The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-22
SLASHED IN TWAIN
STEAMSHIP PRIMUs SUNK IN THE
RIVER ELBE.
FIFTY PERSONS DROWNED.
TUG HAUSA FLOWED THROUGH
DOOMED VESSELS HULL.

Collision of Two Vessels Followed
by Scene of Horrible Confusion.
Terrified Passengers Suddenly
Summoned From Happiness nnd
Mirth to Face a Dreadful Death,
Fight Like Maniacs for Their
Liyes-ExpIosion of Boilers Adds
It's Horror and Hurting Death.
Mourning Crowds Watch Incoming
| Waves for Bodies of Loved Ones.
Hamburg. July 21.-The steamship
| PriInus, of Hamburg, with 1876 passen-
| gers 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 is ascertainable, about fifty per-
sons were drowned. Thirteen bodies
have already been recovered.
The Primus was an excursion steam
er from Buxtehude, province of Han
over, Prussia. The disaster occurred
between Blankenese and Nienstedten.
Among the passengers We're the MEM
bers of the Eilbeck male choral So
ciety.
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 abroad 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 lad
ders. Seventy more were picked up by
the tugs boats. while others swan
ashore
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 Petersen of the Primus,
swan ashore and gave himself up 70
the police. Captain Sachs, of the Ham
sa. also surrendered
Il The Primus was the oldest boat on
the Elbe. She was built in England in
1914, and had never before met with an
accident.
How the Crash Occurred.
The Hamburg-American Line which
owns the 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 the
Primus when about $50 feet from the
Hansa put her rudder hard aport and
crossed the bows of the latter.
This mistake" continues the state
ment, rendered a collision unavold-
able. The only possible step for the
Hansa to take, namely, to go full speed
astern. was carried out Immediately,
not without avail. Less than a min
ute elapsed before the time Primus
changed her course and the collision.
Boats were Immediately lowered from
the Hansa and ropes and ladders were
thrown overheard. Fifty persons were
rescued by the boats. At the same
time the Hansa tried to push the
| Primus ashore. but, being of deeper
draught, grounded herself before the
passenger boat. The Primus hoated
down stream and sank several hum
bred feet from the Hansa."
Terrible Panic Ensued.
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 inn
| mediately and succeeded in saving
| Sixty OF those on DOdTu the SlnklIS
| steamer, while other boats assisted in
| the work of rescue.
Some of the survivors furnish 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 1t was inn
| possible for the passengers to keep
their feet. Those below scrambled mp
the companionways, but most of the
persons in the saloon were drowned.
Men fought for their safety regardless
of others.
chastity Fights for Life.
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
spllnters 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 off
| 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 aboard the sunken
steamer who had come. in heartrend-
ing anxiety, to learn the fate of their
friends who were among the excursion
| lists.
Many sad scenes were witnessed as
the bodies of those lost were washed
upon the beach or brought ashore by
| divers.
Estimated Fifty Are Dead.
1t is asserted that divers have al
ready recovered forty-five bodies, but
as yet it is impossible to verify the
death list An attempt will imnedi-
ately be made to float the vessel, and
| when this is done, 1t is believed a num-
Der more bodies will be found. Estf-
mates of the number of dead vary from
| 80 to so.
A large number of the survivors were
| injured, though not seriously.
w. J. Bryan IN Maryland.