The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-07-05
EMICRANTS LOST AT SEA

| EMIGRANTS LOST AT SEA
Crowded Steamer Strikes Rock
and Sinks In North Atlantic.
AT LEAST GAG PERSONS PERISH
Danish Steamer Norge, For New York
From Copenhagen, Crashes on Rect
of West Coast of Scotland Only 1898
Out Of IA Saved.
On Thursday morning the Danish
steamer Norge, from Copenhagen and
bound for New York with TIA souls on
board, struck reef in the north At
lantic about 200 miles off the west
coast of Scotland and sank in less than
half an hour. Three boats containing
12S persons have been picked up. This
is believed to be all who have survived
the terrible disaster.
Early on the morning of June % the
Norge, which was out Of her course in
heavy weather, ran on to the Rockall
reef, which in the distance looks like d
ship under full sail The Norge was
quickly backed off, but the heavy seas
poured in through rent in her bows.
The emigrants. who We're then await
'ng 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 Five of
these boats smashed against the side Of
the Norge, and their helpless inmates
were caught up by the heavy seas.
Vessels are searching in the vicinity
Of Roclzall for any more survivors. The
chief hope lies in Captain Gundle's
statement that seven boat loads got
safely away.
1t is a thrilling story told by those
who escaped--a story of sudden jar,
a changing of bells; a sudden stoppage
of the machinery; cry of alarm
through the vessel from stem to stern;
q babel Of sharp commands to the
starboard and port watches, and then
the sWarming up from below of moth
ers with their broods, a frantic scream
ing by the frightened children, the
launching of the boats and the swamp
ing of four by the frenzied passengers,
who were kept under control until they
felt the deck heaving under their feet
and it was all in a flash of time.
Many deeds Of heroism shine bright
ly through the pail of the catastrophe.
That of Jams Peters Jansen, who has
relatives in Brooklyn, is told with adj
miration by the survivors. He was one
of the engineers of the Norge. When
the ship struck he learned the extent
Of the disaster and went below to
where his relatives We're and told them
and those near by to so at once to the
upper deck He accompanied them to
the boats and saw them safely on
board. He was urged to join them,
but said he must return to the engine
room and, shouting a farewell, ran to
his post of duty. where he died.
A Survivors, Story.
Only one of the survivors could
speak English. He said:
"NVe left Copenhagen June p. There
were 700 emigrants Norwegians,
Swedes, Danes and Finns-on board.
The crew numbered about eighty.
..All went well until June %. | lay
in my bunk waiting for breakfast. We
heard a little bump. then another
bump, and then rushed on deck.
II saw at once that something seri-
Gus had happened. and made dash
below to gather up my few belong
ings.
.'Scores were rushing on deck, and
the hatchway was crowded with en-
igrants They We're launching boats
and rushing into them, but there was
no panic
-Four or five were in the boat into
which got, and we cleared the ship.
Luckily for us, in our party was the
only seaman from the Norge who es-
capped, and he was able to navigate our
little boat
I'VE saw two other boats capsize'
owing to the heavy weather and be-
cause no one could navigate them.
1--WE made straight away, and when
we last saw the Norge a large number
of emigrapts were on the deck. Cap
tain Gundel stood on the bridge.
Dozens of passengers had jumped
into the sea. They wore life belts, but
We're drowned before our eyes.
After twenty-four hours the Saliva
bore down and picked us up
about zoo must have been drown
cd
The horrors of the wreck itself grow
with each survivors, account Captain
Gundel's statement, which reads like
an affidavit from the dead, for he went
down with his ship, maintains that the
Norge struck on suhSen rock eighteen
miles south OF Rockall
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
Particulars Of the Sinking Of the Norge
and Rescue Of Survivors.