Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-08-11
Peter HOehsrg Gives Evening
News a Detailed Account
of Sinking Of the Norge.
THE THRILLING RESCUE.
His Little Boat wss Six Niles from Land
Once When a Gale Flew Tnem Out to Sea
Again : Finally Picked Up by Steamer
Believed He Saw His Son in Another
Boat Being Launched So Saved Himself

Peter Hoeberg, one of survivors of
the steamer Norge. which snnk off tho
northern coast Of Scotland early this
summer. called at the Evening News
Office yesterday and told All interest
ing story of his experience at the time
of the wreck and the days Immediate
ly following. Mr. Hoeberg is car
penter In this city where he has re-
sided for twenty.three years. He and
his family were visiting relatives in
Denmark. His wife ana ,lsughtcr are
still on the other side. His seventeen
ycar.old son was returning with him
and lost his life in the wreck.
'June 22 we left Copenhagen, Mr..
Hoeberg began, "and sailed to Chris
tiansen, Norway, which place we
reached the next day. We sailed from
there on Saturday and started across
the North sea. We sighted the northern
coast of Scotland late Sunday after
noon. All night Sun day and Monday
morning we were passing Scotland
when at 2 O'Clock Monday afternoon
land disappeared from view.
TUESDAY morning / arose earlier
than usual and, putting on simply a
pair Of trousers, went out on deck,
leaving my son still in bed. Most of
the other passengers were still in bed.
The captain went on the bridge at
o. clock. Until that time the ships
course was west by south. He turned
1t west by north. We could sec the
reef to the north of us. In some
places the rocks appeared above the
water, in other places only the waves
breaking showed where they were.
"After turning our course we con-
tinued for half an hour, when, at
Z 80 o'clock l felt shock. went to
the railing to see if there was n colli-
sion, but seeing nothing, realized that
we had struck the reef. / hastened
below to get my son, but when /
reached our bads, he had gone to the
deck by another way. / hurriedly
put OH coat and vest and went 10
looK for him.
"In short time l thought saw
him in life boat which was about to
be launched. There was no room in
it for me, and feeling satisfied that
my son was there jumped for another
boat and helped to lower it into the
water. At that time there were only
four men in it. Having safely launched
II, we picked up thirteen others who
were in the water, making seventeen
in all, being the capacity of the boat.
We got away from the vessel. two
hundred yards. and awaited develop
ments. The sight will never forget.
The big ship kept settling, for after
she had struck the engines were re
versed and she was backed off the
reef when she began to fill at once.
Fainally she was lying on an angle of
about forty five degrees, the stern
being down and all the passengers
still on board had climbed to the bow
where they stood screaming for help.
For quarter of an hour we watched
this scene We we're powerless to do
anything. Finally the partitions in
side gave away and the ship lurched
first to one.side, then the other and
then sank, passengers and all, the
waters swept over them, there was a
great gulp and all was gone, being
about forty minutes from the time she
struck.
81 counted six small boats at that
time. an carrying survivors. The
water was covered with dead bodies
and wreckage. Our boat and two
others decided to keep together. All