Saints by SeaThe 13th of June, 1868, President C. Widerborg came up to [--] and emigrants called to order, whereupon he gave suitable instructions for our journey. 5 o'clock in the afternoon we all went on board the steamer [-] (Captain Beck of Hamburg) and after the Saints from Malmo, Sweden led by John Faferburg, had come on board, we started for England 7 o'clock in the evening in a beautiful weather.
On the 14th I saw old [-] for the last time. We had a good passage across the North Sea, but I was nevertheless very seasick.
On the 16th, 2 o'clock in the afternoon we landed in Hull, England and started off by rail same afternoon and arrived in Liverpool 1 o'clock in the night. Next day we were all quartered at Hotel Columbia [p.78] owned by David Full, a Jew.
On the 19th we were all sent on board the packet ship Emerald Isle, Captain Gillespie of New York. While in Liverpool, I saw the greatest steamer in the world, "The Great Eastern" which laid outside of Liverpool.
On the 20th of June, 1868, we started our long and weary journey to America, being pulled out by a tug steamer. Same evening a seaman belonging to the crew fell overboard but was rescued by a good swimmer. Then a safety boat fell from the ship and all on board was called for help [to] pull it up. The company of emigrants consisted of 876 souls of which six hundred and twenty seven were from Scandinavia and we had for [our] leader Hans Jensen Hals of Manti, San Pete County; John Faferburg of Fort Ephraim; and James Smith from Provo, his counselors. Henry Barlow also returning elder from Utah.
The following ships and steamers left Liverpool with emigrants belonging to the Latter-day Saints in the summer of 1868: "John Bright" sailing vessel on the 4 of June; Emerald Isle sailing vessel on the 20 of June; "Constitution" sailing vessel on the 24 of June; "Minnesota" steamer vessel on the 30 of June; "Colorado" steamer on the 14 of July. A total number of emigrants 3232. [----] We continued our journey. On the night of the 30th of June - died the first person namely Nicolay Christensen's daughter, Albertine. [p.79]
On the 1st of July I received a letter from my mother off Queenstown, date June 11th. On the 7th of July a child died belonging to a Brother [-] of Sweden.
An English sister gave birth to a child on the 10th of July.
On the 11th a child belonging to a brother from Sjalland died. Same day I in company with Brother C. [Carl] B. [Burnhard] Olsen administered to Brother G. [Gustav] W. Siderberg [Soderberg], who fainted.
On the 12th, Brother [-] Nielsens' wife from Copenhagen was buried. On the night of the 18th I stood guard. An English brother buried on the 17th.
On the 18th 2 Danish children was buried.
On the 19th a Danish child died, and buried.
On the 23rd of July saw me an [-]. A boy belonging to Nicolay Christensen buried on the 21st and a child belonging to J. [Jorgan] Carlson buried on the 22nd. A severe storm occurred on the 25th of July and one Christen Petersen [Peter Christiansen] got his leg broke. A severe and terrible storm on the 26th and many sails blew off the ship. 2 Danish children buried in the evening.
On the 29th a child buried belonging to Johannes Olsen of Vendsyssel.
On the 30th 2 children buried. One was J. [Jens] C. A. Lind's of Aalborg.
On the 1st of August a child belonging to Knud Christian [Christensen] of Hjorring buried.
On the 2nd three children buried.
On the 3rd an English adult and child buried.
On the 4th were 4 children buried; I stood guard.
On the 5th 2 children buried.
On the 6th 1 child.
On the 7th 6 children buried.
On the 9th Peter Nielsen of Copenhagen was married to [-] Larsen of [-]. A child buried the 10th. I minded to keep track of all those who died but I was sick and lay in the hospital myself. However I was told that less than 37 babies was sunk into the ocean. [p.80] The dead list of those buried in the ocean:1 child, Danish, buried on the 30th June1 child, Swedish, buried on the 7 July1 child Sjallouidsk, buried on the 11 July1 adult, Danish, buried on the 12 July1 adult, English, buried on the 17 July2 children, Danish, buried on the 18 July1 child, Danish, buried on the 19 July1 child, Danish, buried on the 21 July1 child, Danish, buried on the 22 July2 children, Danish buried on the 26 July
1 child,----- , buried on the 27 July
1 child, Danish, buried on the 29 July
2 children, Danish, buried on the 30 July
1 child, Danish, buried on the 1 August
3 children, Danish, buried on the 2 August
1 adult & 1 child, Danish, buried on the 3 August
4 children, ------, buried on the 4 August
2 children, -------, buried on the 5 August
1 child, -------, buried on the 6 August
6 children, -------, buried on the 7 August
1 child,-------, buried on the 10 August
2 adults, -------, buried on the 11th August
The treatment we had on board said vessel was anything but human. The captain and crew showed themselves as rough and mean towards us (especially Danish) as they could and the provisions did not by any means come up to the bargain. The shortest I can say about it is that this treatment was something like the Danish prisoners received in the 1807-1814. I for my part can [p.81] never think on the deadly Emerald Isle but with the greatest disgust and hatred.
About daybreak on the 11th of August, 1868, we to our great joy saw the land for which we so long a time had been longing. Having now been on the deadly ship 7 weeks and 3 days, we all felt to thank God our deliverer that he had spared our lives and permitted us to see the land of which we had so great hopes and anticipations. We were quarantined 3 days outside of New York and on the 14th we were permitted to put our feet on American soil.
On the 15th 10 o'clock in the evening, we left New York per rail via Albany & Niagara. The train stopped there and we had a splendid view of the great waterfall and I walked over the great suspension bridge on the 17th.
On the 25th we arrived at the terminus of the railroad and we were met at Stanton Benton by the church teams and 68 ox teams under leadership of John Hullman of Pleasant Grove. Our journey now became of an entirely different character. . . [p.82]
. . . We ended our journey and on the evening of the 22 we arrived at [-] City where our lives and journey came to a close for which I feel very thankful indeed. . . . [p.84]
BIB: Jorgenson, Hans. Reminiscences and journal (Ms 7330), pp. 79-82, 84. (CHL)
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