The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-23
The Arrival.
THE STORY OR The RESCUE
OF the Crew and Passengers Of
the Lost Danmark.
The Missouri Into Port With
Many Of the Rescued
PEOPLE FROM The VESSEL
That Sank in Mid.OCean...The
Thrilling History Of the
PrOvldentlal Escape from Death Of Over
Seven Hundred Human Belugs-A
Stormy Experience After
the Plck,up-The Cap
taln's Recital.

tain's Recital.
PHELADELpHIA, Pa, April 22.-The
approach Of the Missouri to this port
with the rescued Danmark passengers
was sufficient to cause the greatest excite.
ment, not only in marine circles, but
throughout the entire city, As early as
s o'clock the revenue cutter, Tench
Coxer with surveyor Of the port, John
N, Campbell, and q squad Of custom
officers, steamed down the river to meet
the ship, The glad tidinPs Of the morn.
ing caused feeling Of relief, but more
especially in shipping circles, where the
fate Of the Danmark and the positive
rescue OF her people has been the one
topic for 30 many days.
When apprised Of the Missouri's com.
ing, T. 7. Young, Of Peter, Wright &
Son, said: "This takesa great loed of
my mind. The Missouri is ten days
over due and we had begun to feel a
little anxious, we hoped that the
delay was because she had taken of
the Danmark's crew, but Of this we were
by no means certain. Many men
In marine circles thought the Missouri
must be lost, but l was certain she was
not"
Capt. Hamilton Murrell, the com.
mandant OF the Missouri, makes the fol.
lowing statement: eve left London
with general cargo for our first trip To
Philadelphia, on March 2S. We had a
fair passage up TO l:20 p. m. OF April 8,
when we sighted the steamship Dan.
mark flying signal OF distress. We
bore down on the steamer and found her
disabled. Capt. Knudson, her com.
mander reported that the tail end OF his
shaft was broken, and he wished me to
take his passengers 10 New York. Owing
TO the state Of the weather, and because
Of the fact that was not prepared TO
accommodate such number of people,
declined to accede TO his request, but
offered, instead, TO tow his vessel TO the
nearest port This offer Capt. Knudson
accepted, and at $500 p. M, or two
hours after we first sighted the Dan
mark, we placed tow rope on board
that vessel and proceeded slowly, turn.
ing 10 the sea and wind and heading
northwest for st. Johns, N. F., which |
considered the best port to make under
the circumstances. The wind blew with
tremendous force all night and progress
was most difficult, On April 6t6, at
$3.50 a. M, finding that could make no
headway in westerly direction, and
seeing ice to windward, I decided to
abandon my hope Of reaching ST. Johns
and determined to make for st. Michaels,
one OF the Azores Islands. signallod
my determination 10 the Captain OF the
Danmark and he agreed that this was
the best course to pursue. Alta. m,
the Danmark signalled TO US:
1--WE are leaking considerably; there
Is now three feet Of water in the aft hold,
and II Is gaining rapidly"
I asked what l should do and the sig
nal came:
"Keep on towing"
THE LAST RESORT.
At 9;20 a. m. the Danmark again sig.
nailed US. This time the signal read:
1.-THE Danmark is sinking. We must
abandon the ship. viii you take our
passengersH"
Without a moments hesitation sig
nailed back:
Eyes, l will take all on board and do
the best can"
I then cut the tow limo and we dropped
down to the Danmark.
The women and children were remov.
ed first, and after then the male passen.
gers and crew. The officers Of the Dan.
mark remained on board their vessel.
At 2 p. IN. we finished the work OF
transferring the passengers, having con-
sumed nearly five hours, and getting
everybody with the exception Of the
officers, safely on the Missouri without
single accident OF any kind. About
one hour later, the barometer began
falling, the weather was coming In thick
and looking dirty, and sent word 10
Captain Knudsen and his faithful off.
GERS 10 leave the ship and come on board
the Missouri, aud, alter getting some
provisions from the Danmark, which
had now settled very perceptibly In the
water, thatyes was finally abandoned,
Capt. Knudson being tho last 10 leave
bis ship, ] then counted heads and
found that we had on board In addition
10 Our own crew Of forty.fve men and
four passengers, 600 cabin and steerape
passengers and sixty.nlne Of the officefg
and crew Of tho ill.iated steamer. After
we had taken everybody from the Dan.
mark wo pulled the plugs out Of The
bottoms Of that vessels boats, which We
had used, and left them 10 sink 10 the
bottom Of the Atlantic. Our last view
\ Of the Danmark showed that vessel 10 be
rapidly going down.
MAKING HASTE FOR LAND.
On looking over our stock Of psovlS
ions, we found, after a careful estimate
Of the number Of mouths We had 10 feed
we had only enough food on board d
! last three days, aud | decided 10 make
all possible haste 10 reach the port o.
81. MlChaelB, which was 720 miles away
The cabin passengers Of the DanmafL
were given accommodations In the Mis-
} souri's passenger cabins, and the ofRCefI
gave up their cabins for tho use OF tht
| women and children. We had started ioi
81, MlChaelis with all on board al 8 p. m
Of the 9th, The weather was very threat,
ening at the time, and the wind In
creased In yiBtenCo % the night bort
, on. Everything possible was done 4
! make the passengers comfortable. Al
: through the trying times which hat
! preceded this storm gthe passengers actet
admirably. The gale kept incfeaAinR II
fury, and there was a tremendous sei
, ruhhlnR which was continually bfeaklni
y over the vessel, and taken altogether
. things looked dubious, BY dayliph
+ oi April 8Lh however, the gale had ma
terlGlly decreased, and we were able Il
/, make ilne progress, April 10th at o 10
!. q, m, we arrived at 81. MiChael's. OI
\ April l1th al II a, m, we landed $40 paE
Y Bengefs and crew Of The Danmark In
|. cludlng Capt, Knudsen At 81. Michael
!. ID dividing up our load. We kent OF
n board the Missouri the families, EN-
deayoring s far as possible 10 leave lh