New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-22
NAY BE I42 LIVES LOST
ONLY ONE PERSON SAVED.
Nail Steamer Berlin Wrecked off
Hook of Holland.


between England and the Continent occurred in
course of a violent gale shortly before o'clock
this morning. when the Rotterdam mail steamer
Berlin from Harwich TO Hook of Holland hav-
fng weathered the hurricane, suddenly
wrecked as she was entering port With single
exception all her passengers and crew, number
ing altogether 143 persons. are either now dead
or clinging hopeless to the wreck.
The terrific seas broke up the steamer with
such suddenness that all efforts to save life ap
reared TO have been utterly hopeless. At a late
hour this evening II was reported that some few
survivors were still clinging to the wreck but
as the heroic efforts all day long of the life
boat crews had failed to reach them little hope
that they will be saved remains.
The story OF the disaster is told with dramatic
intensity by the following brief messages reach
ing Harwich from the agent Of the Great East
ern Railway Company, at Hook OF Holland The
f-st message was handed in at the Hool, az $50
this morning, and ran as follows The Berlin
Is stranded at the north pier. Her position IS
very dangerous. There is 2 heavy gale blowing
Tugs and lifeboats are going out TO her assist
ance."
The second message was sent off at 80
O'clock and said The position Of the Berlin is
still very dangerous. The heavy gale is stin
blowing. We have tried TO take off the pas
sengers with tugboat and Efeboat. but without
success up to the present
The third message was timed at the Hook at
T:25 o'clock, and reached Harwich at $40. It
said: The Berlin has broken IN two, and very
probably will prove a total loss Her crew are
still on board. Lfeboats and tugs are trying
20 save the passengers"
The fourth message came through the London
Office of the railway company. It was timed at
the Hook at $40 o'clock. and said: 1T is i'm
possible to reach the Berlin to save the pas
sengers We VIII do the best we can. The poop
OF the ship is under water"
Then ct 1916 came the fifth and last message:
The Berlin is a total loss. with all her crew and
passengers. Nobody has been saved"
No cause has been assigned yet for the terrible
accident. and il probably never will be known
how the steamer came TO miss the channel,
which although three hundred yards wide and
well buoyed and lighted. is always difficult oS ac-
cess in rough weather. It is conjectured that
some arrangement Of the engines or steering
gear may have rendered the vessel uncontrol-
liable. Captain Precious. Of the Berlin, had
good record OF fourteen years ser-ice. He was
senior commander the Great Eastern Railway
Company's feet. IHe list Of passengers on the
fated steamer was lost. and al the names Of
those who were board have not yet been
learned, but, far as has been ascertaIned,
there were no Americans among them.
SOME OF THOSE LOST
Among those drowned were nineteen members
of the German opera company which had just
concluded their season at Covent Garden One
Of them was Mrs Bertran. wife Of the we'll
known barytone, Theodore Bertrarn who sailed
for Rotterdam a day previous 70 The departure
OF his wife. The latter was delayed in England
or account Of indispositon.
Arthur Herbert the Kings foreign service
vas 0ra
grandson Of the third Earl Of Powis. and was on
a mission 70 the courts Of Copenhagen. St. Pc
tershurg. Berlin and Tehe-an. bearing important
dispatches tn The heads Of the foreign Offices AZ
those apitals
TIE members Of the crew, numbering fifty,
were mostly Ergiishmen from Harwich The
officers. besides Captain Precious, we're First
officer c. Morsley Second officer J. wyatt. Chief
Engineer Bennant four assistant engineers and
four steH-ar5esses.
The Berlin was British steamer, built in
1898, ;,02 feet long and Of ! .775 tons
The Berlin left Harwich at 10 o'clock last
n!Fht upon the arrival there Of the London train
with The greater number Of the passengers who
subsequently lost their lives. The steamer
should have reached the Hook of Holland AZ
O'clock This morning. and would have proceeded
70 Rotterdam.
GREAT GALE on NORTH SEA.
A great gale was blowing IN the North Sea
when the Berlin started, but the weather was
10 than on the previous night, when sim
liar vessels made the trip without mishap As
the Berlin was entering the waterway at the en-
trance of the River Mas. however, she appar-
emily became unnanegeable on account of the
force Of wind and driven ashore. The
steamer struck about amidships as her fo-epart
broke Of and sank Immediately. while her after
pert could be seen afterward.
The waterway in which the disaster occurred
is q new one. on The north side of which are the
pier ard railroad station. The steamer must
have been within few minutes Of tying up
after her rough passage across the North Sea
when she was overtal1en by the disaster Land
was only a few yards away, and except in the
roughest weather these board the Berlin
could have been rescued without difficulty, espe
caIly as the waterway is navigable 1T all tides.
The Berlin was steel steamer, only twelve
years old, and popular with travellers to the
north of Europe. In summer she usually hes
been crowded with passengers, but ct this time
cf the wear her average was about what IL
last night the number being equally divided
between first and second class. One OF tie
inspectors q the railroad who the steamer
:rain off at the Liverpool street station sa' d
last night that he thought there more
first class than second class passengers, most
Of them being commercial men or persons hav-
ing professional business engagements on the
Continent or else Inhabitants cf the Continent
returning home from business trips to Great
Britain.
Much difficulty has been experienced In OBJ
tanning the names Of the passengers, as the
tickets We're purchased from many agents in