The San Francisco call., 1907-02-22
STEAMER OVERWHELMED
AND HUNDREDS DROWN
Rotterdam Mail Boat Ber-
lin Torn in Two at
Hook of Holland

LONDON, Feb. 21.-The worst disas-
ter for many years I'm tho history of
the busy cross-channeI traffic between
during a violent gale shortly before 6
O'Clock this morning, when the Rotter-
dam mail steamer Berlin, from Har-
vtch to Hook of Holland, having sat
fsfactoriIy weathered the hurricane
was wrecked as she was entering port
Altogether 143 persons are either dead
or cIinging hOpeIessly to the wreck.
The terrific seas broke upon the
steamer with such awful suddenness
that all attempts to save life seem to
have been hopeless. Late tonight II
was reported that few survivors were
clinging to the wreck, but as the heroic
efforts of the lifeboat crews to reach
them, which lasted all day, had failed
little hope that they would be saved
remained.
The story OF the disaster is told with
dramatic intenseness by the following
brief messages reaching Harwich from
the agent of the Great Eastern Rail
way Company at Hook of Holland
The first message received at $50 this
morning follows:
TALE TOLD IN FEW WORDS
The Berlin is stranded at the north
pier. Her position is very dangerous
There is a heavy gale blowing. Tugs
and lifeboats are going out to her as
sistance."
The second message, at 1880, says:
The position OF the Berlin is still
dangerous. The heavy gale is still
blowing. We have tried to take off the
passengers with tugboats and lifeboats
but without success up to the present
time"
The third message. timed 1852 a. m.
said:
YThe Berlin has broken in two and
very probably will prove total loss
Her crew is still on board. Lifehoats
and tugboats are trying TO save Nthe
passengers"
The fourth message came through the
London ofice of the railway company.
It was timed s:1o a m and read:
1T is impossible to save the passen-
gers. The poop OF the ship is under
water"
At 1885 came the fifth and last mes
sage:
The Berlin is a total loss, with all
her crew and passengers. Nobody has
been saved"
No cause has yet been assigned for
the disaster and it probably never will
be known how the steamer came to
miss the channel. It Is conjectured
that some arrangement of the engines
or steering gear may have rendered
her uncomfortable. Captain Precious
had a good record of fourteen years
service.
FEW CLING TO WRECK
The list Of passengers on the wrecked
steamer was lost and all the names OF
those who were on board have not yet
been learned, but as far as has been
ascertained there were no Americans
among them.
AL an early hour this morning the
Great Eastern Railway Company re-
ceived dispatch from the authorities
at Hook OF Holland saying:
Up to the present .time only one
passenger. Patterson Captain Parkin
son7l, has been saved. There are still
some people alive on the wreck and we
hope to rescue them tonight"
Among the drowned are Fraulein
Schoen of the Mannheim Opera Conn
pany, who sang the Wagnerian parts
Elsa and Elisabeth last week at Covent
Garden; NJ Orelio. barytone, of Am
sterdam. and Mines. Stellmach and
Memmler who all sang minor parts;
Fraulein Buttel OF the Court Theater
at Berlin and Fraulein Gobel OF the
Court Theater at Dresden, who acted
as leaders of the chorus during the
Covent Garden season.