The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-17
MANY LIVES L0ST
By a Collision Between Two
Steamers on the Ocean.
THE TERRIBLE. DISASTER
That Dcrel Que shtp and Almost
Wrecked Another Containing
1855 Souls-A Hundred
Lives Are Lost.

New York, August l0.-The steamer
Wieland, OF the Hamburg-American
Steamship Line, has Just brought news
OF collision off Sable Island between
the Geiser and the Thingvalla, OF the
Thingyalla line, which occurred on the
morning Of August a.. The Geiser sank
in five minutes after the collision, and
lO5 persons were drowned. The Thing
valla was so disabled that she had to put
into Halifax after transferring all her
passengers to the Wieland. The Geiser
had eighty-six passengers aboard, sew
enty-two OF whom were drowned or
killed in the collision, and fourteen were
taken'first on the Thingvalla and then
on the Wieland. The Geiser's crew
numbered fifty. Seventeen were
saved and thirty-three were drownod,
Capt. Moller, OF the Geiser, was among
those saved. The passengers Of The
Thingvalla transferred to the Wieland
numbered 455. The Geiscr left this port
on August II, bound for Stcttin. The
Thingyalla was on her way to this city
and was advertised to leave here on Au-
gust 25.
A very heavy sea and n dense fog were
experienced through the night and
early morning OF August A. II is said
an object could not be distinguished
fifty feet away by reason OF the fog.
Stories differ rs TO where the liability
rests, ifnot wholly due TO the fog and
heavy sea; but the Thingvalla struck
the Geiscr on the starbOard side amid
ships, close on to o'clock in the morn
ing. The boats then parted and within
five minutes the Gciscr sank. The crew
OF the ThngvaIIa did all they could to
save the Geiser's crew and passengers,
while still in doubt rs to whether the
Thingvalla was not dangerously dis
abled. But owing to the heavy sea only
thirty-one were saved. No other vessel
was near Mt the time. The Wieland, on
her way to this port, was one hundred
miles away.
HOW THEY WE'RE RESCUED.
At l:3O o'clock on the morning OF
the 14th the WeiIand WIS sighted. Signs
of distress were made by the Thingvalla
and Il transfer OF the passengers began.
The sen was then heavy, but no mishaps
occurred in the transfer OF the passen-
gers. The officers OF the company were
unable tonight to give q list OF the lost.
Captain a. Albers, of thesWielGnd, tells
the following story: At 10 o'clock on
the morning OF August 18th we passed
some wreckagG floating in the sea and
,It that nn,,ilnnt hnI hunInv-
cd somewhere near us. A little later
we sailed through the sea Of oil and
sighted broken boat of the Gciscr.
About II 80 we sighted a steamer TO the
northward, about eight miles oil, and
seeing she had a
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 a small boat
and begged us to take off his passen-
gers, and those he had saved from the
Geiser. He said his own vessel was so
badly injured, he expected her to sink
at any moment. His forward COmpart-
ment had been completely swept away
from half way from the deck TO below
the water line. We sent out three Of
our boats, and the Thingvalla lowered
two Of hers, and in FIVE hours We had
transferred the saved passengers and
crew OF the Geiser, and also the I55 pas
sengers OF the Thiugvalla, ThesseN was
very rough at the time, and the work
Of transferring the passengers was very
difficult. The immense hole in the
Thingvilla's bow was then patched up
,,legihIn and rhn atnrin1 fAr
Halifax. The collision, so far us known,
was caused by the Jog"
The chief officer of each vessel was on,
deck at the time OF the collision. Tho
Third Officer Peterson told much the
same story OF the occurrence. lie said
the fog was very dense. Through the
night rain had fallen ut intervals. The
first we knew OF the Geisers approach
was when she appeared on the starbOrd
side right upon u.s. Both vessels at
tempted TO sheer oil, being head
on. The Geiser was struck oppO-
site the engine rooms amidship.
The Geiser being heavily loaded, was
very low in the water, SO that the
Thingvalla carried away her compart-
meRt.
The upper part Of her bow ran over
the decks OF the Geiser The Geiser's
deck houses were carried away and the
state rooms were smashed III and the
occupants killed lie heard bell ring
in the Gciser's engine room, but could
not tell what the order was. Otlicer
Peterson was on deck ut the time. lie
then heard the bell ring again, this time
to back, and the steamer Ind just com
menced to reverse when the Thingvalla
struck.
The Geisers whistle was blowing ut
the time. Second officer Forgensen
Jumped for the Thingvalla, when they
struck and was hauled on deck by some
of the latter's crew. One Of the Geiser's
was picked up with broken leg.
As soon us the Wieland arrived in
the lower bay, Captain Miller, OF the
Geiscr, left the steamer on n revenue
cutter. He went directly to the office OF
the agent Of the company, where hewas
closeted few moments with the agent.
He only left word that the accident was
due to the weather, and left without
stating lis destination. The rescued
crew OF the GGiser were taken TO the
Hotel Denmark on the arrival OF the
Wieland.