On 29 June 1904, SS Norge ran aground on a rock near the islet of Rockall, 200 miles west of the Scottish mainland in the Atlantic. The ship, which carried 750 emigrants from eastern and northern Europe to a new life in America, sank within minutes. 635 people drowned, 160 managed to escape in lifeboats. One of these was located by a fishingboat which put the survivors ashore at Stornoway. Nine succumbed to their ordeal and lie buried at Sandwick. Although I'm remembering this ahead of the date, I am flagging it up in order to remind that there were other maritime disasters with high casualty figures.
SS Titanic sank 97 years ago today with the loss of more than 1500. Although that is the worst loss of life at sea in peacetime, and should be remembered appropriately, the Norge and the Iolaire must not be forgotten either.
I have no hesitation in reposting on this subject (original post)
So sad to think of them setting off hopefully for a new and better life and meeting such a grim end to their lives. I wonder why the Titanic is so well known, while other maritime disasters are forgotten ? High profile travellers? The amount of coverage they originally got in the press? Or do some things just capture the imagination of a nation more than others?
ReplyDeleteThe Titanic's sinking is high profile for two reasons: it's the worst loss of life at sea in peacetime in the 20th century - and the rich and famous were on board for the voyage on the unsinkable ship. Whilst all are equal in death, I find it deeply saddening that the poor souls on the Norge are by and large forgotten, maybe because they were dirt poor, in many instances kicked out of their homeland in western Russia and Poland. None of those on either the Titanic or the Norge should be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteArnish, thank you for highlighting once again another story in our maritime heritage. What a moving story.
ReplyDeleteI hope a way can be found of importing your BBC IB postings into our new home before at some point in the future the corporation deletes Island Blogging from its website.
It is right that we should recall those who perished, out
ReplyDeleteof the limelight, rich or poor, their loss was just as great.
I did not know of this disaster. The Titanic's untimely demise is well documented ... movies etc, and I guess the fact that it was an entirely different class of person on the passenger list that gave it headlines for decades. Seldom today is the death list from an air disaster as high.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up. I can only try to imagine the fear and desperation in the last few minutes of all these sadly lost people and then the pain/loss/mourning of surviving relatives. The gods have a strange way of deciding when/who is the next to leave us......makes no sense to us now but is inescapable; when it's your time it's your time (I have just had a difficult remembrance day(yesterday)with 20yrs ago Hillsborough,loss of 96) so we all need to treasure every moment we have with loved ones,friends and fellow travellers on Life's strange journey. Peace and Love......RJG
ReplyDeleteNo matter who or when, all loss is as equal and as distressing to the families and close folk of those who die in these circumstances.
ReplyDelete