The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-08-12
BEEN IN FOUR WRECKS
EXCITING CAREER OF SEAMAN
SORENCEN.
Wrecked off Coast of Scotland, Water
logged in Indian Ocean, Shanghaied in
Chili-Wrecked in the Trenton.

Now that able seaman Frederick Sor-
encen has been found by his brother,
Captain Ludwig Sorencen of the school,
ner f. M. Slade after being lost thirty
one years, the former can well heav e
to in his struggle for existence and re-
hect upon the stormy scenes of his
career as seafaring man. This is pro-
badly the first real haven of rest that
Seaman Sorencen has enjoyed since ne
left home in Denmark in 1870. Like
many another good man he fell into the
hands of the shipping masters and his
time and labor have all gone to enrich
those people.
Sorencen has been in no less than four
wrecks and was shanghaied once down
Ia Chill and made to help handle one of
that country's frigates against the Peru
vians. Probably the most exciting ex-
perience in his career was on the u. $.
). Trenton when that vessel was wreck
ed in the harbor of apia, back in the
eighties.
Il first shipped" he SAID yesterday
In the Norwegian brig, Andre Matilda
from Denmark. We went to Liverpool
and there l left the vessel 1t was a
mighty lucky thing that 1 did for after
she left Liverpool for Stockholm she
was lost and was never heard from. The
schooner Lydia which was used in the
coasting trade from England to Scot
land was another vessel where l had
narrow escape from being lost. When
OF the coast of Scotland the vessel ran
on the rocks but the crew were saved.
was always working on ships after
that, but not until went on the British
ship Nieman Hall some time in the
eighties did l meet with any thing like
disaster.
we were off Delagoa Bay, South
Africa when the vessel sprung a leak.
We worked with her for days but she
nnally became so waterlogged that we
had TO leave her. The captain took one
boat with part of the crew, while the
mate and the rest were in the second
boat. the captain stood off to the
southwark but the mate persisted in
running for land. The result was that
his boat was destroyed on the rocks and
all hands lost. Luck was better for the
rest of us, for after being out five
days, we were picked up by one of our
own vessels and taken to England.
II was in Novia Scotia vessel in
1876 when she happened to touch at
valparaiso, Chill during the war be-
tween Chill and Peru. Times were
pretty lively in those days and the gov
eminent did not care much what was
done just so men could be found to
man its vessels. A young fellow and l
roWed the captain ashore and while
NLiShS u LCiiOW CdluG dlOlB ana asked us
II we wanted drink. 1 wasn't drinking
In those days so L said give me a lemon
ade or something like that. lie must
nave put something into the drink for in
little while we were unconscious and
when we woke it was on the Chilli"
Chilian frigate. This vessel was used
as a transport and we took about 700
soldiers up the coast. We were pursued
once by Peruvian gunboat but our
captain was too smart and got away.
Finally 1 escaped from that vessel by
taking the ships boat and going to a
Norwegian vessel.
Il was on the Trenton when the big
wreck at Apia took place. 1t was a
terrible experience and none of us
thought we would ever get out of 1t
alive. There was a sort of tidal wave
which swept into the harbor and made
1t impossible for the ships to buck
against it and the wind. We were
forced on the reef. Several of the crew
got drowned. They were scared and
jumped overheard and tried to swim
ashore. 1 have been in the navy for
twelve years and 1 like it better than
working before the mast on merchant
vessels. l was also on the bark EN-
pire which burned off the Hawaii coast
last month. have also been mate on
SHIPS out of New York"