned. Thirteen bodies al
ready have been recovered.
Primus was an excursion steamer from
Buxtehude, province OF Hanover Prussia.
The disaster occurred between Blankenez
and Nienstdeten. Among the passengers
were the members of the Eilbeck male
choral society.
At the time OF the accident Primus was
crossing the river channel near Blankenez.
from the southern into the northern fair
way
According to witnesses aboard Hansa, the
movement was made too preclpitately.
Primus struck the tugs engine room and
Hansa endeavored to push it ashore. but
the tug grounded and the ships parted
Primus then sank.
In the interval, however, about fifty ci
the passengers were able to reach Hanss
by means Of ropes and ladders. Seventy
more were picked up by the tugs boats
while others swan ashore.
Disaster Causes Deep Gloom.
The disaster caused deep gloom here
Many children lost both their parents,
The choral society. which was on board
the excursion steamer, consisted mainly
Of workmen. There we're no foreign pas
sengers.
Captain Petersen of Primus swan
ashore and gave himself up to the police.
Captain Sachs of Hansa also surrendered,
Primus was the Oldest boat on the Elbe.
1t was built in England in 1874 and had
never before met with an accident.
The Hamburg American line. which
owned Hansa, issued a statement to the
effect that the weather was fine. the moon
was shining and that both vessels were
steering absolutely clear of each, other.
Suddenly Primus, when about $50 feet
from Hansa, put its rudder hard aport
and crossed the bows of the latter. This
mistake" continues the statement. "ren-
dered collision unavoidable The only
possible step for Hansa to take. namely.
to go full speed astern. was Immediately
carried out, but without avail. Less than
a minute elapsed between the time Primus
changed its course and the collision.
Boats were Immediately lowered from
Hansa and ropes and ladders were thrown
overheard Fifty persons were rescued by
the boats. At the same time Hansa tried
to push Primus ashore, but being deep
draught. grounded itself before the pas
senger boat. Primus 1oated down stream
and sank 300 feet from Hansa.
Panic Renders Assistance Useless.
Z The terrible panic on board the vessel
when the tug struck It rendered assistance
almost useless. Fortunately Dolphin came
up and assisted in saving a number of
persons, while other boats assisted In the
work OF rescue.
Some OF the survivors furnish graphic de-
scriptions OF the awful scenes OF the dis
aster. According to the story the band
was playing and many couples were dancing
on deck when the crash Of the collision
came like a thunder bolt. The vessel gave
a great list, It's deck taking such a slope
that 1t was impossible for the passengers
to keep their feet. Those below scrambled
up the companionways. but most Of tho
persons in the saloons were drowned Men
fought for their own safety regardless OF
others. 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 Primus' passengers would have
been saved by the ropes thrown from Hansa
had It not been that before those who
seized the ropes could be hauled on board
they were pulled from the lines they had
grasped by other persons struggling In the
water and all were drowned In the hideous
confusion.
This morning enormous crowds poured
out from Hamburg to the 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 heart-rending anxiety to learn the fate
Of their friends who were among the ex-
curslonists. Many sad scenes were wit
messed as the bodies OF those lost were
washed upon the beach or brought ashore
By divers.
1t is asserted that divers have already
recovered forty-hve bodies. yet II Is i'm
possible to hx correctly the death list.
Estimates OF the dead are from nfty to
sixty.
A large number OF survivors were I'm
jured, though not seriously.
Fifty-EiEht Harvesters Drown.
ST PETERSBURG. July 21.-A ferryboat
while crossing the river Volga today At
Beresniki. sank and hfty-eight harvestsrs
were drowned