Elders Benson, Kay, Haight, and Widerborg preserved during steamboat engine failure

On October 4, 1856, Elders Ezra T. Benson, John Kay, Isaac C. Haight, and Christian Widerborg departed Copenhagen at 7:00 a.m., traveling by rail sixty miles to Korsoer to catch a steamer bound for Hoursens. The railway journey they took had been under construction for four years. Shortly after departing the Korsoer wharf, the steamer suffered a mechanical breakdown when a component of the engine failed, rendering the vessel disabled. The party was forced to board a second steamer, which took them to Aarhus, where they arrived at 6:00 p.m. that evening. From Aarhus, the elders proceeded by carriage to their destination of Hoursens, arriving early the following morning. As documented in their correspondence to Orson Pratt dated October 22, 1856, the party continued their tour of the Scandinavian Mission, preaching to local congregations.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

On the 4th we started from Copenhagen at seven a. m., for Hoursens, going by railway to Karsor, and from thence per steamer. The railway between Copenhagen and Karsor is sixty miles long, and, we learned took four years in making. After we had left Karsor a short time, some part of the engine broke down, so that we had to go on board another steamer, which took us to Aarhus, where we arrived at six p. m. We then took a carriage for Hoursens, where we arrived early the next morning.