Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-03
HOG ISLANDS WRECKED RARK
The Two SuryivOrs-The Story of Their
Terrible Experience.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 1.-Two Norwe-
gian sailors entered the office of Lars
Westergaard, the Norwegian Consul, to-
day. They were the only survivors of the
ill-fated bark Lena, which went to pieces
off Hog Island, Va, last Sunday. Up to
this time the information received regard
ing the disaster has been meagre, but the
story as told by these seamen gives all the
details of what proves to have been a
most terrible catastrophe. Capt Albert
MOrtensen, of Arendal, Norway, whence
the bark hailed, had lost his bearings in a
dense fog which had hung over
the sea for days, and was considerably
out of his course. 1t was during the
mates watch, about 4 o'clock, when the
vessel shook from stem to stern. and
those on board knew in an instant that
she had stranded. The wind was blowing
gale, and the sea was running high. In
moment the Lena was well uDOn the
bar which she had struck, and the waves
were beating over her with wild fury.
which threatened her destruction. The
weather was bitterly cold, and there was
a coating of ice or the decks and rigging.
which made the movements of those on
= board exceedingly perilous. An effort,
however, was made to launch the boats.
The effort was a disastrous failure.
THE BOATS BROKEN INTO sPLINTERs.
Each was in turn broken to splinters by
the raging -, and the crew were then
LETT withOJS ny means whatever of
escape frOIr Ie stranded vessel. They
clung to her, however, as best they could
in the hope that the sea would subside
and that something might transpire which
would insure their safety. After 24hours
of this wretched experience, during which
they were nearly frozen, their hands and
feet benumbed and frostbitten, the bark,
under the force of a heavy sea, sprung
apart and went to pieces. Every person
on board was precipitated into the waves
and with the exception of the two men,
who reached Philadelphia to-day, it is sup
posed that all were drowned. These two
survivors, AndeTs |. Saksen and Peter
A. TOnnensen, were fortunate enough to
seize some planks from the wreck, on
which they were carried ashore. They
saved nothing beside their lives, how
ever, and were compelled to borrow from
the station agent of the New York, Phlla-
delphia and Norfolk Railroad at Birds
Nest station, Va, sufficient money to pay
their way to this city. The body Of Capt.
MOrtensen, who was 30 years old and
leaves a young wife in Norway, and that
of Abraham Carlssen, and sailmaker,
and Swede by birth, We're washed up
ana buried on the beach of Hog Island
None of the other bodies have vet been
recovered. Theodore JOrgen Jorgensen
was the mate, and there were seven sea
men, of whom five are missing, and doubt
less lost.
FERRYBOAT IN COLLISION.
NORFOLK, VA, Jan. 2.-This evening
a few minutes after the steamer Jane
MOsely, which runs between Norfolk and
Cape Charles City as a transfer boat for
the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk
Railway, left her wharf on her north
bound trip, she ran into one of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad barges in
tow OF the tug Hinton, carrying away her
port wheel house and barber shop, break
ing her shaft and otherwise sustaining
serious injury. No one was hurt. Her |
passengers left by the Baltimore boat.