The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-24
THE RESCUED PASSENGERS
FROM THE LOST STEAMER DANMARK
Arrive Safely in Philadelphia on Board
the Steamship nIissouri-An Are Wen
Save Three-A Statement From
Capt. Hamilton Murrell.

PHILADELPHIA, April 22.-The steamship
Missouri with 365 of the people from the
wrecked steamer Danmark arrived at the
American line steamships dock at o'clock
this evening. All were we'll on board with the
exception of three persons. All of the Dan
marks passengers look hearty and bright and
show no signs of the hardships which they
must have necessarily endured. Among those
on board from the Danmark were Purser Hem
pell; ships physician, Jespersen; cook, Albert
johnson: stewardess, Mrs. Nelson; baker, John
Lunchrist; butcher Peter Benson; emigrant
stewardess, Mrs. Christenansen, and waiter,
William Dewalt- Eight in all. These were the
only members of the Danmark's crew who
came on board the Missouri General Passen-
| ger Agent John Rath of the Thingvalla line
came from New York to make provisions for
the comfort of the people from the unfortunate
Danmark. He stated that all would be for
warded to their destination from this city If
satisfactory arrangements could be made.
Nearly all the emgrants are bound for points
in the West.
Tonight at II o'clock a special train on the
Pennsylvania railroad conveyed nearly three
hundred of the passengers toward their des-
tination in the west and northwest. The re-
east also left tonight over the same line. A
majority of the westbOund are going to Mime
sofa, Dakota and other points in that section,
/ while few go as far as Washington territory.
They are accompanied by agents of the Thing
valla line and will be reprovisiOned at Chicago.
Capt. Murrel will be ionized for the next
day or two, as a mark OF the esteem in
which he is held by those who know him,
and of his gallantry. Tomorrow at noon, by
n he urrn chs he will
hold public reception at their building, and
tomorrow night he will be the honOred guest
at the annual dinner of the Sons of St George.
| The final devastating between Capt. Murrell
and the passengers of the Danmark was affect.
ing. For all those who grasped his hand the
master had a smile and a kind word OF we'll
wishing.
Capt. Hamilton Murrell the commander Of
| the Missouri, makes the following statement:
WeleIt London with general cargo for our FIRST
trip TO Philadelphia, on March Is We had fair
passage up TO 20 p OF April ). when sighted
| the steamship Danmark flying distress signal The
WIND at that time was blowing strong from the west
| We bore down on the steamer and found her dis
| abled, Capt knudsen, her commander. reported
| that the tail end of his shaft broken, and he
| wished me TO take his passengers TO New York
Owing To the state Of the weather and because of the
| Tact that was not prepared to accommodate such
number of people declined TO accede to his request
but offered inst al, tow his vessel the
| port ThisOher Capt. Knudsen accepted and at 800
pm.or two hours after We first sighted the Danmark
! proceeded slowly, turning the sea and wind
! and heading northwest for ST. Johns n. F i.
! which | considered the hest port to make
| under the circumstances The wind blew with
tremendous force all night, and progress most
dlhcnlt On April B. at 5:So a. m, finding that
| could make no Roadway in westerly direction and
| seeing ice to windward ! decided to abandon my
hope OF reaching st. Johns and determined to make
| for ST. Mchaels, one of the Azores islands sig
nailed my determination TO the captain of the Dam
mark and he agreed that this was the best course to
pursue and one hour later we squared away for st.
