Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-23
GALLANT LIFE SAYING
How the Missouri Stood BY The
Ill Rated Danmalk
Ind Shared Seanty Rations With The
Rescued.
Capt MurIelrs Goodness and Bravery
Capt. MurIells Goodness and Bravery
Theme for Praise.

t'eulns Ar oul tntee persons are we'll On
board and these three are doing nicely. The
rescued passengers look hearty and bright
and show no signs of the hariships endured
Capt Hamilton Murrell COMMANDER of the
Missouri makes the folloNiig statement
1--WE left London with general cargo fol
the first trip to Philadelphia March 2s. Had
a fair passage up to l,20 z. Nj. April 5,
when we sighted steamship Damn ark living
the signal of distress. The wind IVES blow
ing strong from the west. We bore down on
the steamer and found her disabled.
Capt. knudsen, her commander, reported
the tail end of his shaft broken, and wished
me TO take his Passengers TO New York
Owing TO the state of the weather, and be-
cause of the fact that WAS not prepared TO
accommodate such q number of people,
declined TO accede TO his request, but offered
10 tow his vessel TO the nearest port. This
offer Was accepted. At ) 20 Z. NJ, We
placed tow rope on board of the vessel and
proceeded slowly, turning TO sea and wind
and heading northwest for ST. Johns n. F..
which considered the best port to make
under the circumstance. The wind blew
with a tremendous force all night which
made our progress most difficult.
April 9Th at $50 A. NJ, finding that we
could make no headway in a westerly direc
| ion, ard seeing ice to the windward. | de-
cided TO abandon the hope of reaching ST.
Joins, and determined to make for St.
Michaels, one of Il . Azores Islands. | sig
nailed my determination 10 the captain of the
Danmark, and he agreed that this was the
! best course TO pursue.
| One hour later We squared away for St
Michsels. Att A. NJ. the Danmark sig
nalled, We are leaking considerably. There
is now three feet of water in the aft hold
and it i, gaining rapidly. asked what
should do. The signal came to keep on
towing. AT % A. NJ. the Danmark again
signalled us, The Danmark is sinking. we
must abandon the ship, will you take passen-
gers" Without a moments hesitation sig
nailed back, Yes, will take all on board
and will do the best can then cut the
tow line and we dropped down to the Dan
mark. Chief Officer Glen of that vessel
came on board the Missouri and informed
me of the con iiti IN of the ship and he said
although the weather was fine Capt Knud-
sen decided for the best interests of those
on board the ship it was better to abandon
her and get all the people on board the Mis-
souri, while they had plenty of time. At 9.20
A. NJ we launched two life boats in charge
of Second Officer Lucas and Third Officer
Forsyth. The two boats proceeded to the
| Daumark.
In the meantime seven of the sinking
steamers boats, were manned by the crew of
| that steamer and the work of transferring the
passengers began. A heavy swell was run
ming all day and the work of removing the
people was one of great difficulty. Only by
the hardest kind of work we were able to
avoid accidents both to people and boats The
" omen and children were removed first, af
ter them the male passengers and crew, the
officers of the Danmark remaining On board
the vessel. At : T. NJ we finished the work
of transferring the passengers, haYing con-
sumed nearly five hours, getting everybody
with the exception of the officers safely on
board the Missouri, without single accident
of any kind. One hour later the barometer
began falling. the weather coming in thick
and looking dirty. | sent word to Capt.
Knudsen and his faithful officers to leave
the ship and come Oh board the Missouri
After getting some provisions from the Dan
mark which had now settled very perceptbIv
in the water, that vessel was finally abandon
ed, Capt. knudsen being last to leave the
ship. We had on board in addition to our
own crew of 40 men and four passengers
665 cabin and steerage passengers, 60 officers
and crew of the i'll fated steamer. After we
had taken everybody from Danmark we
pulled the plugs out of the bottoms of that
vessels boats which we had used and left
the to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic
cannot understand how the Minnesota
picked up one of these boats six days later.
Our last view of the Danmark showed that
the vessel was rapidly going down, her stern
being almost even with the sea. The water
was breaking over her We threw over
board most of our cargo between decks con-
ssting principally of baled rags, in order to
M Ike room for the accommodation of the
large addition to our passenger 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. We de-
slded to make all possible haste to reach the
port of ST. Michael, $50 miles away.
After undergoing a severe gale April 10,
we arrived at st Michaels April H. At II
A. NJ. we landed $40 passengers and crew
of the Danmark including Capt Knudson.
In dividing up the load kept on board the
Missouri the families, endeayorng As far MS
possible to leave the single men and those
not having ch idren at ST. Mchsels. At
p. NJ. the same day we sailed from -
Mchaels with 3G5 people from the Daumark
including eight of the crew Of that vessel
who were allowed to come with us. We
had fine weather all the way to Philadelphia.
Capt. Murrell Liopized.
PHrLADELPHIA, April %.
Capt. Hamilton Mufrell of the steamer
Missouri, is being lionized considerably for
his gallant rescue of the Dsnmark's passen-
gers and ere Y. As the steamer came up to
tine city she was saluted with whistles of all
kinds. Just before reaching the pier, a
florists agent boarded the snip, and pre-
| Capt. Murrell, on behalf of several promi-
nent ship osners with a handsome f,ral
ship, the hull and rigging being composed of
| pink roses on sea of ever greens and
trimmed with silvered sails. Tomorrow at
noon by invitation of the maritime exchange
| he will hold a public reception in their
building. Tomorrow night he will be an hon
ored guest at the annual dinner of the Sons
of St. George. Capt, Murrell is but rs
years of age. and has commanded success
fully the Surrey, Michigan and Maine of the
| Tbingvalla line. He has been remarkably
free from mishsps in his career as master.
| The final leave taking between Capt Mur-
rill and the crew of the Danmark was very
affecting.
! As the passengers left the steamer they
were conducted to an immense table in the
Red Star line shed, where they were fed with
many good things and were provided with
accommodations until tonight about eleven
O'Clock. special train on the Pennsy lvania
| railroad conveyed nearly 800 towards their
| destination in the west and northwest. The
remaining e5, or thereabouts, destined for
points in the east. also left tonight over the
| same line.
What Nay Have Caused the Engineers Q
! Death
/ Little il known about the death of En-
| gneer Kaas Of the Danmark as there ware
no witnesses The most plausible and most
generally believed theory of his death is that
when he found the shaft broken and was
with every revolution tearing a larger hole
in the Danmark's bottom, be made an effor;
to turn off the steam in order to stop the
machinery. Perhaps in an unguarded mo-
ulent or moment of excitement or beccmia Z
bewildered he canse, the accident which
cost hIm his life. Whether the explosion OF
steam pipe or the fast revolving broken
shaft is responsible for it will probably never
be known.
/ Many stories are told by the shipEreeked
passengers, all of one tenor, full OF
praise for the GOODNESS, bravery and kind
) ness of their own and the dissouri's off
csrs.
Knox County Pomona Grange.
The session OF Knox County Pomon,
Grange, T. of H., held at BurkeuvilIe la.
Saturday, was not largely attended. owing Il