Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-08-17

Collision in Mid.Oceau and Fearful
Loss of Life.

Collision in Mid.Oceau and Fearful
Loss fife.
The steamship Waeslsnd, from Hamburg,
arrived yesterday at New York, with the
startling intelligence that the steamers
Thingvalla and Geiser colied in mid ocean,
and the Geiser aank. The collision occurred
on the 14th at a. N. a very heavy sea and
dense fog were experienced through the night
and early morning. 1t is said an object
could not be distinguished fifty feet away,
by reesou of the fog. The Thingvalla struck
the Geiser on the starboard side amidships.
The vessels quickly reooiled, and within
Eve minutes the Geiser eank. The crew of
the Thingvalla did all they could to save the
Geiser's crew and passengers, while still in
doubt whether the Thiogvilla was not dan
gerously disabled but owing to the heavy
sea only thirty one were saved. No other
vessel was near at the time
Capt. A. Albers, of the Walsland tells this
story:
"At ten o'clock on the morning of August
14th We passed some wreckage floating In
the sea, and suspected that an accident had
happened somewhere near US. little la
ter we sailed through sea of oil and sighted
broken boat of the Geiser. About 1880
We sighted steamer to the nortward, about
eight miles off, and seeing she had flag OF
distress up. we ran down to her. 1t proved
to be the Thingvalla, and Captain Laub, OF
that vessel came to US in a small boat and
begged us to take off his passengers and
those he had saved from the Geiser. He
said his own vessel was SO badly injured
that he expected her to sink at any moment.
His forward compartment had been COM
pletely carried away from half way from the
deck 10 below the water line. We sent out
three of our boats, and the ThingValla low
cred two Of hers, aud in five hours we had
transferred the saved passengers and crew
of the Geiser and also the 455 passengers OF
the Thingvalla. The sea was very rough at
| the time, and the work of transferring the
passengers was difficult. The immense hole
| in the Thingvalla's bow was then patched
up as we'll as possible, and she started for
Halifax"
The chief officer of each vessel was on
| deck at the time of the collision.
Third Officer Peterson said the fog was
very Dense Through the night rain had
the Geiser's approach was when she appear
|
Both vessels tried to sheer off, being head
on. The Gelser was struck opposite the
engine.room amidships. The Geiser, being
heavily loaded, was very low in the water,
| so that the Thiugvalla carried away her own
compartment. The upper part other how ran
over the decks Of the Geser. The Geser's
deck houses were carried away, and the
state.rooms we're smashed in and the occu-
pants killed He first hearda bell ring in the
Geiser's eDgine-roop,, but could not tell what
the order was Officer Peterson was on deck at
! the time. He then heard the bell ring again,
this time TO back, and the steamer had just
begun to reverse, when theThingvala struck.
The Geiser's whistle was blowing at the
time. Second Officer Forgenson jumped
for the ThingvalIa when they struck, and
was hauled on her decg by some of the
Thingvala's crew. One of the Geiser's pas
sengers was picked up with q broken leg.
DR.. Aage Wern, OF Copenhagen, young
dentist, made the following statement: Our
voyage was uneventful until early Tuesday
morning. There was a deuse fog prevailing
| I could hear our steam whistle blowing, but
| heard no other signals. 1t was exactly 4:30
O'Clock when there was terrific crash. AS
reached the deck the Thingvalla drew out
| of the rent she had made in the Geiser's
side Capt. Laub, OF the Thingvalla, 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 Thingvallas bridge at the time.
l alterward learned that Capt. Moelier, of
| the Geiser, had gone to bed and left First
| Officer Brown in command Of the vessel.
Brown was lost. Lifeboats were promptly
launched from the Thingvalla, and the work
of rescue began.
"Out of the 100 passengers aud the crew on the
Geiser only 81 were saved. Some OF them had
| reached their boats but most Of them were picked
| up from improvised RATS, chicken coops, camp
stools and ything else that would float. The
survivors had to hurry, the Geser went down
stern first about eight minutes after the crash.
Among the saved passengers there is only one
woman She is Mrs Hida Lind, of Cincinnati.
Her two little children, who were going to Swe-
den with her, were lost. Mr.. Lind was not with
his family. Among those of the Geisers crew
who were saved were Surgeon Dirchs and Second
Officer Jorgensen. There were fourteen cabin and
six Storage passengers and seventeen of the
Geiser's crew saved.
Zone of the most wonderful escapes was that of
Assistant Engineer Boerthelsen, 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. He managed to climb aboard the
Ihingvalla as she drew BACK. he was not 80
much as touched by the water. The Thingvallas
crew did all they could TO rescue the unfortunates
and obeyed orders promptly. The ThiDgvalla's
upper deck was not Injured, but her bows were
broken in from paint ten feet feet below the
deck Tho rent was about p feet in length, and
ran back above and below the water line to the
collision bulkhead. Had it not been for that
bulkhead the Thingvalla would have gone down
like shot.
Senator Daniels Views.