On the Oceanfront Boardwalk in the coastal city of Virginia Beach stands the “Norwegian Lady,” gazing out to sea. On the other side of the Atlantic, in the Norwegian city of Moss, stands an exact replica of the nine-foot bronze statue, looking right back at her sister. They commemorate the lives lost in the 1891 shipwreck of the Norwegian bark Dictator off Virginia Beach and the lifesaving efforts of the town’s citizenry. The statues, which were erected in 1962, will celebrate their 50-year anniversaries this March.
On the morning of March 27, 1891, the Captain of the Dam Neck Life Saving Station called the keeper of the Seatack Life Saving Station to tell him about a sailing ship spotted about a mile off shore heading north that seemed to be in trouble.
The ship was pitching and rolling heavily in the turbulent ocean. The Seatack Station assigned a surf man to watch for any sign of the vessel. It was spotted coming closer to shore near the Seatack Station. This ship was the Norwegian bark Dictator out of Moss, Norway. It had a beautiful hand-carved figurehead of a lady on its bow. On board were Captain Jørgensen, his wife andyoung son, and 14 crewmembers.
The Dictator was carrying a load of pine lumber picked up in Pensacola, Fla. and was headed to England to offload and then home to Moss.
After passing the Florida Keys and heading toward the trade route to England, the ship was hit by a tropical storm. The storm pounded the ship, leaving it damaged and leaking. The Captain decided to head to Hampton Roads to seek shelter and repairs before continuing on to England.
As the weary ship and crew headed north, approaching False Cape, they encountered rainy skies, strong winds and rough seas. Late in the day, the Dictator ran aground about 350 yards off the shore of Virginia Beach. Having watched the ship approach, the Seatack Life Saving Station Crew arrived with their rescue equipment.
Strong winds were blowing directly against the beach. The seamen made many rescue attempts with a breeches buoy and the Lyle Cannon Line, with little success. Several crewmembers from the Dictator boarded a small lifeboat in an attempt to reach shore. The breakers capsized the boat, throwing the men into the violent surf. The Seatack surfmen quickly hauled the sailors onto the beach.
As the Dictator began to break apart, Captain Jørgensen strapped his son to his body, and crewmen tried to help Mrs. Jørgensen. A huge wave washed them overboard. Only Captain Jørgensen made it to shore alive. His son was separated from him in the surf.
Ten people on board made it to shore; seven, including the Captain’s wife and son, perished. The dead are buried in Elwood Cemetery in Norfolk, Va. The figurehead of the Dictator, the Lady, washed ashore the next day. It was dragged out of the surf and placed in the sand as a reminder of the tragic event.
In 1962, the people of Moss,, commissioned the sculpting of two identical statues. One statue was to replace the wooden figurehead, which had deteriorated over the years and had become known as the Norwegian Lady. The other duplicate statue was erected in Moss, facing its sister in Virginia Beach. At the unveiling and dedication, Mr. Erik Bye, a popular Norwegian radio and television personality, served as the master of ceremonies, and the Ladies Auxiliary to the Virginia Beach Fire Department was asked to keep the memory of this tragic yet heroic shipwreck and rescue alive, which they have done to this day.
This spring marks 50 years since the two statues were erected, and on March 31, at 1:00 p.m., a special anniversary ceremony will take place at Virginia Beach’s oceanfront. There will be speeches by the Ambassador of Norway to the U.S., Wegger Chr. Strommen and Will Sessoms, Mayor of Virginia Beach. James Rogers will perform. The ceremony will bring together Norwegians, Americans and friends to commemorate this remarkable event.
For more information please see http://thenorwegianlady.wordpress.com
This article is based on text from The Official Norwegian Lady website. Edited byHanna Pincus Gjertsen.