The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-19
A WARSHIP FULL OF VIKINGS
THE. H4R4LD HA4RF4GRB FROM
NORWAY HAS 4 GIANT CREW.

Hs Q Ions TIME Between the Waits OF Nor
wegian War Vessels 10 These Waters and
the Consulate ~ Looking Back 10 Red
Erics Day for Hospitable P~recedents.
Once upon q time the p~iratical Norwegians
and their kindred OF the barbaric North
had a habit Of swooping down on the battle
shipless folk TO the south Of them and
driving them into the interior. where they
were more familiar with the laws OF navi-
CATION. Sometimes a Scandinavian hero
limited his efforts at conquer ing to his W
particular borough. That was the case,
In large measure. with Harald Haarfag gre.
who swore that he never would have a hair
out. even by the most talented Heapolitan
barber in captivity at Norway's original
capital, until he had made all Of Norway
acknowledge him as it's Absolute Square
dealist.
Harald's, hair grew very long, wherefore
he got the name OF "Haarfagre, y which.
according to THE SUNS Scandinavian ex-
pert, means beautiful hair" Harald has
been dead many years, but he was big
enough to have a warship named after him.
and she got here yesterday.
Norwegian traditions persist. Maybe
that is the reason that every big blond man
aboard the Harald HaArfagre looked as if
he needed a hair cut. II there are any real
Vikings left since the time Eric the Red
discovered America they may be found
aboard the Haarfagre.
There has not been a modern steel Nor
wegian warship or in fact any other Nor
wegian war vessel in an American port
since Eric came over, and the Norwegian
Consul's office was much upset over the
event. The Norwegian patriots here
abouts hired tugs and went up the North
River to Seventy-second street. cheering
for King Haakon and the Star Spangled
Banner, and waving mostly the banner.
The reporters who had greeted the little
brown men Of Japan we're astonished
by the contrast between the Japanese
sailors and the Vikings. none Of whom
seemed to be less than six feet tall and
three feet broad. There was not a man
with a suspicion OF brown blood in him.
They are all simon pure Mortimer, but
they haven't got a single battleship, They
say they don't need them. The Haartagre
was called by the Norwegian Consul here.
Christopher Ravn. an armored cruiser.
hut the nautical authorities Of England
where she was built, put her down as a
coast defence ironclad," She is a sturdy
looking, two-masted. low-lying, grey
painted slid ana looks IKE business.
Norway does not run to battleships or
swift cruisers. All she ANTS is monitors
and coast defence craft, and that is all she
is building and buying, except merchant
men. The HaArfagre is equipped with
two 81 inch quick firing guns one forward
and one aft; six ~ inch rapid nrers, six
~ Founders and six / FOUNDERS. supple
by a large blond bunch Of men who
how to shoot the guns.
Capt. Oscar Dahl Of the Haarfagre said
he expected to stay here until June 30,
he will sail for Hampton Roads 10
help celebrate the foundation OF jamestown
by folks suspected to be partly Of Nor
wegian ancestry. Meanwhile he will sub
init TO dinners by the Norwegians Of this
neighborhood and he will let his crew take
few spins in automobiles 10 see the I'M
armored, thirty decked, steel framed Office
buildings of the town and other things not
to the storthing, but frequently
seen by the imported Viking. Tomorrow
night at the Waldorf the officers of the
Haarfagre will have a chance to eat and
swap sentiments with those who used TO
i've in Norway but are now American
siti2ens. Later the sailors Of the warship
be Toasted by the plain Norwegians
1ereabouts.
The Haarfagre allied from Hor,a. a port
IF the Azores, or June s, max ing the trip in
EN- days, which is very good for a coast
defence vessel credited under pressure
With a speed Of IL knots.