At m. the Danmark signalled to us 1--WE are
leaking considerably; there is three feet of
in the att hold, and it is gaining rapidly" asked
what should do, and the signal came Keep on
| towing At 9:21a m. the Danmark again signalled
! as. This time the signal read: 1.-The Danmark is
| SINKING we must abandon the ship. Will you take
| our passengers" Without moments hesitation
signaled back Eyes, viii take all board and do
| the best can"
then cut the tow line and we dropped down TO
the Danmark Chief Officer Glen Of that vessel came
on board the Missouri and informed me Of tn condi
ton OF his ship. lie said that although the weather
at the time was fife Capt knudsen had decided that
tor the best interests OF those his ship il would be
best to abandon her and get all the people board
the missouri while there was plenty time. At $3.50
we launched our two life boats in charge of Second
Officer Lucas and Third Officer Forsyth, and these
two boats proceeded to the Danmsrk. In the mean
| time seven OF the sinking steamers boats
manned by the Of that steamer and the work of
transferring the passengers began. heavy swell
was running during all Of this memoir
able day, making til work of removing the people
| from the sinking shin one of great dif5euItv
and il only by the hardest kind of work that We
were able to avoid accidents both TO the people and
to the boats The women and children were re-
moved hrSt and after tn m the male passengers and
| crew. The officers of the Danmark remained on
! board their vessel. At ? p. M finished the work
OF Transferring the passengers having consumed
exception OF the officers, safely the Missouri with
out single accident of any kind. About one hour
later the barometer began falling, the weather was
coming in thick and looking dirty and 1 sent word
| TO Capt. Knudsen and his faithful officers to leave
the ship and come on board the Missouri and after
yeti fha ri fsch
had now settled very perceptbly in the water that
vessel was finally abandoned, Capt. Knudsen being
| the last 70 leave his ship.
then counted heads and found we had on board
in al iition TO our own crew of forty-hve men and
four passengers, 669 cabin and seerage passengers
and sixty-nne Of the officers and crew Of the ILL
| fated steamer. After we had taken everybody from
the Danmark pulled the plugs out of the bottoms
OF that vessels boats. which had used and left
them 10 sink to the bottom Of the Atlantic, and 1
can't understand how the Minnesota picked up one
OF these boats six days later. Our last view of the
Danmark showed tina. vessel TO be rapidly going
down, her stern being almost even with the sea- and
the water was breaking over her We threw overheard
most Of our cargo between decks consisting princi-
pally Of bailed rags in order to make for the
| accommodation OF the large additions TO passen-
| ger list.
On looking over our provisions we found after
careful estimate of the number of mouths we had to
feed that We had only enough food on board to last
| three days and decided TO make all possible haste
! to reach the port of St. Michaels VIII ch was 20
miles away. The cabin passengers of the DanmaIk
| were given accommodations in the Mssouri's pas
senger cabins and the officers gave up their cabins
| for the use Of the women and children.
On April L at f-30 m, about ten hours after the
| transfer made Mrs. Linnie aged eighteen wears
| a Danish woman who was the way 10 America to
meet her husband. gave birth 10 a child, q girl in
my cabin. The little stranger christened Allan
| tic Missouri. The child was born during a howl
ing storm, which rocked the vessel and caused the
! sea to break over us.
We had started for St. Michaes with all on board
| at p. OF he 9th. The weather very threat
| ening at that time and the wind increased in viO-
| leuce as the night wore Everything possible
| done to make the passengers comfortable. AVN
ings and sails were brought out and used as a par
tia pro ectiOn to the panic-stTcken emigrants who
for the first time showed signs Of fear All through
the trying times which had preceded this storm they
| acted admirably. The gale kept increasing fury
| aud there 4 tremendous sea running which was
continually breaking ever the vessel, and taken al
tOgeh her things looked dubious. IL must be remem-
| bered that we were vegy short Of provisions and
this at the veay outset of our journey toward
| ST Micheal made me fearful OF reaching that port
| safely.
BY daylight of April s, however. the gale had
mater tally decreased and we able 10 make fine
progress. The 9th went by without incident and at
| $3.50 a. m OF April 10 we arrived ut ST. Michaels
| On April II at ii a we landed $40 of the passen-
| gems and crew OF the Danmark including capt
| knudsen. at st. Michaes. In dividing up our load
we kept on board the Missouri the families endeav-
Oring as far possible 10 leave the single men and
| those not having children at st. Michaels.
| Ate p. m. Of the same day, we sailed from St.
Michaels with 365 people from the Danmark, includ-
| ing eight of the crew of that vessel who
we're allowed to come with We had fine weather
| all the way to Philadelphia and a remarkably
small amount OF sickness on board. considering the
| crowded condition of our boats. We have three
cases in the hOsptal-Carl Jensen, Norwegian
| for he Vest vhn has