Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-07-06
EIGHT HUNDRED LOST.
Atlantic Liner Strikes Rocks on
Coast of ScotIand-Few Saved.


London, July 3.-More than 700
Danish and Norwegian emigrants,
bound for New York. are believed to
have been drowned in the North Sea
on June 2Sth. Out of nearly 500 souls
on board, the Danish steamer Norge,
which left Copenhagen June 22, only
27 are known to be alive and for the
rest no hope is held out.
When last seen the Norge was sink
ing where she struck on the Isle of
Rockall, whose isolated peak raises
itself from a deadly Atlantic reef. 290
miles off the west coast of Scotland.
Early on the morning OF last Tues
day, the Norge. which was out of her
course in heavy weather, ran on the
Rockall reef, which in the distance
looks like ship under full sail. The
Norge quickly backed off but the
heavy seas poured In through rent
in her bows.
The emigrants. who were then
awaiting breakfast below, ran on
deck. The hatchways were scarcely
built for these hundreds Of souls and
became clogged. The Norge quickly
began to go down by the head.
Eight boats were lowered and into
these the women and children were
hurriedly put. Six of these boats
smashed against the side of the
Norge and their helpless inmates
were caught up by the heavy seas.
Three boatloads got safely away from
the side of the sinking ship and many
~ kA fero &c m
board, seizing life preservers. threw
themselves into the sea and we're
drowned.
Captain Gundel, so say the surviv.
ors, stood on the doomed bridge of
the vessel until it could be seen no
more. The Norge foundered sudden
ly and over 700 terrified emlgrants
were thrown into the water or drawn
down with the sinking ship. Those
who could swim tried to reach the
boats, but these were already too full
and their occupants beat off the
drowning wretches with oars. The
boats kept together for some hours.
Practically all of their occupants were
passengers and not used to handling
such craft.
The boat occupied by the survivors
and which landed at Grimsby was a
life boat. The fate of the two other
boats is unknown. The life boat made
faster progress and fell In with the
steam trawler Saliva. What became
of the other boats Is not yet known.
The rescue of those on the life
boat took place on the morning of
June 29th, the survivors consisting of
20 men, one of them a seaman. six
women and a girl. One of the sur
vivors said that when he got on deck
the Norge was half submerged and
was rapidly getting lower in the wa
ter.
Half mad with fright the survivors
all struggled for places in the boats.
They fought their way to the life boat
and an officer slowed In the six wom-
en- and the girl and then told the men
to get in. The officer then took
charge and got the boat away from
the side of the Norge. Seeing that
the boat was already overloaded, the
officer with great heroism jumped in
to the water and tried to board anoth-
er boat which was not so full. he
failed and was drowned.
In the sea by this time were mass
of struggling men, women and chill
dren, gasping and choking from the
effects of the water. The boat rowed
clear of this seething inferno and just
as she drew away the Norge went
down.
Peter Nelson, one of the survivors
described as young American. said
For some hours We rowed In. com
pany with the other boats, but the
strong tide drifted US away from the
others and nothing has been seen
of them since. The Saliva picked us
up and we were we'll cared for on
board the trawler. All OF us lost our
entire belongings. We had no time
In that fierce fight for life to think OF
anything but the getting of seats In
the boats"
The only hope, except for those
known TO have escaped, is that some
of the emigrants might have been
washed upon the barren rock.