The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-11
HORRORS OF 4 WEEK ADI2LFT AT SEA;
EXPERIENCES OF NORGE SURVIVORS

~ TX DAYS at sea in an overcrowded
open boat. and four days without
- feed or water. says the New
York World" This Is the brief record
Of our terrible experience after the
wreck OF the steamer Norge. which
struck Rcckan Reef on June Is and sank
with more than 600 of her passengers
and crew.
The memory OF it hangs over me like
an awful nightmare. The shock the
crazy panic. the prayers, the cries. the
curses. the selfish struggle for life. the
heaving waves. the overcrowded boats.
and the starva ton from a series Of in
cidents that can never be forgotten
while memory endures.
A few minutes before the wreck oc-
CURED 1 was on the lower deck talking
to sailor Of our homes IN Sweden and
the families and friends we had left
behind.
Struck the Reef.
Almost dead ahead I could see the
huge crag which marks the Rockall
Reef, although at that time L did not
know what it was.
Suddenly there came a rasping sound
under our feet and then terrific crash
which threw me on my back
In a second / could hear the sea run
ming into the broken hull and felt the
ship settling fast under my feet.
1 rushed to the upper deck and helped
lower two boats. Then q great sea came
and swept me far away from the ship.
swan and swan until my strength
was nearly gone. could hear the cries
OF the drowning all around me, and with
every uplifting wave I could see the
ocean dotted with dying swimmers.
l was almost gone when there doomed
high above me, over a towering wave
the PROV of lheboat.
Alloy, therel' beloved a hoarse
voice Catch this line"
Lneboat Rescue.
A rope was thrown to me and was
hauled on board. There were only Third
Mate Basse, three sailors. and myself
| in the boat at the time, so we set about
rescuing others. We pulled out Carl
Johansen and Wilhelm Poulsen. my
companions here. linen we got three
more sailors and six passengers, making
sixteen all told.
We were Just about pulling away from
the wreck when we heard a gurgling
cry behind US. We turned and saw a
man beating the water feebly with his
hands, as though half conscious He
was under the water almost half the
/ time.
We pulled him In and found that he
/ was fairly weighted down with belt OF
gold
That's a damaged life preserver. -
said Mr.. Basse derisiveIy. why didn't
YOU throw 1t away But the man only
sank down in the bottom OF the boat.
gasping and clutching his treasure. This
! passenger and his gold made seventeen
| of us in all. and the boat was uncom-
/ fortably crowded. Here" yelled Mr..
Basse, "au that are strong enough man
/ the oars, We are IN danger from the
suction when the ship goes down, and
we must get out of this
Norge Goes Down.
At this time we were lying within sixty
wards of the Norge. Several men sprang
to the oars, and we had not got 1Uc
wards from the ship when she went
down in a great whirl. drawing a boat
load OF living dead after her into the
| vortex.
When the sea settled, a few timbers
and two or three boatloads OF the res,
cued were all the indications left OF the
great shiD.
We rowed straight away for the east.
ward, but had not proceeded far wher
we were hailed by a boat containine
twenty-eight men, four women, and two
/ children.
They came alongside, saying that they
! were absolutely without provisions
well" said Mr.. Basse, 1--WE a., -r
$50 miles from St. kilcI, and should D,
able to reach there in forty-eight