Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-08-24
HEARTRENDING DISASTER.
THE STEAMER GElSER IN COLLISION
WITH THE ThlNGVALLA
And Goes to the Bottom with 80 Passen
gers and 80 of the Crew-The Latter
Disabled Most of the Passengers
from the West,


burg, reports that on August IA while 81
miles south of Sable island at noon she
saw the Danish steamer Thingvalla, from
Copenhagen to New York, with signals OF
distress. The Thingvalla had collided Oh
the 18th at ( a. IN. with the steamer
Geser of the same line from New
York, August II, for Copenhagen
The steamer Geser sank in about five
minutes and II passengers aud II of the
crew, among them Captain Moller, wer,
saved and ~ passengers and 80 of tn.
crew were lost. Tne steamer Wieland
brought 400 passengers from the Thing
valla, and those saved from the steamer
Ge-er to New York. The steamer Thing
valla will endeavor to reach Halifax, y.
)
The Thingvdlla struck the Geiser on the
starboard side amidships between the
coal bunkers and engine room, and tore a
big hole in her side. The Thingqalla had
had her bows stove in. a very heavy sea
and a dense fog were experienced through
the night and early morning of
August II. 1t is said an object
could not be distinguished 80 feet
awav nv reason of the fog.
rJ,ba sto,.ias diFar nc TO ,vbare tho 1iabilitv
lies if not due wholly to the fog and heavy
sea. The boats quickly recoled and with
in five minutes the Geiser sank
u,bo ,ro.,,, ,e fla Tbi,, ovoIl, 5i1 oil +L.,,
could 70 save the Geiser's crew1and passen-
GERS vhilo sin in doubt vhetbartheThrn
''ii' was H'' ""'7 '7''i0''' '''
owing 10 uhe heAYy sea ouIy 81 were saved
No other vessel Was near ut the time. The
Wlelaud on her way to this port wa 100
miles away. Al ll"0 O'Clock on the morn
Ing of the l4th the Wlelaud was sighted
Signs Of distress were made by the Thing
Valla and the transfer OF the passengers
began. The sea- was then very heavy, but
no nishap occurred in he transfer Of The
passeuyers The officers of the COMPANY
ara un,.ll. to.ui,,bt to olive fine LIST of the
-,
4oaI'
Captain AIpeis oil tae ieland tells the
following story: "AtlOo'clock in the morn.
inc of Aupust II we passed some wreck
ooe Aootin,, i'm tbe.ea and eusnect.d that
80 e;,il7. - 10y t.1o',a.1 Il,so,,,t,nl
an dcCiueht Hau haPPeheu Souhe "eie
near us. a little later we sighted brok-
en- boat of the Geiser and at 1880 we
siohted the steamer IN the northward
aI=1.,t li,@, ~ ,,,d .Lo h,d - G',,r
"oou. H'l'eo Oii "n" I9inS 9ii' Ii"u " - W
Oh distress up ran uoWh 10 her. sue
proved to be the Thingvala aud Captain
Lamb OF the vessel came to Us in a small
hoa1 .,,d b.,,,,ad ms IN +4l,a # tho ,,.s.
- $500 -..,..., 60.
>eh@eI9 an" un'9e ne liz" S'''' ',o1n vac
Gelser. lie sad ms own vessel was 50
badly injured he expected her 90 sink at
anv moment. ~ + forward commitment
IA 49,. ,,,,,,rl,,.t,. ,.,.,., 4 eli, NOW. l,..,-
~
nail WY from tue uech 10 DeIo" 'Le wafer
line. We sent OF our boats and the
Thingvalla lowered 2 OF hers aud in i've
borr. ,v. nod t,qusfarr.d the saved
passe"F1'S anu Ole" oI Tue 1eiseI an"
also passengers Oh Inc ILluINa!lt.
The sea was very rough at the time and
rhe work of TRANSFERRING the p..-.I.,,.r.
was v~ry difirulf TN iomar,tn moi. In
rho 1ri1uvAIi4's how wa then matched nm
MS well NJ nogsih,e ANA she Started for
II.I'tav ghr cnIiiei0n So for .s known
WIS roII-.d bv foo
"rhp chiat y deer nj cacb vessaI was on
d.,t ~ tha t;,,., n4 ,n. coII,oi,,,. ~
ft p.nn a
ttii stoIv of Ina Gi.asfar NJ fn< ,v,s
Warv dtt;.e Tnrnngh In4 nj ,bt r,iu had
faIian of intaryais ~. II - a,p l,n,.y If
tha Gis.r,s n,,nr,urh 1v,e ,.han yGe az,
neared ON fhe starbnard SIDE whit IMAM
ug. BotA vessels tried TO sheer IF being
head on. The Geiser was struck
opposite tn engine rooms amid.
snip. The Geiser being heavily load
ed, WAS VIEW low in the water,
SO that tie Tningvalla carried away her
own waterIight compartment and the
upper party of her bow ran over the decks
of the tielser. The Grl.el'5 deck huu. e.
wee carried away. the state ro m SMASH
ed in and The Occup4uis killed. | first head
the bell ring in the Gei,el', eu,,Deroom.
but could not tell what the order was.
Officer Peterson WAS on deck At the time.
Then heard the bell rlng AGAIN, this
time to b,ck. ana the Steamer had iu.t
commenced 10 reverse when tn. Thiug-
YalIa struck The Getsa,'s whistle was
hlo,yjnp nt The tim. Sea" 4 officer
Jnpen,rf iuuued rur the T,iury,llt