The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-27
Sinking Of the Norge
By Nils Nilsson, Of Giby, D., One OF the Survivors ..

l will try and see if l can give you
a little idea of my trip over the ocean
from the old country, as l am one Of
the few survivors of the great dis
aster which befell the S. s. Norge.
Our vessel was twenty-four hours
late on account of stormy weather,
but reached Christiansand the 25th of
June, leaving the same evening with
all on board looking forward to a
pleasant trip to America the Land of
Promise"
Nearly all of the passengers were
young people between the ages of six
teen and twenty, the majority of which
were girls. The ship was crowded to
her utmost capacity.
Sunday, June the Goth, we were on
the open sea, with only the tops of
the mountains in view, so we took
cur handkerchiefs and said Good
bye" ITO the old country. Although
some of the girls got seasick, we boys
had a gccd time in various ways, one
of which was to try and walk across
the deck in straight line, not very
easy thing to do.
Mcncay morning we were on deck
early to see Scotland. The sea was as
smooth as glass and when we went
to bed that evening the vessel was
blowing the waves of the Atlantic AID
We all felt that we were we'll ON our
way and were happy.
Tuesday morning was aroused
from my sleep about seven o'clock by
great shock and / knew that the
vessel had struck something so l hur-
ried on deck and saw to my surprise
and horror that the ship was already
sinking. Immediately ran down to
my room, threw on some clothes and
hurried back on deck to look for my
friend. ran around the whole vessel
looking for him but he was nowhere
to be found SO hurried down to my
room once more but he was not there.
When reached the deck the bow had
filled with water, and had 1 been a
moment later would surely have
been drowned.
The deck was an awful sight %
see. Most of the people came right
up from their beds and were hardly
awake as it was so early in the morn
ing. The deck was covered with blood
and everyone was yelling and scream
ing with all his might. The women
seemed half-crazy and were running
here and there, striking against
things, crushing and mangling each
other Some tried to kill themselves
while others threw themselves into
the sea.
Without waiting a moment l ran 20
one of the small boats, jumped in and
made ready to lower 1t into the sea-
AS soon as the boat was lowered the
people jumped about twenty feet from
the vessel down to the boat, which
was soon filled and we rowed away
from the vessel. We were Immediate
ly drawn toward the screw propeller
in spite of all we could do, but just
as we were about to crash into it the
propeller ceased to revolve and our
lives seemed providentially saved once
more.
We then rowed about hundred
feet from the vessel and waited. Tie
bow was now below the water while
the stern $and propeller were up IN
the air. All the people were crowded
in the stern, some in the rigging and
some in the mast. Once in a while
= great wave would come and sweep
I lot of them into the sea and we
could do nothing to save them.
Some one suggested that we row
Jack and try and get some drinking
water, but just then we saw sight
such as never wish to see again
md never can forget till my dying
lay. The. ship turned her bow down.
wards and her stern straight up, then
love to the bottom of the sea with
Ill on board. At the same time her
rollers exploded hurting the people
nto the air which was soon filled with |
bodies.
And now we were left alone among |
he wreckage and hundreds of strug-
fling human beings in the water,
'cene SO horrible as to beggar des- ]