The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-04
STORIES OF SURVIVORS.
One Old Man Lost His Entire Family
200 Children Aboard.

Grimsby. Eng, July 4.-Owing to the
strict enforcement of certain regula-
tions and the fact that there is no
Danish consul here all the survivors
of the Norge who arrived here on the
steamer Trawler Saliva were kept in
that vessel all night. They were in a
pitable condition.
This morning in the dingy cabin of
the Trawler the representative OF the
Associated Press saw about dozen
persons, including five women and two
children huddled together. Three of the
women were in a bunk, one was lying
ou the cabin floor and the other was
leaning against the captains berth too
bewildered to move. Two OF the Wo-
men pleaded to see Danish minister of
the gospel, but the one settled here
happened to be away. John Johanesen,
a gray beard man from Tromsoe said /:
when the ship first bumped most of
US were below. All rushed to the deck.
1 had my wife's five children with me-
At first none of us was aware of what
had happened and we kept quiet; but
in a minute or two we saw the ship
was sinking and then there were such
shrieks and cries too awful to describe.
We had nearly 200 children aboard and
they screamed with terror. Their
though some of them-calmer than the
others-began putting their little ones
in the rigging and other elevated posi-
tions. So far as l could see, the ofh-
GERS of the ship kept very calm, but the
crowd was uncontrollable. Men and
women began jumping into the sea
while others ran up and down trying
to snatch life belts from those who had
them.
.As soon as the first boat was got
out there was a mad rush for her with
the result that she Immediately sank
In this way three boats were lost
Meanwhile l had put my wife and five
children on hatch and implored them
not to move until 1 returned. When
saw other boats being launched l re-
turned to fetch my wife and children,
but they had disappeared. Whether
they had gone in another boat or been
carried away in the mad rush do not
know. I am absolutely alone in the
world.
Our boat was crowded to double
its proper number. All around us peo-
pie were struggling in the sea, Shrek
ing for help and imploring us to take
them in. We had an old sail and a
couple of oars, but no mast. In launch
ing the boat a big hole was knocked in
her side and we men had turned in
bailing her out. We could do nothing
but allow the boat to drift.
The five women behaved splendidly,
never murmuring. All around US We're
hundreds fighting for their lives. The
ship. particularly the children, could be
heard above the confusion around US.
But 1t was soon over, as we saw the
Norge sink in less than half an hour
from the first shock.
Another survivor told the Associated
Press representative that most of the
passengers on the steamer were going
out to friends in America. One of the
surviving women was going to her huS-
band and she had throughout clung to
her little girl of five. Another woman
in her delirious joy at being picked up
offered one of the crew of the Trawler
her wedding ring. While some of the
boats were overcrowded, others, accord
ing to the survivors, had only a few
persons in them. The captain absolute
ly refused to leave the ship. He was
standing on the bridge and appeared
to be overcome at the appalling catas-
trophe- 1t appears that the weather
was very hazy when the Norge struck
but the captain of the Trawler and
others say Rockan reef is so well known
and especially to New York traders,
that they can not understand how the
steamer struck.
I'VE had just got down our gear
Wednesday morning. said the mate
of the TrawIer, when we saw the
boat. At first we took little notice of
her, but finally made out through a
glass that she was full of people. We
Immediately hauled uD our trawl and
bore down towards the boat with all
speed, the occupants of which were in
a pitiable plight, drenched, half clad
and exhausted. We got them on
GCopfiurfed ~, PaOa CixN