Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-17
SUNK IN THE ATLANTIC.
Loss of the Immigrant Steamer
Danmark, in Mid-Ocean.
Grave Doubt Concerning the Fate of
Passengers and Crew.
Nearly Eight Hundred Persons on the
IlI-Fated Vessel.
Great Excitement In New York and Liv.
erpool Over the News.

Bond. from New York April for Liv-
erpool, arrived here to-day. She re-
ports that on April she passed the
Danish steamer Danmark, from Chris
tiania, Copenhagen, for New York.
The Danmark had been abandoned by
her crew. Her stern was level with the
sea and her bow stood high out of the
water. She was apparently sinking.
The Danmark was vessel of 1920 tons,
and belonged to the Thingvalla Line.
She was commanded by Capt. Knudson.
$40 feet long, 40 feet in breadth and rs
feet deep. She was built at Newcastle,
Eng, in 1880.
Further particulars of the sighting of
the abandoned steamship Danmark by
the Inmar Lines City of Chester have
been slowly arriving since noon. The
Danmark was rapidly sinking when the
Chester saw her.
The Chester sighted her from a dis
lance, and was struck by the apparent ab-
sence ofany life on board. She drew near
and Investigated, and afterward made
sure that no one was on board of the
abandoned wreck. The Chester lay to
and about for several hours.
The stern of the Danmark was on
level with the sea. Her bow was far
out of the water in the air. There were
no visible signs of collision. NO wreck
age was floating about. The boats were
all gone from their davits, and nothing
indicating haste and panic was notice
able. After laying to, near the wreck,
far some little time, the City of Chester
proceeded.
New YORK, April 1.-THE gre atest ex-
element prevails in shipping circles
over the loss of the steamer Danmark.
The Thingvalla Line is probably the
largest carrying immigrant line that
plies between this port and Europe.
The Danmark had on board when she left
Christiansand for New York on the Goth
of March, $50 passengers, presumably all
immigrants. Including the vessels
captain, r. M. Knudsen, the crew num-
bered 40 men. The office of the agents
of the steamer, Funch, Edye & Co., 81
South William Street, has been thronged
inquiring for later news of the vessel.
Mr.. Edge. of the firm, does not credit
the report. He mas cabled his London
agents and sought by wire for further
particulars from the Copenhagen
branch of the firm.
The news Of the disaster spread rap
idly down town, and among the first
of ha Of 81 p
Co., was Morris Slower, young farmer
from somewhere in Massachusetts, who
got here last night, to await the arrival
Of the steamer upon which his brother
and sweetheart, Marie Muller, had
taken passage. His grief was uncon-
trollable when Mr.. Eyde said that no
contradictory dispatch had been re-
ceived at noon.
The Danmark was formerly the
freight steamer Jan Breydel, of the
White Cross Line. Last fall Messrs.
Funch, Edge & Co.. who are also the
agents of the latter line, had the vessel
put in condition for passenger traf-
fc, rechristened her Danmark, and
transferred her to the Thingvalla fleet.
This was the vessels first "Trip from the
other side under her new colors. The
reported disaster wildly recalls the col
lision of the steamship Thingvalla, of
the same line, last summer, by which
many lives were lost.
The New Y ork agent of the Thingval-
la Line this afternoon said: "We have
here a cable dispatch to the effect that
the Danmark left Christiansand on
March rs, on her first voyage under her
new flag and name. She had been
completely overhauled, and it was
thought by all that she was the best of
our feet. There were on board of her
at tie time of her departure at least 10
people. Of these, $50 were passengers.
To manage and to look after the COM
fort of this large number of passengers
there must have been at least go in the
crew, and probably the number may
have reached 100 or perhaps l25. There
are, therefore, to be accounted for the
lives of from 71O to us people.
''The Danmark Is commanded by
Capt. Knudson, an old seaman, we'll
known for his courage and presence of
mind, and he is not the man to abandon
a ship to the mercies of the waves when
there is one chance in even thousand
of getting her into port. And we do not
believe that he has abandoned her. She
may have been disabled, bnt we are
very nearly certain that she has not
been abandoned. We have taken steps
to discover if there is truth
in the story. At 1870 o'clock
this morning we sent OFT two
cables. One was to the Lloyds in
London, asking for full particulars of
the abandonment, # such were to be
had and also for the name of the ship
that says she sighted the Danmark in
such a condition. The second Of the
two cables was 70 the home Office in
Copenhagen, also asking for particu lars
and for advice, and for the names of
those $50 people who sailed on the Dan
mark.
"The position in which the Danmark