The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-11
CONSUL SCHMIDT APPEALS.
He Wants Money to Aid the HUI
ricane Sufferers in Norway,

Senator n. w. Schmid: has returned
from Kauai where ne went 10 make
: collections for the hurricane sufferers
of Norway. Senator Schmidt is. as the
public is generally aware, the Norwe-
gian-Swedish Consul at this port. His
interest in the relief work was caused
by the receipt OF the following cir
cular sent cut by the Society for the
Promotion OF Norwegian Fisheries.
which ne requests as TO publish in full:
Terrible tidings have come TO us
from Norway. a hurricane, the equal
70 which in force and fury can hardly
be remembered, ravaged a large part
Of the lOng-stretched coast on Friday.
the 18th Of October and on 4yhe night
OF the 14th. Hard are the conditions
under which the Norwegian fisherman
has TO earn the daily bread for himself
and mis- family. Several times in the
course of each century disasters similar
TO the present have repeatedly over
taken him; a furious gale springs up
IN the course of one of the long. dark
winter nights and deals death and de-
struction amongst the fishing fleet. But
never perhaps has the destruction been
so enormous nor the loss of life so
great as on this occasion.
OFF the coast of HaugeSund lies a i
small fishing-hamlet called Rovaer, the
population OF which numbered about
100, young and old. One of the'inhabi-
tants had lost his wife. The body was
taken TO Haugesund for burial, accom-
panied by the husband and the four
erdest children. The three youngest, of
wlom the smallest was only 8 months,
were left home. The greater part of
the adult population of the island went
to the funeral to show the last hOnors
10 the deceased. All of these, 80 in
number, set off for their homes in the
evening on board of a small smack,
but this was To be their last journey.
The smack was wrecked and all were
drowned. IL widows and 50 orphans
are left on the little island.
The second and still more appalling
disaster happened farther north.
Outside the mouth of the Trond-
HENS Fjord are situated two larger
islands, Hitteren and FROZEN, both sur
rounded by innumerable smaller ISL
ands, rocks and breakers. West of
FROZEN again are a group of smaller ISL
ands called Titteren, and especially off
these islands were on dhe night of the
gale hundreds of boats, vessels and
steamers with their herring drift-nets
OUT. Besides these there were also a
great man. vessels spread for many
miles around.
The weather did not look promising
when the feet set off on Friday the
18Th, but a steamer had come in with
a good catch, behring's We're very high
in price, and nobody did expect so very
bad weather. Storm warnings had
been issued by the Meteorological In
stitute at noon, but the islands have
no telephone or telegraph connections,
and therefore no message had reached
them.
During the night the gale broke loose
from the northwest, that is to say
straigh on shore. Almost everybody
lost :heir gear immediately, and then
there commenced a dreadful making
for the harbors. But the waves soon
ran mountains high, the sea was lash-
ed into fury. and rocks and breakers
are scattered all round. Many boats
Swamped in open sea, whilst others
were driven on shore. Sails and rig
ging went overheard. and the disman-
tied vessels were dashed ashore. Lam
Terms were e~Xinguished, and lights
coul0 not be Seen through the spray; '
the night was pitch dark, and the YES
sells sailed into one another. SOme
reached harbor, but whilst trying to
lower sail and drop anchor, other yes
ssIs came crashing down upon them.
Nothing could be seen, no light could
be kept burning in these small vessels.
Numbers Were wrecked n drowned !
in harbor. People who stood on shore !
coulu hear the cries and crashing, but
could neither see nor help.
The number of those persisted was
first estimated at 100, then at 200. then
again at $50. and still the actual num-
- - - l~o@1 I1G n,fal ocanff I n n6 \
Probably sixty to eighty steamers, :
smacks and boats foundered, and the !
loss of fishing gear runs up to hum r
dreds of thousands of Kroner. A few {
were saved in a most marvellous man {
ner. Il
The tidings of these shocking disas-
ters have struck the whole country {
with profoundest grief and heartfelt !
sympathy The Government immedi- I
ately gave "a sum for distribution !
amongst those who lost all, in order :
to enable them to purchase new fish
ing gear by which to try their luck :
again. And from all parts of the !
country contributions are coming in '
for the relief of the families of the de- .
ceased. l
Collections are being made in all the
and everything is being lone !
to lessen the need of the sufferers. I
Mr.. Schmidt collected 600 krovers, f,
or a0out S160 in Kauai and desires to :
avail himself of the generosity OF other
Island people. Oahu and other sub {
scriptionS may be sent to him at his I
consulate on Pensacola street, to the +
Society for the Promotion of Norwe- !
gian Fisheries at Bergen or to the Ad- I
v~er,iser office. Z