The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-04

capped. He picked up several persons
VINO were struggling in the waters, un-
| I'll the boat became overloaded. Then,
seeing that there were too many on the
small craft to enable Il to keep afioat. he
quietly dropped over the side and soon
sank.
Nearly Whole Crew Lost.
The fact that but one or two. at ths
most. Of the crew Of theNorge are known
to have escaped, is a mute evidence of the
fact that they tried their best TO save
those intrusted 10 their care before max
ing an attempt TO save their own lives
Survivors say that the passengers in
cluded nearly 200 children.
The skipper of the Silvia which nick
ed up the survivors on board one OF the
small boats, gives a vivid description
OF the scenes about the place where the
steam through mass OF floating dead
Exhausted by Exposure.
One Of the survivors. Herman Portues,
a Norwegian student. who was bound
for a Minnesota school. where he had
obtained a position as a teacher, and
who was on the small boat picked up
by the trawler Silvia, says the men in
the small boat were constantly employ
ed baihng out water which was swept
ABOARD by the boisterous sea. The long
exposure had a serious effect on the
women. who were without either shoes
] or stockings.
| When the trawler's smoke appeared on
/ the horizon. after they had been anoat
/ N the boat for twenty-four hours the
occupants OF the frai craft tried to
ana they were merely a BILE 10 wave their
/ handkerchiefs and clothing feebly
they became delirious with joy when
/ they found the trawler had seen them
Another survivor blames the heavy
| loss OF l.fe to a mad panic among the
passet gers and the inability of the off,
/ GERS tC preserve order. He IS the first
| person who has spoken of any panic on
/ board. He says there was an awful rush
/ for tie only three Of the small boats.
the people following one another like
sneep and apparently unmindful OF tha
other HfebOatS aboard Conseouertly
] there was a delay IN launching the three
boats and when they were affoat they
were too fun for safety. Several other
boats were still hanging 10 the davits,
/ he says. when the Norge sank
One OF the women who was saved ia
/ going TO New York 10 meet her hus-
/ band. She clung 10 her daughter
/ throughout the excitement and both
/ were saved
Story of the Rescue.
| The mate Of the Silvia says tha
weather was somewhat hazy on Tues
/ day morning. but ROckaH Is so well
known that he is unable TO understand
/ how the Norge got out Of her course
/ She struck Oh Helen's Reef. he says.
/ three and One-half miles away from
/ RockalI. while mariners in passing Rock
| all generally steer at least five miles
/ outside of the dangerous spot. He de-
| scriOes the finding Of the boat load OF
/ survivors in the following way:
we had just gotten our gear down
on Wednesday morning when We saw
/ the boat We first took no notice OF her
/ but then through a glass we discovered
I that she was full OF occupants. holding
aloft a small sail. We hauled up the
trawl Immediately and raced Tor the
{ boat at full speed. The occupants were
/ in a sorry plight. They were drenched
. to the skin. half dressed and had been
without food for twenty-fOur hours.
/ Though we were due 10 continue fish-
/ ing for four days longer, when the sur
vivors were brought aboard we mace
( for the home port Immediately. Tho
I MAYOR Of Grimsby. who is acting as the
/ Danish consul In the matter. has taken
/ charge Of the survivors and viii SEND
/ them aboard the steamer BOtnia 10 Eso-
/ jerg tonight"
Passengers Almost Insane.
/ Yens Johansen, an elderly TrOmsos
man who is among the survivors, says
when the Norge struck the rock. all
rushed on deck. He continues:
/ q had my wife and five children with
me. At first no one was aware what
/ had happened. and all kept calm. In a
Minute however. we realized that the
ship was sinking. and then tcere went
up cries too awful TO describe. Mothers
with children IN their arms became ter
] ror-Stricken and almost insane Some
( however who were Calmer than others
/ put their little ones in the rigging aud
( other elevated positions. hoping that
should the ship go down their loved ones
/ might possibly remain above The water.
/ "As far as l could see the officers
were calm. but everyone else was in an
I uncomfortable state Of excitement Wo-
men and men madly struggled TO obtain
! possession Of lifebelts. / put my wife
and children on a hatchway and Inn
plored them not 10 move until l re-
! turned When l saw the boats beng
/ launched / returned TO fetcn them. but
| found they had disappeared. Whether
| they had gone with one OF the other
| boats. or whether they were carried