San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-07
TWO PASSENGERS
Who Were On the Ili-Fated Dam
mark-Within Four Hours
of Death.

OF Death.
The LIGHT this morning had the
pleasure of meeting and conversing
with two gentlemen just arrived in
the city and who were among the
passengers of the steamship Danmark,
which foundered at sea and was re-
ported lost with all on board. Our
Geographic columns having had some
description of the trouble this steamer
had at sea, nothing was asked these
gentlemen about that. Their names
are Otto Stab, student, and
Olaf Iceberg, a business man and
grocer of Christian, Norway. They
said If the steamer Missouri, which
rescued them from the sinking ship,
had arrived four hours later, all
would have been lost. They gave
thrilling picture of the scenes of ter
ror, despair and desperation among
the passengers OH board. After the
main shaft broke and put hole in
the hull of the vessel through which
the water poured, it was found the
pumps could not be worked, being out
of repair. The sea was heavy and the
sails they tried to rig in order
to make for some land were
found to be rotten and tore into
shredS. Their trip all the way from
Norway Oh shipboard was a disas-
trous one. The ship was unsea-
worthy and had been so declared by
the6aptain and officers to the own
of steamers. They refused TO have
days the-shaft broke and they put in
70 Inc al Il
up and when again on the ocean, fire
broke out in the coal rooms on two
successive days. This also caused
delay and the sailors were disheart.
ened and openly declared they never
expected to see land again.
The gentlemen speak in the highest
terms of the bravery of six Norwegian
sailors who were aboard the Danmark
as passengers coming to America.
They helped the other sailors when
the ship was laundering, and when
the Missouri was sighted they got the
boats and did good work in transfer
ling the passengers. One of these men,
named Isaacson, made Is trips be-
tween the ships in a boat, in the
heavy sea, rowing the boat heavily
&oaded with passengers, and was the
8ast man to leave the sinking ship.
OF the different nationalities repre-
sented among the passengers, all
have made complaint in writing to
their different governments, against
the owners of the Danmark, for their
criminal negligence and careless
ness, and will enter suits against the |
company for damages for the loss of |
all their effects, baggage, ETC., and
'Sr'the delay on the trip. Everybody
On board lost everything they had,
md these two gentlemen now here
ire without means and without ac.
iuaintances and need work of some
zlnd to give them the necessaries of
lte.~ They were among the first pas
engers to be landed and came by wav
II Chicago to San Antonio, Mr.. Stub
intending to come to Texas,
,elng advised by doctor to try our
climate for the benefit of his health.
The remainder of the passengers of
he Danmark who were landed at the
azores by the Missouri were taken off
~ the steamer Wieland and were
anded at New York last Saturday.
here are 800 of them.
Their experience was similar TO |
hat of the rest. A man named Rails ,
hos Anderson died Friday when the J
essel was about 600 miles out but !
is body was brought to shore and is :
oW at Castle Garden, awaiting the o
rival of his wife, who lives in
over, Mich. The immigrants have
'ft for various parts OF the country.