Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-08-30

Appalling Loss OF Life In . Steamship Collision
.--One Hundred and Niseieen Persons Ushered
lnfa Ifernity.

remarkable in ocean records; as both vessels
were under full Roadway. The night had
been dark and cloudy and it was raining oe
cxsionally, but there does rot appear to
have been any fog or any exceptionally
heavy sens. Both steamers were in charge
OF their first officers who were old
and experienced. On whom the blame
rests. neither the officers nor the passengers
on either vessel were able to state. Few pas
sengers were on the decks of the steamers at
hat hon Of the morning. When the steam
ers came in view Of each other in the grey
OF the dawn they were only a few ships
lengths apart and the crash came in a few
minutes, The iron prov of the Thingvalla
struck the Geiser amidships ON the star
board side, tearing its way half through the
side of the unfortunate steamer, Passengers
and crew OF the Inflated steamer who were
aroused by the shock, and who escaped In
jury, had no time TO realize what had hap
pened. Many who were sleeping on the side
of the vessel which YES struck were crushed
in their berths as they slept and carried
DEAD AND NGL
to the bottom of the sea. Those who sue.
cseded in reaclang the decks OF the Geiser
were hardly less fortunate. In the binding
rain that was now heating on the deck OF
the vessel, some of the officers were shouting
vainly and running wildly about. There was
no time for explanation and Capt Molten,
who hnd come on deck just before the col
lisiaR ~eRdeavered hastily to obtain an idea
of the extent Of the accident, to arouse the
passengers and crew and to lower the boats.
In the midst of those hurried preparations
the steamer began TO settle, and with a lurrh
she went down head foremost. The next
instant a dub, henry explosion agita;ed the
waters rs they closed orer the Geiser. The
boats and the lie RATS were all carried doxn
with thu Geiser, and n few of the passengers
were Jeff in the water clinging to the sPars
and wrrckage. The trash OF the collision
brought the Thingvallais passengers on deck,
but il was soon found that though badly
crushed and leaking she was seaworthy, and
boats we're ut once lowered for tue assistsnce
of the few people who hnd escaped from the
Geiser. The boats of the Thingyalla pulled
until after daylight over the place where the
Geiser went down, taking in all they could
see. Among these we're Capt. Moller, who
was nearly exhausted, and Mrs. Hilda Loud,
a cabin passenger. who was
TIE ONLY WOMAN
who escaped from the wreck. While the
search was being made for the survivors of
the Geiser Capt. Laub, ofthe ThinEvalla, was
busy attending to the injuries that his own
steamer had sustained. 1t was found that
they were more serious than had been thought
at first. The bow of the vessel had been
cayed IN by the severe blow that she had
dealt the Geiser. and although the ships car
penters had succeeded in bracing up the walls
OF the bulkhead the pressure against them
was 80 great when thu ship was moving as
to make IL very exceedingly doubtful whether
she could continue her voyage to New
York. and in the event OF a severe storm her
condition would be too critical to take any
risks. Capt. Lanb decided to put at once TO
Halifax which WINS about $50 miles distant,
when the Wieiand wa sighted and signals Of
distress were given. The Wieland bore down
upon them and Capt. Albers, herec mmanier.
Offered TO take aboard all the passenger oftEe
Geiser aud the Thingvnlla. They were trans
ferred with ome difficulty, thesea being rough,
and the Thingyalia sailed into Halifax, while
the Wieland proceeded TO New York, None OF
the passengers Of the Thingvilla were in
jured in the collision, but several of those Of
the Gei~er who were resrued had sustained
severe injuries in the wreck, Andreas Wisz
of Minneapolis was ORE OF the passengers
who was saved Wilsz is q farmer. and has
long been accustomed to early rising. and
TO this nab he attributes the fact that he is
alive to-day to tell the terrible story. He
was awake when the first crash came, and
heard the command Of the officers, A men
on desk.p
II at once rushed - deck, (" he said, "and
tried to cut loose one of the life boats, hut
did not suoceed. There was a loud and long
continued blowing Of whistles, which aroused
the passengers. Hardly any of them had
time to seize life preserysers or scramble upon
deck before the crash cane. Frenried people
rushed hTther and thither crying, eurs;qg,
praying and pleading fer their lives. 1t was
a terrible spectacle. 1t seemed to me that the
seven minutes CT HISS we were there
on deck wee hours, and 1 cannot
close my eyes o hut ] see the whole
scene enacted all over again. | managed to
get into one Of the hfrleoats and was taken
on board the ThingyaIlsL"
Asst. rAUL SURVIVOR.
Ole Jansen Of ST. Pant MINI, says
When be heard the ships crash together be
siezed a life preserver and rushed on deck.
