The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-04-26
The Captains Story.

Captain Marcel, commander of the
Missouri, who rescued the shipwreck.
ed crew and passengers of the dis
abled steamer Danmark in mid.
ocean, gives the following account of
the rescue.
The Missouri left London for Phil.
adelphia on March %, on April 5th
the disabled ship, Dannark, was
sighted flying signals of distress.
A tow line was attached and an
attempt was made to tow her to St.
Johns, which was soon abandoned
and the ships head turned toward
the Azore Islands. The narrative
of the rescue proceeds:
AT $50 a. IN. we launched our
two lifeboats. In the meantime seven
of the sinking steamers boats were
manned by the crew of that steamer.
and the work of transferring the pas.
sengers began.
"A heavy swell was running during
all of this memorable day, making
the work of removing the people
from the sinking ship one of great
difficulty. The women and children
were removed first, and after them
the male passengers and crew. The
officers of the Danmark remained on
board their vessel. At 2 p. m. we
finished the work of transferring the
passengers, having consumed nearly
five hours. and getting everybody
with the exception of the officers
safely on the Missouri without a sin.
gle accident of any kind.
"About one hour later the baron
eter began falling, the weather was
coming in thick and looking dirty,
and l sent word to Capt. Knudsen
and his faithful officers to leave the
ship and come ON board the Missouri.
and after getting some provisions
from the Danmark, which had now
settled very preceptibly in the water,
that vessel was finally abandoned.
THE LAST OF THE DANMARK.
Sour last view of the Danmark
showed that vessel to be rapidly
going down, her stern being almost
even with the sea, and the water was
breaking over her.
ave found we had only enough
food on board to last three days, and
l decided to make al possible haste
to reach the port of St. MichaePs,
which was 720 miles away. The cab.
in passengers of the Danmark were
gwen accommodations in the Mis-.
souri's passenger cabins, and the
officers gave up their cabins for the
use of the women and children.
ONE MORE PASSENGER.
'On April Z, at 1.20 a. M, 10 hours
after the transfer was made, Mrs.
Linnie, aged Is years, a pretty little
Danish woman, who was on the way
to America to meet her husband,
gave birth to girl in my cabin. The
little stranger was christened Atlanta
Missouri. The child was born during
bowling storm, which rocked the
vessel and caused the sea to break
over US.
awe had started for st Michaeps
with all on boad at p. m. of the 9Th
The weather was very threatening at
that time and the wind increased in
violence as the night wore on.
"The gale increased in fury, and
there was tremendous sea running,
which was continually breaking over
the vessel, and, taken altogether,
things looked dubious. 1t must be
remembered that we were very short
and this storm at the
very outset of our journey toward
st. MichaePs made me fearful of
reaching that port safely. By day.
light of April 8, however, the gale
had materially decreased and we
were able to make fine progress
The 9th went by without incident,
and at $50 IN. of April 10 we ar
rived at st. Michael's. On April IL |
at | | a. N. we landed $40 of the pas.
sengers Of the Danmark, including
Capt. Knudsen. at st. Michaers.
"At 6p. m. of the same day we
sailed from st. Michael's with 365 |
people from the panmark, including
eight of the crew of that vessel, who
were allowed to come with us. We
had fine weather all the way to Phil.
adelphia and a remarkably small
amonnt of sickness on board, consid.
ering the crowded condition of our
boat"