Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-21

uudll bUedmcF 0cT1lus lFOln GuBlduu with 18O passengers and crew. was wrecked off the Hook of Holland, al the entrance of the river Mas, lead. ing to Rotterdam, shortly before 6 o'clock this morning, and with the exception of one person all on board are believed to have perished. A ter. rife southwesterly gale was blowing right in shore and drove the steamer on sand bank 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 fore part sinking immediately, while the doomed pas sengers and crew could besseen clus- tering on the after part.
 Tugs and lifeboats when the alarm was first 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 the wreck.
 One man, an Englishman, was saved. He was unconscious when dragged out of the water and taken ashore, and had not regained con. sciousness when he was carried to . hotel in the neighb0rhOOd.
 By II a. m. twenty-five bodies had already been washed ashore.
 The afterpart of the wrecked steamer Berlin did not slip into deep water, as the people on shore at first believed, but seems to be firmly eIn- bedded in the sand bank. There are still few persons on board. cllngfng to the wreckage, and it is hoped 1t may be possible to rescue them at low tide. During high water at the height of the storm, the waves shut off all view of the wreck. which led to the belief that no trace of the Ber- lin had been left. The seeding tide however revealed the remains of her stern with a handful of survivors. The only person who thus far has succeeded in reaching the shore is Captain Parkeston. of Belfast, Ire land. He Is now in high fever as the result of his experience.
 The Berlin left Harwich at 10 o'clock last night. 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 at G o'clock this morning and would have proceeded for Rotterdam.
 A great gale was blowing fin the North sea, when the Berlin started but the weather was no worse than on the previous night. when similar vessels made the trip without mishap. As the Berlin was entering the wa terway at the entrance of the river Maas. however. she apparently be- came manageable on account of the force of the wind and was driven ashore. The alarm was given and lifeboats from the shore proceeded to the assistance of the stricken steom- CT. but the sea were so high that the boats were unable to approach the Berlin close enough to take off any of the passengers or crew. The steam CT. apparently, struck about amid ships, as her forepart broke on and sank immediately. while her after part could be seen for a considerable time afterwards.
 The waterway in which the disas- ter occurred is a new one. on the north side of which is the pier and railroad station. The steamer must have been within few minutes of tying up after her rough passage across the North sea. when she was overtaken 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. especially as the waterway is navigable at all times.
 The Berlin was a steel steamer on- ly F years old and popular with to the north of Europe. In summer she usually was crowded with passengers but at this time of the year her average WAS aDOut as 1t was last night. the number being equally divided between first and second class.
 One of the inspectors of the rail- road who saw the steamer train off at the Liverpool street station said last night that he thought there were more first class than second class most of them being com men or persons having pro- fessional business engagements on the continent or else inhabitants of the continent. returning home from business trips to Great Britain. Much dificulty is met fin obtaining the names of the passengers as the tickets were purchased from many agents in London and other cities. while some of the travellers may have had return tickets The only names the company can be sure of are those of passengers who secured reserved berts. and the eompsny-s agents are being asked 10 send in immediafpIy to the n1mes of all such