Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-10-07
STORY OF WRECK
THRILLING STORY OF THE LOSS
OF A STEAMER AT SEA.
Survivors of Inflated Norwegian
Steamer Gere Brought to Philadel.
phia From Winter Quarter Light.

phia from Winter Quarter Light.
Saved from a crew of fifteen. tho
seven who hal a narrow escape from
death by the foundering at noon on
Saturday of the Norwegian steamer
Gere. six miles from the Winter
Quarter Lightship which Is stationed
fifty miles south OF the Delaware
Capes and sixteen miles at sea, ar
rived at port few days ago on the
British steamer Arroyo, which took
them from the Lightship. before
reported as having the shipwrecked
.nen aboard. The men saved ar.
julius Meylr. the Captain. and six
seamen. They are now in the ce-e
OF the Norwegian consul In Ph;Ia.
delphia.
A thrilling story Of shipwreck in
which every one was for himself, is
told by the men, In English that
could scarcely be understood.
They said the Gere. which left
Philadelphia with crew Of fifteen
and cargo OF coal for Sagua La
Grande. Cuba. encountered rough
weather after passing out the Della
ware Capes.
on the Winter Quarter Lightship
when only three men were on deck.
an unusually heavy sea struck the
steamer and II keeled over at a dang
erous angle. She was repeatedly
struck by high waves and finally went
over on her side. In the meantime
the other members of the crew came
on deck and taking in the situa-
tion secured life belts. Nothing
could be done to right the vessel and
as she was rapidly settling the crew
looked about for safety. The only
boat had been swept from the davits
and was floating away. Therefore
there was nothing for the men to do
but to jump into the sea.
All Of them managed to fnd tim
Der or other floating objects from
the ship which went to the bottom
within three minutes. and the strong
or swimmers struck out for the drift
ing boat. The little craft was foa.-
Ing bottom M, and after a trying
time the boat was righted and an
attempt made to clear IL OF water.
Enough was gotten out after a two
hours struggle to put two men In 1t
and with the aid of their hands and
pair of marine glasses they scooped
enough water out to permit others
to climb in.
Meanwhile the weakest of the
swimmers and two that could not
swim went down, one by one.
When the water was finally out OF
the boat. the last remaining man
clinging TO II was hauled in and Il
was found that eight men were miss
ing. They floated before the wind
until 4:30 p. m. when they sighted
the Winter Quarter Lightship. The
little craft had no oars but the ship
wrecked men guided the boat as best
they could. and soon came near
enough to the ship to be taken on
board by the lonely sentinels OF the
sea who spend their life on her.
Members of the crew say the cap
tain and chief engineer were the las.
TO leave the ship. The engineer, II
III. Nilsson, was drowned.
The rapidlty with which the Gere
sank is believed to have been due
to an unusually heavy load OF coal,
which IS dead weight. Although the
Gere was only 420 tons burden, she
| sailed from port with 900 tons OF
| coal and was commented on as she
passed down the Delaware river, that
| she had only about nine inches of
| freeboard.