The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-03-01
OCEAN CLAIMS
MANY VICTIMS
Ship Sinks off Holland Coast and
Not a Soul Saved.
STEAMER WAS CUT In TWO
Driven Upon Sandbar by a Terrific Gale
and Aid Was Impossible--Passen-
gers and Crew Numbered 40.


A special from Rotterdam, Holland,
says: A disastrous steamship wreck,
attended with great loss of life, oc-
Cured Thursday morning at 6 o'clock,
of the Hook of Holland, and at the
entrance of the river Mas, when the
Great Eastern railway company's
steamer Berlin, bound from Harwich
to the Hook of Holland was lost.
All on board, one hundred and for
ty-one persons in all, of whom ninety
one were passengers, were drowned.
A terrific southwesterly gale was
blowing right in shore, and drove
the Berlin on sandbank close to
the northern jetty as she was trying
to enter the new waterway. Heavy
seas quickly pounded the vessel to
pieces. She broke in two, her for
ward part sinking Immediately, while
the doomed passengers and crew could
be seen for a brief space of time
clustered on the after part. Then the
afterpart slipped off the ledge and
disappeared in The mountainous
waves.
Tugs and Ifeboats, when the alarm
was sounded, promptly put out to
the assistance of the Berlin, but the
violence of the gale and the heavy
seas made it impossible to approach
che wreck and the helpless would
be lifesavers saw the steamer break
up and the crew and passengers wash
ed away without being able TO render
the slightest assistance.
The Berlin left Harwich at 10
o'clock Wednesday night, upon the
arrival there of the London train
with the greater number Of the pas
scngers who subsequently lost their
lives. The steamer should have reach
ed the Hook of Holland at o'clock
Thursday morning, and would then
have proceeded to Rotterdam.
AS the Berlin was entering the wa.
terway at the entrance Of the river
Mas, she apparently became un-
manageable on account Of the force
of the wind, and was driven ashore.
The alarm was given, and lifeboats
from the shore went to the assistance
of the stricken steamer, but the seas
were 50 high that the boats were I'M
able to approach close enough to take
Of any Of the passengers or crew, and
the lifeboat men had to sit helpless
while the steamer pounded until
she broke in two, and every soul on
board was carried down.
The waterway in which the disas-
ter occurred is new one, on the
north side of which is the pier and
the railroad station. The steamer must
have been within few minutes of
tying uD after her rough passage
across the North Sea, when she was
oyertaken by the disaster.
Land was but few yards away
and except in the toughest weather,
those on board the Berlin could have
been rescued without difficulty, es-
pecially as the waterway is navigable
at al times.
The Berlin was steel steamer,
twelve years old, and popular with
travellers to the north Of Europe. In
summer she usually was crowded with
passengers, but at this time of the
year her average was about as it
was Wednesday night, the number be-
ing equally divided between first and
second class.
Much difficulty is being experienced
in obtaining the names of the passen-
gers, as the tickets were purchased
from many agents in London and
other cities, while some of the trav-
e'ers may have had return tickets.
The only names the company can be
sure Of are those Of passengers who
secured reserved berths. The compa-
nys agents are being asked to send
in Immediately to headquarters the
names of all such persons.