The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-22
Had Been Exposed to Terrific
Storm Since Yesterday.
WORKED ALL NIGHT.
Rescuers From Shore Baffled
in Every Attempt to Help.
Story Of the Only Person who
Early Escaped Alive.

Hook of Holland, Feb. 22.-After
over 80 hours of almost incessant er-
forts and splendid work, the Dutch
life boat men were rewarded by reach
ing the wrecked British steamer Ber-
lin, which went ashore here yester-
day morning, and ten survivors on the
after part of the vessel were saved
Buffeted and driven back time after
time, the sturdy Dutchmen refused to
relax their attempts in behalf of the
handful of shipwrecked people, and
through yesterday, last night and this
morning, they launched their boat re-
peatedly, only to be foiled by the
mountainous seas. In the early af-
ternoon the life boat again went out.
The receding tide and some improve
ment in the weather gave better hope
of success, and after hard tussle the
few persons still living were safely
taken off at $3.50 p. m.
Prince Henry of the Netherlands,
the prince consort, arrived here this
morning, and twice went out in
steam pilot boat as near the wreck as
it was possible to approach. Subse-
quently the prince visited the build
ing which is being used as a morgue
and passed down the lines of white
draped figures, stopping with bowed
head for few minutes before the
body of a fair haired child. The life
boat put out again at noon. although
the efforts to save the few who are
still on the wreck are regarded as al
most hopeless.
Worked All Night.
Hook of Holland, Feb. 22.-When
daylight broke this morning a hand
Railway company's steamer Berlin
from Harwich to Rotterdam, which
was wrecked off the Hook of Holland
yesterday morning could still be seen
clinging to the after part of the steam
er- The efforts made to rescue the
survivors yesterday were continued
throughout the night, but proved fu-
tile, owing to the furious seas and
heavy snOwStorm which ragged all
night long, rendering 1T impossible for
the tugs or lifeboats TO approach the
wreck over which mountainous seas
continue to dash with terrible fury.
So intense was the cold, last night
that it was thought that those, who
were still alive when darkness came
must have been frozen to death, but
some six or eight persons appear to
have survived the terrible experiences
of the past "a hours. The stern of the
Berlin is SO firmly embedded in the
sand bank on which she went ashore
that it does not appear to have moved
during the night. At high water this
morning the poop deck houses were
the only. portions of the steamer Wis
ible and there the few survivors were
to the wreck at midnight accompan-
led by three tugs remained there. an
chored close to the Berlin, but was
unable to get alongside of her. as
the heavy seas would have dashed her
to pieces
The lifeboat men report that they
heard an occasional shout for help but
they ultimately were forced by the ris-
ing tide and increasing dangers to tenn
porarily abandon their efforts to rescue
the survivors.
Captain Parkinson of the Holt steam
ship line who was on his way to Am
sterdam on board the Berlin to join his
vessel, the Myrmidon, and take her
back to Liverpool, is the sole survivor
of the disaster who thus far has reach
ed the shore He said this morning
that the catastrophe was due to the
fact that the Berlin broached to into
the terrific sea as she was entering the
waterway and that before she was able
the pier head. immediately crushed up
like a concertina" and parted amid
ships.
The struggling little village off Hook
of Holland is filled with anxious rela-
tives of the passengers and crew of the
Berlin. and heartrending scenes are
witnessed at the improvised mortuary
where thirty of the bodies which al
ready have been washed ashore are ly-
ing Most of these are battered beyond
recORn1l1On anu SOII1S dT0 W1lhOuI AcdOS
and others without arms or legs. Vet
eran pilots and seamen who watched
the Berlin being driven to her doom say
the gale was the fiercest in many years
One of the eye witnesses described the
scene as follows:
GAS the vessel approached it was
not thought that she was being carried
out of her course by the force of the
wind and the tremendous driving
power of the waves. The trained eyes
Of the officials on the jetty who were