Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1889-04-26
SAVED FROM THE SEA.
The Passengers and Grew of the
Lost Danmark are all Safe
on Land,
Having been Taken From the Sink
ing Vessel by the Steamer
Missouri.
Not a Single accident Occurred in
Transferring the Passengers
OF the Danmark. 49,.
The Danmark's Passengers Saved.

The DanMark's Passengers Saved.
PHILADELPHIA. April 22.-Capt. Hamil-
ton Murrell. Commander OF the Missouri,
which arrived to-day. makes the following
statement: "We left London with a gen
eral cargo for o!lr first trip to Philadelphia
ON March 2Sth. We had fair passage
after II p. M. OF April 5th, when we sighted
the steamship Danmark flying a signal of
distress. The wind at the time was blow
ing strong from the west. We bore down
on the steamer and found her disabled.
Captain Knudson, her commander, re-
ported that the tail end of his shaft was
broken and he wished me to take his pas
sen9ers to New York. Owing to the state
OF the weather and because of the fact that
| was not prepared to accommodate such
q number of people. declined to accede to
his request, but offered instead to tow his
vessel to the nearest port. This offer
Captain knudson accepted. and at 3:2O
p. n, OF two hours after we first sighted
the Danmark, we placed tow rope on
board that vessel and proceeded slowly,
heading northwest for st. Sohns, Y. f.,
which | considered the best port to make
under the circumstances.
THE WIND BLEW
with tremendous force all night and pro-
gress was most difficult, On April 9th,
at $50 q. H., finding that | could make
no headWay in a westerly direction: and
seeing ice to windward, decided to aban-
don my hope Of reaching St. JOINS and
determined to make for ST. Mchaels, one
OF a series of islands. l signalled my de
termination to the captain OF the Dan
mark and he agreed that this was the last
course to pursue. and one hour later we
squared away for St. Slichaels at Z a. m.
The Danmark signalled to us: "We are
leaking considerably. There is now three
feet OF water in the aft hold and it is gain
ing rapidly" asked what l should do,
and the signal can't: keep on towing"
us: this time the signal read:
THE DANMARk Is SINKING,
We must abandon the ship; will you take
our passengers 2" Without a moments
hesitation 1 signalled back: YES, [ will
take all ON board and do the best cam l
then cut the tow line and dropped down to
the Danuark. Chief Officer Glen of that
vessel came on board the Missouri and in
formed me Of the condition Of his ship.
He said that although the weather at that
time was fine. Captain Knudson had de-
cided for the best interests OF those on his
Ship it would be better to abandon her
and get all the people on board the Mis-
souri, While there was plenty OF time. At
$3.50 a. III. we launched our two life boats
in charge of Second Officer Lucas and
| Third officer Forsythe and these two
boats proceeded to the Danmark. In the
meantime seven OF the sinking steamers
boats were manned bya a crew from that
steamer and the work of
sTRANsFERRING THE PASSENGERS
began. A heavy swell was running during
all this memorable day, making the work
! of removing people from the sinking ship
one great difficulty, and it was only by
the hardest kind OF work that we We're
able to avoid accidents, both to the people
and to the boats. The women and chill
uASll tWSlC 1CSCucu ulSl, dLO dlI6F EIlGnl
the male passengers and crew. The Off
GERS OF the Danmark remained on board
their vessel. At 2p. M, we finished the
work of transferring the passengers, hav-
ing consumed nearly five hours, and get
| ting everybody, with the exception of the
officers, safely on the Missouri, without a
single accident. About one hour later the
I barometer began falling The weather
was coming in thick and looking dirty. and
/ sent word to Captain KnudsOn and his
4 faithful officers to leave the ship and come
on board the Missouri and after gettingsonle
provisions from the Danmark, which had
now settled very perceptibly in the water.
that vessel was finally abandoned, Captain
Knudson being the last to leave his ship.
COUNTED HEADS
and found we had on board, in addition to
ourtown crew of As men and 4 passengers.
669 cabin and steerage passengers and f9
of the officers ana crew OF the i'll fated
steamer. After we had taken everybody
from the Danmark we pulled the plugs
out of the bottoms of that vessels boats
which we had used, and left them to sink
to the bottom OF the Atlantic, and cannot
understand how the Minnesota picked up
onetOf those boats six days later. Our last
view OF the Danmark showed that vessel
to be rapidly going down, her stern being
almost even with the sea and the water
breaking over her.
WE THREW OVERHEARD
most Of our cargo between decks, consist
lug principally of baled rags. in order to