He cut one OF the Geise1,is boats loose. but il
stuck TO the steamer until she sunk. The life
boat was then freed, but turned over before
Is reached the water. He got on the upturned
boat and was saved BY the boatswain crew
from the Thingvalla. The most miraculous
escape of all was that OF the second mate,
Mr.. 1orSenssn. He wa, in his bunk when the
collision occurred. The black nose of the
Thingvalla seraped by bis bunk pushing
against the door Of his cabin held IL elosed.
The anchor chain Of the Thingvalla was
hanging almost within his reach. He sprang
for it, and grasping 1t vent up hand over
hand on TO the Thingrtla-
~sRars8cAkLY ToLp.
T~wentyfour OF the passengers and crew of
the Gsiser, under charge of Second 0fscar
yorgeRsen. arrived at the Hotel Denmark. in
New fork. They we're hrawny fellows. curl
oesiy sttired. and but few had either coats
or stockings. Second Oficer Jorgensen gave
q graphs description Of the collision. He
said:
l was asleep in my bunk when / heard a
shock and. Immediately went on deck TAX
ing in the situation at q glance. ! ordered
all hands on deck. THIN ! swung myself off
on the bow Of the ThinEvalla. and scrambled
to her deck The doomed craft sank grare-
fully. stern first, with her bow in the air.
Most everybody was sound asleep. md when
she began 20 IN, l could hear Hnsans and
heart-rending SCREAMS coming from below.
Those b reached the deck made frantic
Efforts to cut down the hoats, but they we're
too excited to be sutsesssaL. They finally
grabbed mp different pieces Of wood and
Jumped over the side of the vessel.
John Turwild. a saloonkeeper Of Hudson,
Wis. q round faced bulky SSede, said:
was ssaep when / heard the crash and
hurried TO the deck, where | found quite a
number Of mea attempting 10 loosen the
boats. IEaw no chance al saving mysel
there, 80 | rushed out, pick@d up a plank
ead jumped overheard The acene was
h~eart-rcnding- Their, must have been
thirty-hye beads above the water, but one
by one they disappeared.
Freaerick C. Hansen who lived in Perth
Amboy, N. j.. was advised 10 take a sea yoy-
age for his health, and sailed on the Gei-sr
He said,
/ heard somebody rushing through the
companion way and l rushed M, carrying
my coat and shoes. found two oars and
jumped overheard with them. The vessel
soon went dow and | was packed up
The Gsiser vas an iron clad steamship of
Isis tons burden. She mas 3244 feet long,
2n z fzs haur ana 80 Essr sla~n "a balf
She was built a; the yards Of Burmeister
4 Vain at Coprnhsgcn. "a 1881. She had
three mssts and was fitted with compound
inverted engines. with four cylinders OF Sc
and ~ inches diameter and 42-iRch stroke.
The Thingvalia u soEaeN hat smaller han
the Inflated Geiser. bring 50l 8 FEET long and
374 fSf beam. She is registered al i.630
tons burden. and vas built at Burneiteris
yards. Copenhagen, in 1871.
JANSEN cAsRcRG : aopoCST
The following graphsr account zas giv.a
BIZ q young drsSSis, namel Jansen Cast
borg. who was On tosrd the ThIngFalla- e.
route 20 Charleston, Texas. with his SISTER.
II was just about daylight, and al. with
the exception OF myse4f and a few friends.
we're asleep; wien, al % q sudden ne heard
. scGh.iug Of kef on 1eck, and then q crush
ing noise. Then for II moment al vas still.
In q seoond all tbs passengers we're out OF
th@ir berfhs and all rEshinE for fhe eoapan-
ion-say. The screaming and fbe lin Was
deafening. partsculariT from the lower DIRK.
xk-re the people with families Sere loeated.
After considerable difficulty ! reached the
eeck and -Rshed to ise what the damage
was, and just here l Eish TO state
most enphatically that no vhistleS
were blown on TIE Thingr ala besone
the collision l went 10 the front Of the
vessel and saw q gap Of about t=Sire
feet IN the lsff Ede. the plates we're roGg3
up, and on the top Of them lay part Of the
corpse Of a rnan- and the rhole stem vas
covered With blood and fragments Of Hesh.
which was som washed of BY the waves
The eaPtAin then ORDERED every one on deck.
snd, SITTER IA examination. the passengers
were told there Eas no danger and they BE-
came qaiet. The women on the eecnsiou
behaved s~pIendidly- On the right sd the
plates were tTokra OF completely. ard EoH
the bow Of our ship go eleaa into the state
room OF an Officer OF The Gsis<r, who climbed
-