Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-07-24
FATAL COLLISION
ON RIVER ELBE
Tug Bumps Into Passenger Boat and
Cut her in tWO-6O Passengers
Drowned.
CAPTAINS HAVE SURRENDERED.

Hamburg, July 2l.-The steamship
Primus, of Hamburg, with lS5 passengers
on board, was cut in two and sunk by the
tug Hansa, on the. river Elbe, at 1890
O'Clock this morning.
So far as been ascertanaUe, about fifty
persons were drowned Thirteen already
have been recovered.
The Primus was an excursion steamer
from Buxlehude, province of Hanover,
Prussia.
The disaster occurred between Blank
enze and Nienstedten.
Among the passengers were the men,
bers of the Ellbeck Choral Society.
At the time of the accident the Primus
was crossing the river channel near Blank
enez 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
In the interval, however, about fifty of
her passengers were able to reach the
Hansa by means of ropes and ladders
Seventy more were picked up by the tugs
crew, while others swan ashore.
The disaster caused deep gloom here.
Many children lost both parents The
choral society, which was on board the
excursion steamer, consisted manly of
work men. There were no foreign pas
sengers.
Captain Petersen, of the Primus, swan
ashore and gave himself up to the police.
Captain Sachs, of the Hansa, also surren-
dered.
The Primus was the oldest boat on the
Elbe. She was built in England in 1874,
and had never before met with an acci.
dent 9.
The Hamburg American line, which
owns the Hansa, issued 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 the Primu', when about 45O
feet from the Hansa, put her rudder hard
aport and crossed the bows of the latter.
"This mistake" continues the statement,
rendered collision unavoidable The
only possible step tor the Hansa to take,
namely, to 90 full speed astern, was car
ried out Immediately, but without avail.
Less than a muute elapsed between the
time the Primus changed her course and
the collision. Boats we're Immediately
lowered from the Hansa and ropes and
ladders were thrown overheard. Fifty
persons we're rescued by the boats. AT
the same time the Hansa tried 10 push the
Primus ashore, but, being of deeper
draught, grounded herself before the pas
senger boat The Primus hoated down
stream and sank 300 feet from the Hansa.
The terrible panic that occurred on the
Primus when the Hansa struck her render
ed efforts to save her passengers almost
useless. Fortunately, the steamer Del
phin came up Immediately and succeeded
in saving sixty Of those on board the sink
ing steamer, while boats assisted in the
work of rescue.
Some of the survivors furnish graphic
descriptions Of the awful suddenness of the
disaster. According to them many couples
were dancing on deck when the crash of
the collision came like thunderbolt. The
vessel gave great list, her deck taking
an angle that it was impossible for the pas
sengers to keep their feet. Those below
scrambled up the companionways, but
most of the persons i'll the saloon were
drowned. Men fought for their 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 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 froln
the lines they grasped by others struggling
in the water and all were drowned in the
hideous confusion.