New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-04
DlSAPPEARANCES AT SEA
Some Notable People Who Haze
Vanished from Shipboard.

I
liners nowadays immense and so densely
crowded with human freight that IL is difficult.
nay almost impossible, for the officers Of the yes
sci to maintain any efficient supervision and con-
troll Of the passengers board. and in view OF
the number of crooks card sharps and desperate
criminals of international infamy who are con-
stantly travelling between the New and the Old
World. it IS remarkable that there should not be
more Of these disappearance at sea. since the
temptation to these men 20 take advantage Of
heavy drinking of mere debility resulting from
seasickness 70 rife passengers pockets and then
to drop the victim overheard during lurcA OF
the ship, under the OF darkness, concealed
by the shadow OF deckhouse. must be at
times almost irresistible.
1t would be well that the Lighthouses on board
ocean liners should be arranged to afford to
the officers of the watch. bothby day and by night
a clear and unimpeded view of every part of the
deck, that could fall or be thrown over
board without Immediately attracting attention
The most notable disappearance which bear
analogy TO that of Mr. LOOMS that have come
under my notice did not occur on crowded ships
but on liners where the passengers were few and
on steam yachts The most mysterious case OF
ell is probably that Of the LandGrave William Of
Hesse. whose brother married Princess Marguerite
Of Prussia. youngest sister OF the Kaiser The
Landgrave William, who was a royal prince.
nephew OF the King and Queen of Denmark and q
first cousin of Queen Alexandra of England dis
appeared the night OF October IA. 1888. while
on his from Batavia 10 Singapore. He was
voyage round the world at the time. ac-
companied by several officers, a physician and a
large suite of servants. While at Batavia. where
he was received with all royal honors. he suffered
from slight sunstroke. which did not. however.
result in any symptoms of alteration of the mind.
In fact. he seemed perfectly we'll when he sailed
from Batavia.
On the evening of October IA he retired 20 his
cabin after dinner. promising 10 Join the members
OF his suite, few minutes later. on deck. On his
failure 10 reappear OF his officers went in
search OF him. but found the cabin empty. He
Immediately alarmed the other officers as well
as the captain OF the vessel. general search
instituted. which. however proved frutless.
7 No trace OF him could be found. AS nobody had
seen him deck after his withdrawal TO his
cabin, the suppostion is that. during moment OF
sudden and temporary insanity. he must have
worked his way through the portfolio and have
thrown himself into the sea, though the portfolio
was by means large one. and It is difficult
TO conceive how he could have got through it and
dropped into the water unnoticed.
Equally mysterious the disappearance at
sea, in almost the same latitude. Of Lady Brassey,
September Il. 1887. that is to say. about year
! previously She had been visiting India with her
husband. Lord Brassey and was travelling on
! board her well known yacht. the Sunbeam. from
/ Bombay TO Melbourne. Her children were on
board. and inasmuch as both they and her husband
| devoted 10 her. and her life had been singu-
/ larly happy one, there was no reason whatsoever
| why she should have taken her life. Yet one
| evening when the maid tapped az the door OF her
/ cabin 10 help her dress for dinner she found the
| apartment empty. and as dinner announced
| before Lady Brassey appeared she informed Lord
| Brassev. The last named. who. like his daugh-
| tiers. had been under the impression that Lady
Brassey had been resting in her cabin. at once be-
came alarmed and Instituted search. which failed
| 20 bring 10 light any trace OF the unfortunate
| woman. The Sunbeam remained cruising about In
the vicinity I'm the hope Of recovering at least the
| body but II a vain hope at the best since the
seas In those ATTITUDES infested With sharks.
| Did Lady Brassry fall overheard throw her
self into the Voluntarily No one knows To this
| day. Her end has always been shrouded In rnys-
terry, and doubt whether any one of those in this
| country who peruse tho pages % tina, sinsuarly
! charming book entitled The Voyage 90 the Sun
/ BEAM" which is 10 DO found IN every American
library, public well private. Is aware OF tho
! strange fate OF Its gifted author.
The elder brother of the present Earl Of Aberdeen
furnishes another instance OF these unaccountable
and unexplained disappesrances at sea While on
/ voyage from Boston 70 Melbourne by sailing
ship IN 1879 he vanished in the course OF the trip,
somewhere off the coast Of South America No one
saw him fall or throw himself overheard. but one
/ day he was missing, that was ALL To add 20 the
! mystery. by OF romantic adventure he
4 sailing under assumed name. and nobody
! on board the ship aware OF his rank and title
Consequently all sorts OF complications ensued. and
several years elapsed before his next surviving
brother, the present Lord Aberdeen. was able To
/ establish his claim 10 the earldom. 20 the other
peerages and the extensive estates in Scotland
!
| IS constantly being menaced with suits from men
who allege that they his missing elder brother,
! and who put forward claims 20 his peerages and
/ 10 his estates.
! Some ten c. twelve years ago well known New
! York banker, Adolf Ladenburg. disappeared from
on board ship while "A trip from the West Indies
TO New-York. and. although rumors have been cir
/ cuated from time 10 time that he is still alive. yet
| they have proved TO be without foundation. When
mast experiences considered IL is doubtful IL
| anything will be heard again OF Mr. LOOMS
| at any rate living, and his name will probably
have 10 be added TO the list of mysterious disap-
! pearances at sea.
| of UNPLEASANT notorety attaches itself TO those
| who either by chance by design. have been the
| associates Of the missing dead man ship
board and Mr. Ellis. the promoter who was cross
ing the ocean with Loomis. would have acted more
| satisfactorily had he either remained in Paris or
! returned to this country pending the attempts TO
clear up the mystery instead Of possessing himself
Of the official document which LOOMS was charged
| with conveying to Emperor Menek Of Abyssinia
| and which. in the hands of Ellis is naturally Of
| immense value his financial schemes In Abyss
sinia. endowing him with species Of official pres
| tige which he would not have otherwise enjoyed.
His position in the affair is as unsatisfactory as
that of ex-Aiajor HILBERT who the associate Of
| Cecil Murray when the latter was found dead in
his cabin on board transatlantic liner at sea.
| poisoned by cyanide Of potassium. The bottle con-
tanning the latter did not belong to Murray. who
was found TO have left will. made on shipboard.
| bequea thing all his money. very large sum, TO
| Helbert who mere acquaintance The Will
| was disputed, but settled out OF court by means
| Of a compromise. To-day the ex-major is serving a
| sentence in English pen.tentiary for theft.
Not merely political questions. but likewise fam
fly AFFAIRS, some of them OF a very intricate char
acter are known 10 have occupied the attention of