Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-23
A Thrilling Experience.

But our experience for time was GER
tainly most thrilling, and one which hope
never to have to pass through again. Up to the
4th inst our trip on the Danmark had been
pleasant one. On the latter date however,
We encountered a severe storm We would
have weatherei it all right, l suppose, had
our engines held out, but the shaft broke
near the aft end of A section. As a result a
hole was cut through the bottom Of the ves-
sci. 1t appears that simultaneously with the
breaking of the shaft an engine pipe burst,
and Engineer kaas was instantly killed An
other leak was caused by the bursting of the
pipe, in the side of the vessel Thus mat
tiers grew very serious, and our vessel was
left at the mercy of the waves Capt Knud-
sen endeavored TO keep her in the path of
ocean steamers. We sought vainly that day
for the sight of sail, but night fell and we
still remained in our perilous position.
Help in Time of Need.
"The dawning of the following day-the
5th-however, was designed to bring us re-
lief. A sail was sighted by the outlooks and
we at once put up signals of distress The
sails proved to be those of the Missouri
When in speaking distance Capt. Knudsep
asked if the Missouri could take our passen-
gers on board. The commander of the latter
steamer said that would be impossible, as he
had nowhere to put them. He promptly
agreed to take us in tow. We got along well
enough for a few hours, when it was dis
covered that the water was fast pouring into
the steamer through the big hole in her
stern. The pumps were kept going without
lntermission, but they proved almost useless
as far as saving the vessel was concerned.
We kept at it, however, until the 9th, and
then 1t was seen we could no longer hope to
save our ship. AS noon approached the
danger grew more imminent.
The Sinking Ship Abandoned.
Capt Knudsen boarded the Missouri and
asked that his passengers be received on her
decks. At o'clock the work of transferring
the hundreds of souls from the Danmark to
the Missouri was begun. First the women
and children were taken aboard the latter
boat, then the men, and lastly Capt. Knud-
sen and his crew. You may imagine that
during this time the excitement was intense.
but any semblance of panic was averted by
the GOODNESS of both Capts Murrell and
knudsen, and the prompt manner in which
the crews obeyed their every order After
six hours work, at o'clock on the night of
the 9th, all the passengers of the Danmark
had been safely landed on the Missouri OF
course large part of the latter steamers
cstiRO udu W pc ytttlsoneu DelOTe dccOmmO-
dations could be found for the ri souls.
Many of these had to abandon their valuab lie
effects, as the amount of goods which each
passenger was allowed to retain was necessa-
rily limited to what was absolutely indispens-
able.
Steering for the AsOres.
1.-THE Missouri was then headed for the
Azores, the nearest land where we arrived
withoutgany further incident, on the 10th.
There all the young, unmarried men, to the
number of 1856, and including Captain Knud-
son and the largest part of his crew, were
landed On the 18th we again set sail after
having laid in a stock of provisions, s~S'ch
added to those we took from the Danmark
before deserving her proved amply sufficient.
Captain Murren deserves the highest praise
for the manner in which he has treated US
during the entire passage. He gave US all
the best accommodations possible, and did all
| In his power to make the trip pleasant one
and SO it has been, after our perilous expert
ence and fortunate escape"