Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-18
HOME AFFAIRS.
TEN THOUSAND VOTERS CALL ON
GENERAL HARRISON.
More About the Great Steamship
Disaster-Frost and Ice in
the Northwest-Etc.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE EEooRD-usloN.l
CowARDLY SEAMAN.
Why More Lives Were Not Saved fro1
the Inflated Geiser

tho 1II-fatS Gelser.
ICopyi9, 1888. by The California 4.sociased P,es.l
New YORK, August 17th.-The collision
is a subject of discussion in marine circles.
1t is said that dozen or more of the saved
passengers agree that the sailors of the
GeiseF behaved in a most cowardly fashion
Immediately after the Thingyalla struck a
wild rush was made for the boats. The
orders by the semi -panic-stricken officers
were either ignored or disobeyed.
Thereport that the steamer was supplied
with two immene life RATS is denied by the
passengers. The passengers also say the
handling OF lifeboats was bad. Boat No. 2,
situated on the port side forward, was the
first to be released from the davits. Two
seamen had hold of the tackle. One grew
excited when the panic-stricken steerage pas
sengers swarmed around him and his hand
slipped from the fall and the boat fell
into the water, turned bottom upward
and fioated away. The officers swore at the
man who had done the mischief, and ne
skunk away.
The very next boat which the sailors un-
dertook to launch was rendered useless
once it got afioat. The boat had reached
the water, but the sailors paid out too
much of the direct lines, and the boat ran
out so far from the ship that the passengers
could not get into it, nor could the sailors
haul it back to the ship.
AN APPALLING SCENE.
HALIFAX, August 17th.-The ThingyalIa
arrived in port to-day. Captain Lamb SAYS
that the Geiser sank within ten minutes of
the time she was struck. The Thingvalla
had one boat out when the Geiser went
down and the Geiser had out three which
latter were drawn down by the suction.
The widest cries for life began as the
Geiser commenced TO sink. These died
away as she disappeared from view. The
final scene only lasted two minutes, then
there was an appalling silence.
Ehe Ihlngvalla presents a strange spec
tacle, with nearly the whole of her bow
torn away, leaving an immense hole ex-
posed to view. A long piece of the bow
hangs over the hole, which reaches back
into the sides of the ship over fifteen feet.
The projecting piece hangs over the water
ike an outstretched arm, and shows where
the powerful iron plates were broken
through and snapped off as if made of
cardboard. Wonder is expressed that she
ever reached port. The disabled vessel will
discharge her cargo and go on the dock to
be repaired. She will be here probably
two months. After repairing she is TO re-
load and proceed for New York.
WHAT THE CAPTAIN SAYS.
Captain Lamb has imposed silence upon
his seamen as to the disaster, but has him
self prepared statements of the details of
the collision, as he knew and saw it. His
story is much the same as those told by
the other seamen yesterday. He saws the
scene, as soon as the Thingvalla backed
away from the Geiser, was a frightful one.
| can't attempt to describe it." said be-
Some of her passengers were rushing
madly about her deck, while others were
crowded in several small boats in the water.
| believe many passengers had been killed
IN their hunks by the collision, and never
knew what had happened. As the steamer
plunged beneath the water and carried
down those ON board she capsized the
boats that had got away. The air was
rent with
AGoNIzING sHRIEKs AND PRAYERS.
Most of the people probably went down
with the Geiser. They were followed soon
after by the ill-fated souls in the boats, who
must have been sucked under as the ship
sank. The cries of the diving still ring in
my ears. Three of our boats were already
launched and were trying to save as many
as they could from the doomed Gerser, but
1t was slow work, as comparatively few
managed to keep afioat At the steamers
disappearance three boats were all could
know but what we might want the remain
ing ones for ourselves. The two vessels
were not more than 100 or $50 feet apart
when the Geiser went down.
THE SCREAMS OF THE DROWNING
Lasted for two minutes, and then suddenly
all became quiet Our three boats re.
turned loaded with those who had been
picked up. l sent them to continue the
search for survivors, but they returned
with only the corpse of a woman. We pro-
vided the survivors with dry Clothes hot
coffee and wine, and made them as comfort
able as possible, while attending to the in
jury to ourselves. Day was just beginning
to break when the collision occurred. It
was raining, the Second Officer told me,
just before. 1t was not foggy.
''In my opinion nearly all the people on
the Geiser's deck and boats sank with the
to save them was done. After the Geiser
disappeared, we began jettisoning the cargo
to keep the Thingvalla afioat. The crew
and passengers worked side by side, throw
ing overheard what was brought out of the
hold. What was jettisoned consisted solely
of wood-pulp.and provisions. There was
not much wind, but heavy sea. Between
9 and 10 o'clock we reached the forward
bulkhead, and then stopped throwing the
cargo overheard and got to work snoring
up the compartments. At o'clock the
steamer Wieland hove in sight, and we
transferred all the rescued passengers, as
well as our own 400 passengers to her.
1--WE did not know on the Thingvalla
what steamer we had struck till the Second
Officer of the Geiser jumped on our decks.
When l reached the deck Immediately after
the shock the lights on both steamers were
burning all right. OF that | am certain
The Geiser had been seen by our First Off,
Ger several minutes before the collision.
She was nearly straight ahead, but a little
bit on the poit bow. She starboaIded to
get out of the way, and we ported. She
should have ported likewise"
From Captain Lambs statement of the
disaster it would appear that the fault lay
with those on board the Geiser, who put
her to the starboard, instead of to port.
The Geiser's officer who was on watch at the
time of the collision was among those who
perished. Captain Lamb himself does not
express an opinion on the cause of the dis
aster.
THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION.
New YORK. August 17th.-The Danish
Consul has concluded that the investiga-
ton into the sinking of the Geiser will be
held by the Courts in Copenhagen, and not
here, as at first determined The estimated
loss of the Geiser is $3.50, 900, and on her
4rka mn