The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-04-18
ABANDONED AT SEA-

Passed in Mid-Ocean, Abandoned and in
n Sinking Condition Intense Anxiety as
TO the Fate Of the Seven Hundred Souls
Who Sailed with Her as Not One OF
Them was on the Dereliet.
LONDON, April 12.-The steamer City OF
Chester, from New York, which arrived
at Queenstown last night, reports having
passed, on April s, in mid-ocean, the
Danish steamer Danmark, from Copen-
hagen to New York. The vessel had been
abandoned and was in sinking condi-
ton. She had apparently been in colli-
sion. Her bow stood high out of water,
while her stern was sunken almost below
the level of the sea.
Great Excitement In New York.
NEW YoRK, April 12-The greatest ex-
citement prevails in shipping circles in
this city to-day. Early this morning a
cable dispatch from London TO the Mari.
time Exchange said that the Inman Line
steamer City of Chester, which arrived at
Liverpool from New York late last night,
had reported passing, abandoned, in mid
ocean, on the sth instant, the Thingvalla
steamer Danmark bound from Christian
sand, Norway, for New York. The Thing
valla line is probably the largest immi-
grant carrying line that plies between
this port and Europe. The Danmark had
on board when she left Christiansand for
New York, on March 26, six hundred and
fifty passengers, presumably all immi-
grants. Including the vessels captain
r. N. Kundsen, the crew numbered forty
men.
The agents of the company do not credit
the report. Mr.. Edge, of the firm, has
cabled to the London office for further
particulars. At noon Mr.. Edge said that
nothing further had been received. The
Danmark was formerly the freight steamer
Jan Rydel, of the White Cross line. She
was built in 1880, at Newcastle, England,
and was rated in the highest class. She
was of iron, brigantine rugged, had three
decks and nine water-tight bulkheads.
Her capacity was 4, 400 tons.
No incoming steamship to this port re-
ports any life boats or RATS that might
have belonged to the Danmark. Even if
| the Danmark has been abandoned, she
| had sufficient means to accommodate all
| the passengers on board, If
not all the crew. There were
a great number of life boats
enough for the great passenger list-and
several new life-rafts of the latest pat
| tern and improvements, which could
have accommodated the crew and officers
| and some of the passengers if there were
not enough room in the life-boats for
| them.
FURTHER PARTICULARS
of the sighting of the abandoned steam
ship Danmark by the Inman Line
steamer City of Chester have been
slowly arriving since noon. The Dam
| mark was rapidly sinking when the
Chester saw her. The Chester had
sighted her from a distance and had
been struck by the apparent absence of
| any life on board. She had drawn 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
a level with the sea. He bow was
| far out of the water in the air.
There was no visible signs of collision.
| No wreckage was floating about. The
boats were all gone from their davits and
nothing indicating haste and panic were
GOECedDle. AIJef laying 10 near Jue
| wreck for some little time the City Of
| Chester proceeded
| No list of the passengers on board the
| ill-fortuned steamship is to be had in this
| city. Several people have called at the
| offices of the agents asking for informa-
| ton of friends supposed to be on the
| Danmark, but all refused to give their
names. Funch, Edge 81 Co. expect a pas
| senger list by the Norddeutcher Lloyd
| steamer Aller, due at this port to-mor-
row.
Among the first callers at the Office of
| Funch, Edge &S Co. was Morris Stover, a
young farmer from somewhere in Massa-
chusetts, who got here last night to await
| the arrival of the steamer, upon which
| his brother and sweetheart, Mary
| Muller, had taken passage. His
| grief was uncomfortable when Mr..
| Edge said that no contradictory
| dispatch had been received at noon. The
| Danmark was formerly the freight steam
| er Jan Rydel of the White Cross Line.
Last fall Messrs. Funch, Edge & Co., who
| are also the agents of the latter line, had
| the vessel put it condition for passenger
| traffic, and christened her Dan
| mark" and transferred her to the
| Thingvalla fleet. This was the vessels
| first trip from the other side under her
new colors. The reported disaster vivid
| ly recalls the collision Of the stea mship
| Thingvalla of the same line last summer,
by which many lives were lost