Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-07-06
ZOO PEOPLE DROWN
AnotherEFlightfuI Horror of The Deep
With Terrible Loss of Life
PASSENGERS MOSTLY EMlGRANTs
The Danish Steamer Norge, Bound
to New York; With Nearly 300 Dan
ish and Norwegian Emigrants,
Strikes a Rock in the North At
iantic: and Sinks:

London, BY Cable.-Over 700 Danish
and Norwegian emigrants bound for
New York are believed to have been
drowned in the North Atlantic on June
es: Out Of nearly 500 souls on board
the Danish steamer Norge, which left
Copenhagen June %, only 81 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 Islet OF
Rockali, whose isolated peak raises it
self from deadly Atlantic reef, some
29Omiles off the west coast of Scotland.
Early on the morning of last Tuesday
the Norge, which was out Of her course
III heavy weather, ran onto the RI ckall
reef: The Norge was quickly backed OF
hut the Heavy seas poured in through
& Tentin her bows.
The; ;emigrants, who were then await
ing their breakfast, ran on deck. The
hatehWays were scarcely built for these
liundreds Of souls and became clogged.
The;5Norge quickly began to go down
by the head. Eight boats were lowered
and into these the women and children
we're hUrriedly put Six OF these boats
smashed against the side Of the Norge
and their helpless inmates were caught
up blythe heavy seas. Two boat loads
got away. safely from the side Of the
sinking ship and many of the emf
grants who were left on board seizing
, life belts, threw themselves into the
sea and were drowned. Captain Cum
del; SO say the survivors, stood on the
bridge Of the doomed vessel until it.
could 5be seen no more
The;boats kept together some hours.
Practically all Of their occupants were
passengers and not used to handling
such hgcraft. The boat occupied by the
survivors landed at Grimsby was a life
boat One account says that three boats
were successfully launched, the other
two holding about ten persons each.
The Iifeboat made faster progress and
fell in with the Saliva. What became OF
the other boats is not known. The res
cue Of those on the lifeboat took place
ats O'Clock on the morning of June 29,
the survivors consisting Of 20 men, one
ofEthen1 a seaman, six women and
girl.s
One of the survivors said that when
sheagot on deck the Norge was half sub
merged and was rapidly getting lower
j,intthe water. Half mad with fright the
survivors all struggled for places in
:the ethoats. They fought their way to
jthe;.B!g .lifeboat and an Officer slowed
a fle SIX women and the girl and then
told theemen to get in. The officer then
took charge and got the boat to the
side of the Norge. Seing that the boat
was already overladen, the officer with
great beroism 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
grasping and choking from the effects
of the water. They tried to get in the
already overladen boats, but were beat
en- off with oars. The boat rowed clear
of this seething mass 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 company
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 well cared for on board the Traw-
Ter. All Of us lost our entire belong
ings. He had no time in that fierce
fight for life to think Of anything but
the getting Of seats in the boat"
The only hope except for those
known to have escaped is that some
few Of the eroigrants might have been
washed upon the barren rocks. Their
chance Of being rescued even then is
practically nil for vessels sailing the
North Atlantic give Rockall wide
birth as possible.