Mower County transcript., 1904-07-06
DANISH STEAMER NORGE RUNS
ON ROCKY. REEF OFF THE
COAST OF SCOTLAND.
Of THE EIGHT HUNDRED PEOPLE
ON BOARD ONLY TWENTY.
SEVEN ARE RESCUED.
sHIP FOUNDERS SUDDENLY AND
MOST OF THE VICTIMS GO
DOWN WITH VESSEL.

London, July 4-Over 700 Danish
and Norwegian emigrants bound for
New York are believed to have been
drowned in the North Atlantic on
June 1s. Out of nearly 800 souls on
board the Danish steamer Norge,
which left Copenhagen June %, only
twenty-seven 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
itself from deadly Atlantic reef some
290 miles off the west coast Of Scot
land.
Early on the morning of last Tues
day the Norge, which was out OF her
course in heavy weather, ran onto the
Rockall reef. which in the distance
looks like 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
awaiting breakfast below, ran on deck.
The hatchways were scarcely built
for these hundreds of souls and be-
came clogged.
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 were smashed against the
sides of the Norge, and their helpless
inmates were caught up by the heavy
seas.
Two boatloads got safely away from
the side of the sinking ship and many
Of the emigrants who were left on
board, seizing life belts, threw them
selves into the sea and were drowned.
Captain Gundel, so say the surviv.
ors, stood on the bridge of the doomed
vessel until it could be seen no more.
six HUNDRED EMlGRANTs
SINK WITH THE WRECK.
The Norge foundered suddenly, and
some 800 terrified emigrants were
thrown into the water or drawn down
with the sinking ship. Those who
could swim tried to reach the boats,
but those were already too full and
their occupants beat of the drowning
wretches with oars.
The 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 by the survivors landed at
Grimsby was lifeboat.
One account says that three boats
were successfully launched, the other
two holding about ten persons each.
The lifeboat made faster progress
and fell in with the Saliva. What be-
came of the other boats is not yet
known
The rescue of those on the lifeboat
took place at 8 o'clock in the morning
of June 20, the survivors consisting of
twenty men, one of them a seaman,
six women and girl.
One of the survivors said that when
be got on the deck the Norge was
half submerged and was rapidly get
ting lower in the water. Half mad
with fright, the survivors all strug-
gled for places in the, boats. They
fought their way to the big Hfeboat
and an officer slowed in the six women
and the girl and then told the men to
get in.
The officer then took charge and got
the boat away from the side of the
Norge. Seeing that the boat was al
ready overloaded, the officer, with
great heroism, jumped into the water
and tried to board another boat which
was not so full. He failed and was
drowned.
eEA A VERiTABLE INFERNO
OF STRUGGLING HUMANITY.
In the sea by this time was a mass
struggling men. women and children,
Gasping and choking from the effect
OF the water. The boat rowed clear
of this seething inferno and just as she
drew away the Norge went down.
Peter Nelson, one of the survivors,
described as a young American, said:
"For some hours we rowed in COM
pany with the other boats. hut the