The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-05
THE WOMEN ACTED BRAvELY
Rush for First Boats to Be
Launched Resulted In Their
Loss, Adding to the Num-
ber Drowned.

steam trawler Saliva, were kept on
that vessel all night. They We're in
a pitiable condition.
This morning, in the dingy cabin Of
the trawler the representative of the
Associated Press saw over dozen
persons. including five women and two
children, huddled together. Each of
three of the women was in a bunk, one
was lying on the cabin floor and the
ether was leaning against the captains
berth, too bewildered to move. Two Of
the women pleaded to see Danish
minister Of the gospel, but the one
settled here happened to be away.
John Johansen, a gray-bearded man
from Tromsoe. said:
when the ship first bumped most
of us were below. All rushed to the
deck. had my wife and five children
with me. At first none Of us was
aware what happened when we kept
quiet, but in a minute or two we saw
the ship was sinking. and then there
were such shrieks and cries too awful
to hear 1--WE had nearly 200 children
aboard and they screamed with ter
ror. Their mothers, too, were almost
frantic, though some of them, calmer
than the others, began putting their
little ones in the rigging and other
elevated positions. So far as / could
see. the officers Of the ship kept very
calm, but the passengers were uncon-
trollable. Men and women began
jumping into the sea, while Others ran
up and down trying to snatch life belts
from those who had them. As soon
as the first boat was got out there
was a mad rush for her, with the re-
suit that three boats were lost. Mean
while had put my wife and five chill
dren on a hatch and implored them
not to move until l returned. When
I saw other boats being launched l
returned to fetch my wife and chill
dren. but they had disappeared. They
had either got into another boat or
were carried away in the mad rush.
] am absolutely alone in the world.
"Our boat was crowded to nearly
double it's proper number. All around
us people were struggling in the sea,
shrielxing for help and imploring us
to take them in. We had an old sail
and a couple Of oars, but no mast.
In launching the boat a big hole was
knocked in her side and we men had
to take turns in bailing her out. We
could do nothing but allow the boat
to drift.
The five women behaved splendidly,
never murmuring. All around us were
hundreds fighting for their lives. The
shrieks as they left the ship, partcu-
IarIy the children, could be heard above
all the confusion around US. But it
was soon over, as we saw the Norge
sink in less than half an hour from
the first shock"
Another survivor told the Associat-
ed Press representative that most of
the passengers on the steamer were
going out to friends in America. One
Of the FIVE surviving women was going
out to her husband and she had
throughout clung to her little girl of 5.
Another woman in her delirious joy
at being picked up, offered one Of the
crew of the trawler her wedding ring.
While some of the boats were over
crowded, others, according to the sur
vivors, had only few persons in
them. The captain absolutely refused
to leave the ship. He was standing on
the bridge and appeared to be over
come at the appalling catastrophe.
1t appears that the weather was
very hazy when the Norge struck,
but the captain of the trawler and
others says Rockall reef is so well
known, and especially to New York
traders, that they cannot understand
how the steamer struck.
I'VE had just got down our gear
Wednesday morning" said the mate
of the trawler, when we saw the
boat. At first we took little notice
of her, but finally made out through a
glass that she was full of people. We
Immediately hauled up our trawl and
bore down with all speed. The occu-
pants of the steamer were in pitlable
plight-drenched, half clad and ex-
hausted. We got them aboard and fitted
them as we could, made the womer