New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-17
A STEAMER RUN DOWN AT SEA
MORE THAN A HUNDRED LIVES LOST IN A
FEW MINUTES

THE THINevALLA AND THE GEIsER. BOTH Be
LONGING TO THE SAME LINE, CRASH TO-
GETHER OFF THE COAST OF NOVA SCOTIA
in THE EARLY MoRNING-THE GE1sER
GOES DOWN BEFORE ANY ADE
| oUATE EFFORTS CAN BE MADE
ON BoARD-THE THINGvAI~
LAS PASSENGERS AND
THE RESCUED FROM
! THE GEIsER
| BROUGHT
HERE
The steamship wieland. Of the Hamburg Line,
which arrived here last evening yht the
news of collision of the coast OF Nova Scotia
between the steamers Thingvaa and Geser. Of
the Thngvalla Line. in which The Geiser went down
in few minutes and the Thngvalla was seriously
damaged. One hundred and twenty-nine lives
were lost. as far as could be learned yesterday.
The decks Of the Wleand were crowded with
more than thousand passengers. the greater por-
tion Of whom from the steamers which were
in collision. The Geiser left New-York last Satur-
day morning, bound for Copenhagen. She car
ried ninety three passengers and crew Of sixty
seven men. On Tuesday morning of Sable Island,
on the Nova Scotia coast Just before daylight,
she was struck by the Thingvalla. and sank within
seven minutes, carrying down with her all on
board, except thirty-one persons. The boats of
!
! Captain Molle. OF the Geiser. fourteen passengers
and sixteen of the crew The ThinRvalla was so
badly injured that she transferred all passengers
TO the Hamburg steamer Weland which was
sighted few hours Inter. and then sailed for Hall
fax for repairs
dispatch received from Halifax late last night
said that ther, no sign Of the Thingvalla
there up to midnight
The story Of this collision is one of the most
remarkable in ocean records Both vessels
were under full headway. The night had
been dark and stormy. and II was raining
occasionally, but there does not appear to have
been any fog or an exceptionally heavy Both
steamers were in charge Of their first officers who
were old and experienced seamen. On whom the
blame rests, neither the officers nor the passengers
on either vessel able to state yesterday. Few
passengers the decks Of the steamers at
that hour OF the morning.
When the steamers came in view Of each other
In lhc gray of the dawn they were only few
ships lengths apart and the crash came In few
minutes. The iron Prov OF the ThingyaIa struck
the Geser amidshps on the starboard side, tearing
It's way half through the side of the unfortunate
steamer. Passengers and crew Of the ill-fated
vessel who reused by the shock and who
escaped injury had not time TO realize what had
happened. Many who sleeping on the side
of the vessel which was struck were crushed in
their berths as they slept and carried dead and
manged to the bottom of the sea-
EFFORTS TO SAVE LIFE
Those who succeeded in reaching the deck OF
the Geiser hardly less fortunate. In the
binding rain that beating on the deck
Of the vessel some OF the officers shouting
vainly and running wildly about. There was no
time for explanation, and Captain Moller, who
had come deck just before the collision, en-
deavorrd hastily to obtain idea Of the extent
Of the accident, to the passengers and crew.
and 10 lower The boats. In the midst OF these
hurried preparations, the steamer began 20 SETTLE
and with q lurch she went down stern foremost
The next instant a dull, heavy explosion
agtated the waters as they closed
over the Geiser The boats and the life
RATS were all carried down with the Geiser and
few OF the passengers left In the water
clinging to the spars and the wreckage. The Jar |
and the crash accompanying the collision brought
the Thingvalla to stand and reused every one
on board. Her passengers came pouring frightened
and half dressed to her decks as her engines
reversed and with some difficulty she drew |
back from the Geiser. while the water poured |
through the gap that she had made in the Geiser's
side.
FEARS FOR THE THINGvALLA ALSO.
For short time it seemed doubtful whether
the Thingvslla had not been badly injured that
she would sink also. Captain Laub. OF the
Thingvalla. had an immediate examination made
and the boats made ready TO lower while |
the passengers were kept in control II was
soon found that the forward bullihead Of the |
Ihinrvala though badly crushed and leaking was |
not destroyed and the others all intact. |
While the forward bullIhead was being repaired |
boats had already been lowered for the assistance
of the few people who had escaped from the
Gciser and whose voices growing more faint |
each moment could be heard appealing for help |
out in the waters and the storm.
One OF the officers of the Gelser was already |
on the deck OF the Thingvalla, having escaped
from the general wreck IN manner so remarkable |
that he stood confused and unable to explain at
first how he came there This was the second
officer Peter Jorgensen. who having retired from
the watch few hours previous and was sleeping
in his berth when the collision aroused him:
the groans of one of the ships engineers who
slept in the room adjoining him he
light in his own room was eXtinguiShed but the
dim light that came In from break in the side
of his vessel enabled him TO catch glimpse OF
the bow Of the Thlngvala, which protruded into
the ROOM and the anchor chains that were sus.
pended from its side. He sprang forward and sue
ceeded in grasping chain the Ihngvalla
backed away from the wreck and he climbed to
safety.
The boats Of the Thngvalla pulled until after
daylight over the place where the Geiser went
down, picking up all whom they could see Among
these were Captain Moller, who was nearly eA-
haustcd and Mrs. Hilda Lind, a cabin passenger,
who was the only woman who escaped from the
wreck
w nile tHe etdrCH was pclH6. H,tC iOA ""N 'Ht
vivors of the Gcser. Captain Laub was busy at,
tending 10 the injuries that his own steamer mad
sustained 1t was found that they were more
serious than had been thought at first The bow
of the vessel had been caved in by the severe
blow that she had dealt the Geiser and although
the ships carpenters had succeeded in bracing up
the walls Of the bullhcad the pressure against
them was so greet when the ship was moving
as 90 make it exceedingly doubtful whether sue
could continue her voyage 10 New-York, and in
event OF severe storm her condition would be
too critical to take any risk Captain Lapb de
,ided 10 put in at once to Halifax, which was
about i 80 miles distant when the Wieand, OF
the Hamburg Line, was sighted, and signals OF
distress were Qiyen The Wieand bore down
upon them and Captain Albers, her commander,
offered 10 take aboard all the the pas
Thev were transferred with some difficulty.
the sea being rough, and the Thingvalla then