The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-17

CaDt A. Albers. Of the Wieland, tells the fol-
lowing story: ''At 10 o'clock on the morning OF
Aug. IA We passed some wreckage floating in the
sea and suspected that an accident had hap
pened somewhere us. A little later we
salieo through q sea Of oil and sighted broken
boat OF the Geser. About 1l.30 sighted q
stesmer to the northws about eight miles of,
and seeing she had flag of distress up we ran
down TO her. 1t proved to be the Thingvalla.
and Captain Lamb, of that vessel. came to
US In small boat and begged US to
saxe on his passengers and those he
mad saved from the Geiser He said his own
vessel was go badly injured he expected her to
sink at any moment. Hisforward compartment
had oeen completely carried away from half way
from the deck to below the water line We sent
out three OF our boats and the Thingvslla lowered
two OF hers, and in five hours we had transferred
the saved passengers and crew Of the Geiser and
also the four hundred ard ffty-hve passengers
OF the Thingvalla The was very rough ct
the time, and the work of transferring the pass
ensers was very difficult The immense hole in
the Thingvalla's bow was then patched up as
we'll as possible, and she started for Halifax
ihe collision, 30 far as known, was caused by
the fog
the time of the collision. The third officer. MIR.
Petersen, told much the came story Of the occur-
renee He said the fog was very dense
II trough the night rain had fallen at intervals.
j he first We knew Of the Geser's approach was
waer she appeared on the starbosrd, right upon
on The Geiser was struck opposite the engine
rooms, amidships. The Geiser, being heavily
loaded, was very low in the water. that the
Tr.nevaa carried away her own compartment.
Ihe upper part OF her bow ran over the decks
OF the Gsiser. The Geiser's deck-houses were
carried away and the state-rooms were smashed
in and the occupants killed. We heard bell
ring in the Gsisers eneine-room, but could not
on the deck at the time. He then heard the bell
ring again. this time to back. and the steamer
had just commenced to reverse when the Thing
valla struck
Second Officer Joreensen gave a graphic de-
scription of the collision He said:
II was asleep in my bunk when heard
shock, and Immediately went on decK. TAX
ing in the situation at glance, ordered all
hands on deck. Then swung myself of on the
deck. The doomed craft sank gracefully. stern
hrst, with her bow in the air. Most everybody
was sound asleep, and when she began to I'LL
could hear groans and heartrending screams
coming from below. Thoss who reached the
but they were too excited TO be successful.
They finally grabbed up different pieces Of wood
and jumped over the side Of the vessel
Annas Wilse. q civil engineer, of Minneapolis.
oue of the passengers on the Geiser. said "About
o'clock, Tuesday morning, was awakened by
slight shock, and thinking we had struck Q
wreck. won't on deck, just some one shout
cd, she Is sinking found we bad beer struck
on the starboard side, about midshIps. There
were at that time four or FIVE mon working at
the boats. had a cork jacket and felt csmpar-
atively safe, go ! called to the people down
stairs and then watched the boat sink, from the
bow. As she went down, stuck to her and was
carried down several hundred feet. believe
Soon felt myself shooting mp through the wat
er. impelled by my cork jacket. ! Was on topof
the water for perhaps half an hour. / climbed
on the keel of a small boat floating upside down,
and Was finally picked up.'
DR.. A L. Werp. of Copenhagen, young man
who is on his way to Philadelphia to complete
his studies. was among the Thingvalla's passen-
gers. He made the following statement 60
Associated Press reporter: ''The ThinRvslla
left ststtin, Aug. i, with fifty cabin and 400
full until early Tuesday morning. ! had left my
berth, aud, looking out saw that there was q
dense fog prevailing. could hear our steam
whistle blowing, but heard no other signals It
was exactly 4:30 o'clock when was
hurled TO the floor of my state-room.
There was terrific crash, and
y knew instinctivey that collision had
S6rurrod. ran to the dock aud found that wa
had run into the steamship Geiser As reached
the deck the Thingvalla drew out OF the rent
she had made in the Geisers side. Captain
Laub, OF the Thngvala, was in his berth when
the accident occurred He was one OF the first
to reach the deck. First Officer Peterson and
Third Officer Jorgensen were on the Thingvalla
bridge at the time. afterwsrd learned that
Captain Moer. OF the Geser, had gone to bed
and left FIRST Officer Brown in command OF the
vessel Brown lost Life boats were
promptly launched from the Thingvala and the
work Of rescuing the unfortunates began. Some
OF the Gsiser's passengers and crew had reached
their boats but most of them were picked mp from
improvised rats. chicken coops. camp stools and
anything else that would float The survivors
had to hurry, as the Geiser went down, stern
first, about eight minutes after the crash.
Among the saved passengers there 10 only one
woman. She 10 MIRA Hilda Lind Of Cincinnati
Her two little children, who were going to
Sweden with her, were lost. MIR. Lind was not
with his family. One Of the most wonderful es-
capss was that of assistant engineer Boerthel-
sen, OF the Geiser His arm was broken two
weeks ago, and be was In his berth when the
|. Thingvalla crashed into the room. His trunk
managed to climb aboard the ThingvAlle 40 she
drew back He was not much as touched
by the water. The ThinRvalla crew did all they
could to rescue the unfortunates and obeyed
orders promptly, The Thlnevala's upper deck
was not injured, but her bows were broken in
from point ten feet below the deck. The dent
was about twenty-seven feet in length, and ran
back above and below the water Zine to the collision
bulkhead. Had 1t not been for that bulkhead the
Thingvilla would have gone down like a shot.
Captain Laub, after the Geiser had gone down,
and 1T was known that there were no passengers
In any of the lost steamers boats. had the boats
on his own vessel protected as far as
possible with straw mattresses and other mate
iioio W pfoScut tuo W6tcT tIcLu cutcriuS LIB
tress signals were sounded, and the ship laid to
for daylight The fog lifted about $40 o'clock.
Between 10 and IL o'clock the steamship VIE
land. OF the Hamburg American packet line,
was sighted. She bore down to as. auG laid-to
within short distance Of our vessel. Captain
Laub took a boat and went to the Wieland.
Captain Albers. OF that vessel, readily consented
to receive the rescued passengers and crew Of
the Geiser The work of transferring was &C
complished with only single accident. A If
teen-year.old bow whoae name / did
not learn, had his legs crushed. He
A number OF her crew were also taken aboard
the Wieland. The sea had become somewhat
roughsr by this time, and there were many
lively scenes as the children and older passen-
gers were lowered in slings TO the boats. The
able-bodied passengers and the crew used the
ship ladders. AS we reached the Wieland the
last of the Geser's abandoned life boats foated
out of sight. There was no fault to be found
with the manner in which we were treated
aboard the Weland. Nothing was too good for
us. Even the passengers divided their clothing
with the unfortunates from the Geiser"
People Who Purchased Tickets at Chicago.
CHICAGO. Aug 16.-Immediately on receipt Of
the Associated Press dispatch announ ciag the
sinking of the Geiser, q reporter called at the
Office Of the Thinzvalla Company here. In point
Of Importance this Office is only second to the
New York Office. Branch Offices are established
throughout the Northwest, which are tributary
TO the Chicago Office. These minor Offices reach