The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-07-07
Another frightfuI Horror Of the Deep
With Terrible Loss of Life
PASSENGERS MOSTLY EMIGRANTs
The Danish Steamer Norge, Bound
to New York, With Nearly 800 Dam
ish and Norwegian Emigrahts,
Strikes Rock in the North At
lantic and Sinks.

London, BY Cable.-Over 700 Danish
and Norwegian emigrants bound for
NewIYork are believed to have been
| drowned in the North Atlantic on June
2s. Out of nearly 800 souls on board
the Danish steamer Norge, which left
Copenhagen June %, only 27 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
Rockall, whose isolated peak raises it
self from a deadly Atlantic reef, some
| 290 miles of the west coast Of Scotland.
Early on the morning of last Tuesday
the Norge, which was out Of her course
In heavy weather, ran onto the Rockall
reef The Norge was quickly backed on
but the heavy seas poured in through
a rent in her bows.
The emigrants, who were then await
ing their breakfast, ran on deck. The
hatchways were scarcely built for these
hundreds of souls and became clogged.
The Norge quickly began to 60 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 boat loads
| got away safely from the side Of the
sinking ship and many OF the emil
| grants who were left on board seizing
| life belts, threw themselves into the
sea and were drowned. Captain Gum
del, so say the survivors, stood on the
bridge Of the doomed vessel until 1t
! could be seen no more.
The boats kept together some hours.
Practically all Of their occupants were
passengers and not used to handling
such craft 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 lifeboat 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
! at O'Clock on the morning OF June 20,
the survivors consisting OF 20 men, one
| of them a seaman, six women and q
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 places In
the boats. They fought their way to
the big lifeboat 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 to the
side Of the Norge. Seing that the boat
was already overladen, 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.
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 we'll 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 excep: for these
known to have escaped is that some
few OF the emigrants 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 q wide
birth as possible.