Afternoon stroll

Ambled down to Sandwick Cemetery this afternoon to take a picture of a memorial for victims of another maritime tragedy off the Scottish West Coast. It is the second worst loss of life at sea in peacetime in British waters, but is little known. It involved the Scandinavian emigrant ship "Norge" [Norway], en-route to New York from Christiania. She foundered after striking a reef at Rockall, 250 miles west of mainland Scotland. The ship ran aground, but went to the bottom after the captain reversed the ship off the reef. Several lifeboats were launched, one of which ended up on Lewis. More than 600 passengers drowned. Some that reached the island here succumbed to their ordeal. Read the story here.

In 2004, the centenary of the tragedy was commemorated with the unveiling of the below plaque in the ferry terminal.



The nine who died lie buried in this communal grave in the Old Cemetery at Sandwick.


The text on the memorial reads:

Sacred to the memory of Alfield Natalia Hindersen of Christiania Norway aged 5 years Max Posansky, Rebecca Posansky of Sloman Russia aged 4 & 11 years Ingeride Jorgensen, Haral Jorgensen aged 4 & 1½ of Wisconsin USA, Thyra Bernhardsen of Kallin Sweden aged 4 years, Andrea M Hansen Sweden aged 4 years, Salman Reismann, Sara Reismann of Shofsky Russia aged 11 months and 5 years Joseph Shimilico Blacksmith Finland aged 38 years.
Survivors of the SS Norge of Copenhagen wrecked on Rockall 28th June 1904 landed at Stornoway 4th July but died here.

The text on the plinth reads:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. Rev XXI.4.

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