Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-18
THINGVALLA IS SAFE
Arrives In Halifax ill & Badly Dam-
 aged Condition.
STREAMING STERN FOREMOST
HOW TuR aElsER WITH SCORES OF PEOPLE
 WENT DOWN.


 Fog-The Vessels sight Each Other Two Hours Before the Crash-Nho Is To BInme--The Number of Persons Lost HALIFAX, Aug. 1S.-rhe Danish steamer Thingvalla, which was badly damaged in the collision with her sister ship, the Geiser, off Newfoundland has arrived at thls port. Nearly the whole of her bow is torn away, leaving an immense hole exposed to view. long piece of the bow hangs over the hole, which reaches back into the ship over fifteen feet. A projecting piece hangs over the water like an outstretched arm, and shows whore the iron plates were broken through and snapped of. Capt Laub makes the following state mept:
 '1 was in bed, on thS morning of tho 14th. The second officer re- lieved tho first officer on the bridge at o'clock in the morning. About4:SO was awakened by hearing the second officer shout out, Port helmr
 IA moment later tho telegraph bell rang to reverse engines. l jumped out of bed and rushed on deck in my nisht-clothes. Just as arrived on deck there was tremendous crash. We had collided with large steamer and struck her amtdships just below tho mainmast. For moment all was confusion and there were loud shrieks from the people on both ships. I immediately ran aft and ordered my crew to prepare boats for launching By the time I returned to the bridge we had dissntanGled ourselves from the strange ship. l found on the bridge the second officer of the ship we had colIided with. From him I learned that she was our sister ship, the Geiser, Capt Muller.
 'The ThiNgvalla had cut clean into the Geiser to the mates stateroom. That officer was asleep at the time. He rolled out of his hunk and grasped the chains ot our anchor. My first duty was to look after my ship and quiet my passengers, This l did.n
 One of tho Thingvalla's boats had jus t been lowered when the other s teamer went down, SterR first. This scene was 6 fright ful one. l cannot attempt to describe IL Some ther passengers wero rushing mad ly abont her dcck while others were crowded in several boats in tho water. l believe many of the passengers must have been killed in their hunks by the force of the collision, and never knew what nap pencd. As the steamer plunged beneath the water, carrying down those on board she capsized the boats that had got away The air was rent With agonizing shrteks and prayers. Most of the people probably went down with sthe iGeiser. They were followed after by the ill-fnted souls in the boats, who must have been sucked under as the ship sank. The cries of the dying still ring in my ears.
 '"Three of our boats were already launched and trying to save as many as they could, but it was slow work. Comparatively few had managed to keep atfoat after the steamers disappearance. Three boats were all I could get out in the time we had and did not know but what we might want the other boats for our selves The two vessels were not more than 100 or 15J feet apart when the Geiser weut down. The screams of the drowning lasted perhaps two minutes, and then all became quiet. Our three boats returned loaded with the saved who had been picked up ill the water or from off the bot toms of of their Capszed boats. l sent tue boats back to continue the search for sur vivors, but they returned with only the corpse of d woman. We provided the sur vivors with dry clothes, hot coffee, and wine, and made them as comfortable IS possible, while attending to the injury to ourselves. Day was just beginning to break when the collision occurred. It was raining, the second officer told me just before. It was not foggy. l heard men around me say 1t was eight or ten minutes between the collision and the slnklng O. the Geiser; but1 could not pay any atten- Mon to the tune. The assistant engineer who was on a lfcboat with the first ant second engineers, was saved with broker arm, while hls two companions were lost 1n my opinion, nearly all tho people on the Geser's deck sand in the boat sank with the steamer. Everything tha we could possibly do to save them wa done.
 "After the Gciser disappeared, we began jettisouing the cargo to keep tho Thing vala afioat. The crew and the passengers worked side by side throwing overboart what was brought out of the hold. Wha was jettisoned consisted solely of woo pulp and provisions. There was not muc wind, but heavy swell. Between an 10 o'clock we reached the forward bulk head, then stopped throwing the carg over, and got to work snoring up the cou partment We were leaking badly in tn forehold and kept the pumps going all tn time, so that the water had not time gain on us. At II e'clocI- the steamo Wieland for New York hove ill sight, an we transferred all the rescued p ass enger as well as our rown 455 passengers 1 her. The Wieland proceeded about o'clock in the afternoon, leaving us als steering for New York. We continued tn work of snoring up the compartment, br after awhile, wind and sea increasing, W found it impossible to keep on for Ne' York and decided to head for Halifax. A this time 1t still looked very much as we might sink, and some of the orew ha refused to work, wanting to be transt erre to the Weland before she left us. " went as slow two knots hour, an sometimes found that too much. We jus had to crawl-that was all. On Wedne day afternoon fishing vessel hoy in sight and we bore down for he She proved to be the schoont Capis of La Have, Capt CleversEe! and 1 engaged her to stand by an accompany the steamer to Halifax. so a to be able to help us in case she should g down. Last night the sea was so heav that had to turn the steamer around, ru ming stern foremost, apd steering by u schooner, which was connected by a hay ser with the steamers bow. We ra against the wind this way all night
 "When I reached the deck immediate after the shock tho lights in both steamer wers burning all right; of that am oe tair. 1Ae Geissr had been seen by nrst ofhoer several minutes before the 6, ns3oR. She was nearly straight ahead