The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-07-08
LOST AT SEA.
Seven Hundred Persons Are Lost
With an Emigrant Ship.
SHE WAS BOUND FOR NEW YORK

SHE WAS BOUND FOR NEW YORK.
The Small Boats Were Smashed as
Fast as They We're Lowered
and the People Dumped
i'm the Sea.
Over 700 Danish and Norwegian
emigrants bound for New York are
believed to have been drowned in the
North Atlantic on June %. Out of
nearly 800 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 here she struck on the iSlet Of
Rockall, whose isolated peak raises
itself from deadly Atlantic reef some
29O miles off the west coast off Scot
land.
Early on the morning OF las t Tues
day, the Norge, who was out of her
course in heavy weather, ran onto the
Rockall reef, which in the distance
looks like ship under sail. The
Norge was quickly backed off, but the
heavy seas poured in through rent
in her bows.
The emigrants who were then await
hatchways were scarcely built for
these hundreds Of souls and became
clogged.
The Norge quickly began to go
down by the head. Eight boats were
lowered and into these the women
and Children were hurriedly put. Six
Of these boats smashed against the
side Of the Norge and their helpless
inmates were caught up by the heavy
seas.
Two beat loads 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.
Capt. Guddel, 50 say the survivors,
stood on the bridge Of the doomed YES
sci until he could be Of no more SER
vice.
The boats kept together some hours.
Practically all of the occupants were
passengers and not used to handling
such craft. The boat occupied by the
survivors landed at Grimsby was a
life boat.
THREE BOATS LAUNCHED.
One account says that three boats
were successfully launched, the other
two holding about ten persons each.
The life boat made fast her progress
and fell in with the Saliva. What be.
came Of the other boats Is not yet
known. R
The rescue of those on the life boat
4 took place at 8 o'olocls en-, the morn-'
ing of June 20, the survivors consist
ing of 20 men, one of them a seaman,
six women and girl.
One Of the survivors said that when
he got on deck, the Norge was half sub
merged and was rapidly getting lower
in the water. Half mad with fright
the survivors all struggled for the
places in the boats. They fought their
way to the big life boat and an officer
slowed in the six women and the girl
and told the men to get in. The OIL
Ger then took charge and got the boat
to the side OF the Norge. Seeing that
the boat was already oyerladen, the
officer with great heroism jumped into
the water and tried to hoard another
boat which was not SO full. He failed
and was drowned.
The sea by this time was mass Of
struggling men, women and children,
gasping and choking from the effects
OF the water. They tried to get In
the already overladen boats, but were
beaten Off with oars. 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 young American, said:
For some hours we rowed in COM
pany with 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 we'll cared for on board the
trawler All OF us lost our entire be-
longings. We had no time in that
fierce fight for life to think OF any
thing but the getting Of seats in the
boat"
The only hope except for those
known to have escaped is that some
few of the cmigrantS might have been
washed upon the barren rock. Their
chance Of being rescued even then is
practically nil, for vessels sailing the
North a tlantic give Rockall as wide a
berth as possible.
The news Of this disaster, which it
is feared, in its death record Is greater
than any previous tragedy Of the At
lantic, came with the arrival Sunda
OF the steam trawler Saliva at he
home port, the quiet fishing town Of
GrimSby. The Saliva had been On a
iortnight'S cruise around the Hebri-
des.
By lucky chance she steamed fur
ther west than is usual for Grimsby
trawlers and fell in with the survivors
Of the Norge, who for "a hours had
been tossed about In small boat on
the rough waters Of the North A Atlan-
tic. The survivors were taken aboard
the Saliva and were landed at Grimsby
Sunday night.
A PASSENGERS STORY.
The steam trawler Saliva put into
Grimsby late Sunday night With 81
rescued Scandinavlans aboard. Only
one Of them could speak English. He
said:
we left Copenhagen June %.
There were 700 emigrants, Norwe-
gians, Swedes, Danes and Films, on
board. The crew numbered about 80.