This is Karl.  Karl had been in America since sometime in the 1860’s. He had a wife named Doris and eight children, one of them our William.  Karl was sick.  His doctors told him he had something called AGUE.  If you suffered from Ague, you had a fever and constant shivering as one would be overcome with chills.  For some reason the Doctors advised Karl to return to Germany.  They felt it would be good for his health.  Karl was smart, before leaving for Germany he made a will.  

Our Eunice always said that  her grandfather died traveling from Germany when her father was young. Perhaps Eunice didn’t know much about what ship he was on until her sister Doris researched his passage, or perhaps she didn’t want to think about it. But when she would speak of him it was always stated as plainly and mater of fact.  But I wanted to know more.  

I have found that until the Titanic sank in 1912 the largest civilian maritime disaster was the sinking of the Cimbria.  To this day, that catastrophe remains the biggest civilian maritime disaster on German waters.  What ship did Karl travel on?  The Cimbria.  

The following is an account of what occurred from www.MaritimeCyprus.com

The Cimbria was a 330-foot, 3,000-ton steamship built in 1867 and operated by the Hamburg-Amerika Line. It left Hamburg, Germany, on January 18 with 302 passengers and 120 crew members. Among the passengers were eastern Europeans heading to America, French sailors on their way to Le Havre and a touring group of Native Americans who were exhibiting Wild West paraphernalia.

The Sultan, a smaller Hull and Hamburg Line steamer traveling with only a crew, was also moving through the North Sea on January 19. Although there was heavy fog early that morning, neither boat took any precautionary measures, like reducing their speed, and the Sultan smashed straight into the Cimbria on the port side.

Both steamers were badly damaged and the Cimbria‘s lifeboats were launched. Seven were inflated, but in the confusion, they weren’t filled anywhere near capacity. In addition, three lifeboats quickly disappeared in the heavy fog and were never seen again. For those people who did not make it onto a lifeboat, the cold water was deadly. Hypothermia and drowning claimed hundreds of lives within minutes.

A few nearby ships picked up a couple of lifeboats soon after but the bulk of the 65 survivors from the Cimbria were not picked up until two days later. The captain of the Sultan, which had managed to stay afloat, was widely criticized for his failure to provide any assistance to the passengers and crew of the Cimbria. In total, 357 people lost their lives.

In 1974, the wreckage of the “Cimbria” was discovered 19 nautical miles northwest of the island of Borkum. Among the many things to be salvaged was the ship’s bell. It can be found these days in the entrance hall of the Ballin House in Hamburg, where it stands as a memorial to all those who have perished at sea. Between 2001 and 2008, divers have brought up numerous pieces of equipment and cargo goods from the wreckage, including porcelain, wine bottles and ivory. Today, the wreckage stretches over an area 115 meters long, though the ship’s structure can no longer be made out. In just a few years, the already heavily decayed wreckage of the “Cimbria” will disintegrate completely and disappear.

Karl was returning from his visit to Germany to his family in Illinois.  While the accident could have been avoided had precautions been taken, or life boats filled, I’m sure in the chaos and the fog it was hard to see and know what was occurring.  I wonder how long it was until the news of his death reached his family?  While his family mourned his loss, the world and Germany mourned the sining of the Cimbria.  So while you may be celebrating with family and friends this July 4th, raise your glass and remember all those lost in the North Sea at the sinking of the Cimbria.  Remember Karl.