The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-05
Emigrant Ship Strikes Rock Off
the HebrideS and
Goes Down.
ONLY TWENTY-SEVEN SURVIVE
Lifeboats Are Smashed by the
Angry Sea.
STORY or AN EYEWITNESS.

The Liner Norge, Bound For New York
From Copenhagen With Nearly 800
Norwegian Passengers, Struck lslet
of Rockall and Sank suddenly-one
Boat Load Picked Up the Following
Day.
London, July 5.-Over roo Danish
and Norwegian emigrants bound for
New York are believed to have been
drowned in the north Atlantic. Out of
nearly 500 souls On board the Danish
steamer Norge, which left Copenhagen
June %, only twenty-seven are known
70 be alive, and for the rest no hope is
held'out
When last seen the Norge was sink
ing where she struck on the islet Of
Rockall, whose isolated peak raises it,
self from a deadly Atlantic reef some
200 miles off the west coast of Scot
land.
Early on the morning of June IS the
Norge, which was out Of her course in.
heavy weather ran on TO the Rockall
reef, which in the distance looks like a
ship under full sail The Norge was
quickly backed off, but the heavy seas
poured in through rent In her bows.
The emigrants, who were then await
ing breakfast below, ran on deck. Ex-
cept that the hatchways were scarcely
built for these hundreds of souls and
became clogged there was no panic.
The Norge quickly began to go down
by the head Eight boats were low
cred, 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.
TWO Lifeboats Got Away.
Two boat loads got safely away from
the side Of the sinking ship, and many
Of the emigrants who were left on
board selling life belts, threw them
selves into the sea and were drowned.
Captain Gundel, SO say the survivors.
stood on the bridge Of the doomed
vessel until it could be seen no more.
The Norge foundered suddenly, and
some GOO terrified emigrants were
thrown into the Wafer or drawn down
with the sinking ship, Those who
ao,,iI s.vx-f,,, 4rsad ~ ,.ss .f.s clio. 3soe+n
but these were already too full, and
their occupants beat off the drowning
wretches with oars
Tie boats kept together for some
hours. Practically all Of their occu-
pants were passengers and were not
used to handling such craft The boat
occupied BIZ the survivors landed at
Grimsby was a lifeboat.
One account says that three boats
were successfully launched. the other
two holding about ten each. The life
boat made faster progress and fell in
with the Saliva What became Of the
other boats is not yet known.
The Rescue.
The rescue OF those in the lifeboat
took place at O'Clock on the morning
of June 20, the survivors consisting
Of twenty men, one of them seaman;
six women and a girl.
One Of the survivors said that when
he got on deck the Norge was half sub
merged and was rapidly getting lower
in the water. Half mad with fright.
the survivors All struggled for places
in the boats They fought their way
to the big lifeboat, and an officer stow
ed in the six women and the girl and
then told the men to get in.
The officer then took charge and cot
the boat away. from the side of the
Norge Seeing that the boat was al
ready oyerladen, the officer, with great
herolsm, jumped into the water and
tried to board another boat which was
not so full. He failed and was drowned.
In the sea by this time was mass Of
struggling men, women and children
gasping and choking from the effects
Of the water. The boat rowed clear Of
the seething inferno. and just as she
drew away the Norge went down.
Peter Nelson one Of the survivors.
described aa a young American. said:
For some hours we rowetf 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 We're well 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 any
thing but the getting Of seats in the
boat"
The only hope except for the twenty
seven who escaped is that some few Of
the emigrants might have been washed
up on the barren rock. Their chance OF
being rescued even then Is practically
nil, for vessels sailing the north Attain
tic give Rockall ais wide a berth rs
possible.
The news Of this disaster, which, it
IS feared, in its death record is greater
kEos, r4ro..t,4,,a.