Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-24
A TERRIBLE COLLISION.
THE STEAMSHIP GElSER SUNK.

ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE LIVES
LOsT-THE DISASTER ATTRIB'
UTED TO FOG AND HEAVY SEA.
NEW YORK. Aug. 16.-The
steamship Wieland, Captain AL
bers, from Hamburg, August 3,
via Havre, the 7th, with merchan'
disc and 113 cabin and 455 steerage
passengers, arrived today and re-
ports: August IA, 30 miles south
of Sable Island, at noon saw the
Danish steamer Thlngyalla, from
Copenhagen for New York, with
signals OF distress. The Thingyalla
had colided on the 14th, at 4 a. m,
with the steamer Geiser, of the
same line, from New York, August
II, for Copenhagen. The Gelser
sank in about five minutes. Four.
teen passengers and seventeen of
the crew, among them Captain
Moller, are saved. Seventy.:wo
passengers and 33 OF the crew
we're lost. The steamer Wieland
brought 45j passengers from the
Thingvalla and those saved from
the steamer Geiser to New York.
The Thingyalla will endeavor to
reach Halifax.
HOW 1T HHPPENED.
The Geiser left this port on Aug.
II, bound for Stettin. The Thing
valla was on her way to this city,
and was advertised to leave here
on August 25. A very heavy sea
and dense fog were experienced
through the night and early morn
ing of August If. 1t is said that
an object could not be distinguish
cd fif ty feet away by reason OF the
fog. Stories differ as to where the
liability lies, if not due wholly to
the fog and heavy sea, but the
Thingvalla struck the Geiser on the
starbOard side amidshlps. The
boats quickly recoiled, and within
five min utes the Geiser sank. The
crew of the Thingvalla did all they
could TO save the Geiser's crew and
passengers, while in doubt whether
the Thlngvalla was not dangerous
ly disabled, but owing to the heavy
sea only 81 people were saved. No
other vessel was near at the time.
The Wieland, on her way to this
port, was 100 miles away. AT
11.30 on the morning of the 14th
the Wieland was sighted. Signs of
distress we're made by the Thing
yalIa and a transfer of the passen.
gers began. The sea was then
very heavy, but no mishaps oc'
Cured in the transfer of the passen-
gers. The chief officer of each
vessel was on deck at the time of
the collision.
The total number Of names in
the list of the lost ISIS, six more
than It should contain, as there
we're only Sc passengers aboard
and IA we're saved.
CAPTAIN ALBERs's STORY.
Capt. A. Albers, of the Wielandr
tells the following story: CAT III
o'clock on the morning of August
Ii we passed some wreckage float
ing In the sea and suspended some
where near us. A little later we
sailed through al sea of oil and
sighted a broken boat of the Gelser
About 11.30 we sighted to thu
northward, about eight miles Off
and seeing she had a flag OF dis
tress up, we ran down to her. II
proved to be the Thingvalla, anC
Captain Lamb, of that vessel, came
to us in a small boat and begged
US to take off his passengers an'
those he had saved from the Gels
or. He said his own vessel was Sc
badly injured than he expected he
to sink at any moment. His for
ward compartment had been com
= pletely carried away from the dec
to below the water line. We sen
out three of our boats and tn
= ThingvalIa lowered two of hers
and in five hours we had trans
ferred the saved passengers an
+. crew of the Geiser and also tn
455 passengers of the Thingvalla
. The sea was very rough at the time
and the work Of transferring tn
) passengers was very difficult
The immense hole III the Thing
Q valla's bow was then patched u
; ss we'll as possible and she starte'
I for Halifax"
, FIRST OFFICER PETERsEN's AC
= COUNT.
First Officer Petersen, of tn
Thingvalla, told much the sam
y story of the occurrence. He said
Z "The fog was very dense, an
= through the night rain had fallel
l at intervals. The first we knew G
the Geiser's approach was when sh
:, appeared on the starboard sid,
:. right upon US. Both vessels trie
a to sheer of, being head on. Th
j. The Geiser was struck opposite th
T engine room amidships. The Gel
y |. or being heavily loaded, was yer
!. low IN the water, so that th
r. Thingvalla carried away her ow
n compartment. The upper part {
. her bow ran over the decks of tn