AWFUL SHIPPING DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 23 February 1907, Page 2

AWFUL SHIPPING DISASTER

A««JiNGKIt STEAAIEH WKECKED.

CitEAT LOSS OF LIFE.

. Jjoudou, February 21. J)l »mg a. gai e> the on!ftt Ellster „ Miiway Oonipaiy's, steamy Berlin ""." Jlftl 'wiek, was wrecked near Kot.erdam.

She was driven ashore nt 5 o'clock m tic morning ou Vw ne Island, and on ckly broke amidships. Tugs and l.feboats vainly tried to approach her, but the heavy seas runn.iig prevented them doing so. Then- were a few people still dinging to the wreck at noon, but the elm aces of rescue are hopeless. The lierlm bad 120 passenger*, in. eluding AJr Arthur Herbert, a King's messenger, and l(i members of the German Opcrn Company from Covent 'linden Theatre. The crew numbered (10, and only two were saved. twenty-live bodies have been recovered.

MESSAGE ntOAl TUEIII MAJESTIES. TIUO ONLY sIIRViVING PASSENGER. A THRILLING BATTLE FOll LIFE. ALL EFFORTS AT BESCUE UNAVAILING. Received 22nd, 0.43 p.m. 1 London, February 22 Lord Knollys tolegraphed to the manager of tho Great Eastern Railway: "Hie King and Queen desire me to say how horrified they feel ut the floundering of the Berlin, and the terrible loss of life.

Mr Herbert was the bearer of imjiortant despatches to Denmark, Russia, • •ernuiuy and l'ersia. A parcel of diamonds and a dozen mail bags were lost. The wreck is attributed to ur«tak. d»wn of the engine. Captain Parkinson, of Belfast, who mis a passenger, was the only man •heretofore saved. He BW am for au hour in stormy, iey water amid corpses 'Hid wreckage. He declares he saw a hundred on the foredeck swept into the sea.

Desperate efforts were made throughout the day to reach the. wreck. A Mcboat and a itug established coininuiiication, tyit the hawsers parted. and both were thrice flung ashore. Those aboard could hear the cries of the survivors on the Berlin's aft-deck. I'iio Great Eastern steamer Amsterdam, passing in the evening, heard cries and cll'orts were made at reßcue and continued during the night. OPERA STARS DROWNED. Received 22nd, 0.50 p.m. London, February 22. The! Operatic Company aboard the Berlin included Frauleiu Schoane, a leading soprano; Fraulein Buttel, of the Court Theatre, Berlin; and Fraulein (Jobel, of the Court Theatre, Dresden, 143 ABOARD. VESSEL VALUED AT .£70,000. Received 23rd, 12.15 a.m. London, February 22. The Berlin carried 01 passengers and 62 wf a crew. The vessel, which was insured, was valued at £70,000, the compaflylß jninimuhi flabilit/y faeituf £20,000. \ ' ■!■,»