Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-24
deck by some of the Thingvalla's
crew. One of the Geiser's pas
sengers was picked up with a
broken leg.


picked up from improyised RATS,
chicken coops, campstools and any
thing else that would float. The
survivors had to hurry, as the Gel.
ser went down, stern first, about
eight minutes after the crash.
the saved passengers there
is only one woman. She il Mrs.
Hilda Lind, of Clnclnnatti. Her
two little children, who were going
TO Sweden with her, were lost.
Mr.. Lind was not with his family.
Among those of the Geiser's crew
who were saved were Surgeon
Dirchs and Second Officer Jorgen.
sen. There we're fourteen cabin
and six steerage passengers and
seventeen OF the Geiser's crew saw.
ed.
A WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
zone OF the most wonderful es-
capes was that of Assistant Engin.
er Boertheisen. of the Geiser.
His arm was broken two weeks
ago, and he was In his berth when
the Thingvalla crashed into the
room. His trunk was cut away
within six inches of his face. BE
managed to climb aboard the
Thingvalla as she drew back. He
was not 80 much as touched by the
water. The Thingyalla's crew did
all they could to rescue the unfor-
tunates and obeyed orders prompt.
ly. The Thingvalla's upper deck
was not injured, but her bows we're
broken in from a point ten feet be-
low the deck. The rent was about
q feet in length, and ran back
above and below the water line
to the collision bulkhead. Had it
not been tor that bulkhead the
ThingvalIa would have gone down
like q shot.
TO SAVE THE THINGVALLA.
"Captain Lamb, after the Geiser
had gone down and it was known
that there were no passengers in
any of the lost steamers boats had
the bows of his own vessel protect
ted as far as possible with straw
mattresses and other materials to
prevent the water from entering.
Distress signals were sounded aud
the ship lay for daylight. The fog
lifted about $40 o'clock. Between
10 and II o'clock the steamship
Wieland was sighted. She bore
down to us and lay to within a
short distance of our vessel. Capt.
Lamb took boat and went to the
Wieland.
TRANSFERRED TO THE wIELAND
"Capt. Albers, of that vessel,
readily consented to receive th'
rescued passengers and crew OF the
Geiser, The work Of transferring
was accomplished with only a
single accident. A 15.year.old boy
whose name | did not learn, hat
his legs crushed. lie was one o.
the Thingvalla's passengers. A
number of her complement were
also taken aboard the Wieland
The sea had become somewhat
rougher by this time, and there
we're many lively scenes as the chill
dren and older passengers were
lowered in slings to the boats. The
able.bodied passengers aud thu
crew used the ladders. AS we
reached the Wieland the last of th'
Geiser's abandoned lifebOats float
ed out OF sight. There was no faul
TO be found with the manner IL
which we were treated aboard tn
Wieland. Nothing was too gooC
for us. Even the passengers dlyl
ded their clothing with the untor
tunates from the Geiser.'
WHAT OTHER sURvIVERs SAY.
Annas Wilt, civil engineer, Q
Minneapolis, one of the passenger
on the Geiser, said: 81 had a cor
Jacket and felt comparatively safe
so | called to the people downstair
and then watched the boat sin
from the bow. AS she went dow
I stuck to her and was carrie
down several huudred feet. l bt
lieve. Soon | felt myself shootln
up through the water for perhsp
half an hour. climbed on tn
keel of a small boat floating III
sipe down and was finally picke'
up.
John TenwiId, a saloon-keeper
Hudson, WIS.,, round-faced, bulk
Swede, said: "When | hurried {
the deck | found quite number c
men attempting to loosen the boat
| saw no chance of saving myse
there, 80 / picked up a plank an
jumped overheard. The scene wa
heartrending. There must hav
been thirty.fye heads above th
water, but one by one they disaI
peared.'