The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-09-12
ADRIFT IN THE DARK.
Saved from a Watery Grave by an
American Ship.
Thrilling Experience of the Crew of
the Norwegian Bark RogeIand.

BowLINE-oN-CLYDE, Sept u.-John De
Winter, master of the bark John r. Stan
hope, of Rockland, Me-, has just given cor
respondent the following thrilling story of
the loss of the Norwegian bark Rogeland, of
Hangesund, and of the rescue of the four
survivors of the wrecked vessel: Il sailed
from Rockland," said Capt. De Winter, ION
Aug. 5d, bound for this place. About 9
O'Clock, on the evening, of the 18th, we sud-
denly ran into a lot of wreckage, and pres
e1stly fell foul of the top of a ships house.
Two hours later we were startled by the de-
Spalrlng cry of several men. We shouted
back in answer, and hove to expecting that
we should soon see boat pull toward us.
NO boat appeared, however, but the cries
continued. At last we heard a feeble voice.
begging us, for Gods sake, to send help
quickly or it would be too late. We launched
a boat, manned by the mate and two men,
who pulled in the direction from which the
cries came. After short time our boat re-
turned with two men, Svedd Helgesen, the
second mate of the Rogeland, seaman Bord
Hendrickson, and boy named Nilsson, who
had been picked up, in the last stage of eX-
haustion, floating on a rough raft, built of
deals. They reported that they formed part
of the crew of the ill-fated Rogeland, and
with the exception of the steward, Knudt
Nilsson, whom we picked up, after an anX-
ious search, ON the following morning also
floating on some deals, were the only survi-
y0rs. When Helgesen was strong enough to
capsized in a fearful gale on the morning of
the 10TH The captain and several of the
crew managed to cling to the keel of the YES
sell but the furious sea soon swept them off,
and no more was seen of them. Helgesen
and the boy Nilsson were just sinking, when,
with a last effort, they clutched at plank
which was drifting by, and hanging to it
like grim death, managed to keep their heads
above water until several more planks and a
bit OF rope floated in their way. Although
they were terribly weak and bruised, they
were. able to make a rude, loose raft, on
which they passed that night. In the morn
ing Hendrickson succeeded in joining them,
and the steward, who had also escaped from
drowning, followed their example and made
a second raft. All suffered much from hum
ger and thirst. On the 18th they sighted
steamer, but were not seen by its crew.
About midday on the 18th another steamer
bore down toward them eastward bound.
Leaving the steward and the boy on the RATS
to signal the vessel with jacket and an up
right plank, Helgesen and Hendriekson
knocked four deals together and padded
with bit of board right toward the track of
splashed the water in order to attract atten-
ton. The officers. whom they could plainly
distinguish on the bridge, as the raft was less
than half mile distant from the steamer,
either did not see them or would not heed
their cries. The poor fellows yelled them
The vessel passed by the little raft, and
gradually vanished from sight of the ship
wrecked men in broad daylight This was
enough to drive the men to despair, and for
a time the blow was too much for them in
their weakened condition. But the sea was
calm, and somehow or other they gathered
up enough strength to rejoin the lad Nilsson
and drift about, growing fainter every mo-
ment, until we providentially heard their
shouts and rescued them.