The Dickinson press., 1902-07-26
SIXTY LIVES LOST
EXCURSION STEAMER CUT IN
TWO BY A TUG ON THE
RIVER ELBE.

Most Of the Passengers In the Saloon
Perish, While Many Of Those on the
Deck Were Saved by Ropes Thrown
From the Tug-More Would Have
Been Rescued But They Were Pull.
ed Back by Others in the Water.
Hamburg, July 22.-The tug Hansa
ran into and cut in two the excursion
steamship Primus, owned by the Ham.
burg-American line, on the River Elbe
at 1890 a. m. The disaster occurred
between Blankenese and Nienstadten.
Among the passengers were the
members of the Eilbeck Male Choral
society.
At the time of the accident the Pri-
mus was crossing the river channel
near Blankenese from the southern
into the northern fairway.
According to witnesses aboard the
Hansa the movement was made too
precipitately.
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.
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
were no foreign passengers. Captain
Peterman of the Primus swan ashore
and gave himself up to the police.
Captain Sachs of the Hansa also sur.
rendered.
The Primus was the oldest boat on
the Elbe. She was built in England in
1874 and.had never before met with an
accident.
The terrible panic that occurred on
the Primus when the Hansa struck
her rendered the efforts to save her
passengers almost useless. Fortunate
ly, the steamer Dolphin came up i'm
mediately and succeeded in saving
sixty of those on board the sinking
steamer, while other boats assisted in
the work of rescue.
Men Fight for Safety.
Some of the survivors furnish
graphic descriptions of the awful sud-
denness 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 thunderbolt. The vessel gave
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.
In the midst of the confusion the
boilers exploded, adding to the horror
of the scene, and many persons are
said to have been injured by flying
splinters of metal. More of the Pri.
mus 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 of
from the lines they had grasped by
other persons struggling In the water
and all were drowned in the hideous
| confusion. Enormous crowds poured
| out from Hamburg to the scene of the
collision, and the shore was thronged
with thousands of friends and rela'
tives of those aboard the sunken
steamer who had come in heartrend
ing anxiety to learn the fate of their
friends who were among the excur
,sionists. Many sad scenes were wit
messed as the bodies of those lost were
washed upon the beach or brought
| ashore by divers.
| It is asserted that divers have al
ready recovered forty-five bodies, but
las yet it Is impossible to verify the
death list. An attempt will immedi
ately be made to float the vessel, and
| when this is done it is believed mum
Der more bodies will be found. Esti
mates of the number of dead vary