New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-18
THE THINGVALLA IN PORT.
REACHING HALIFAX BADLY BATTERED.
cArTaIE LAUBs STORY OF THE DISASTROUS coll
LrsIoS-PUTTIyG THE FAULT on THE GEIsER,
WHICH PORTED WHEN SIZE SHOULD

| OF the disaster she had figured in had appeared
| III the daily papers, and as the vessel had been
nearly three days coming 400 miles, she was hourly
expected when she came creeping ~ the harbor
| She had the Nova Scotia fishing schooner Capo
| in tow. When her bow became visible people
| began to wonder how she was kept aioat. Her
| bow looked as IL it had been placed in huge
wise and then broken of up to the first bulkhead.
| In other words, about twenty feet Of the boat
| from the keel up to the deck is cut clean away,
| the iron plates being twisted like much tin
| foil. Over this huge gap projected the bowsprt
| and about ten feet of the vessels bow which
pointed out like an index finger. All that saved
the Thingvaa was the good condition of her
bulkhcads. Her first ones were tight, and the
| second bulkhcad was well braced boat from
the Admirars ship Bellerophon ran alongside; ;
the officer in charge carried an offer of assistance
from Admiral Lyons, which Captain Laub grace
| fully acknowledged.
The first officer was seen but refused point
blank to say anything until after the investiga-
tion. The other officers were equally reticcnt
all referring reporters to the captain On board
the vessel many signs Of the great disaster were
noticeable Clothes. etc. were scattered in all
directions. She is making ut present little water
The Danish Consul has received messages from
Denmark for the fullest particulars
CAPTAIN LAUBs STORY OF TIE COLLISION.
Captain Iaub made the following statement
Of the affair, from which il would appear that
the fault lay with those board the Gciscr
who put her to starboard instead Of to port. The
Geiser's officer who was on the watch at the time
Of the collision was among those who pershed.
First Officer Peterson, of the Thinsvalla. occupied
n similar position on the Geser for three years,
and was transferred only short time ago Cap
tain Iaub himself does not express opinion
on tho cause OF the disaster. He says he Will
leave that TO be found by the Official investigation.
First Officer Peterson was asked to make n state
ment, but says he does not wish TO 10 Captain
Laub's story is as follows:
1t was just about o'clock on the morning
Of Tuesday, the l4th., few minutes before the
watch was changed when my second officer, who
had been on deck, came down and l asked him
how the weather was. lie said It was raining, but
not foggy, lie retired few minutes later,
heard the tclcgraphic signal for the engines to
reverse. This WAS the first intmation | had OF
any trouble Lcapng from my berth | ran for
the deck As was hurrying up the collision oc-
cured. It was terrific shock, the steamers com
ing together with frightful crash Rushing for
ward | found the Thingvalla TO be locked with
another steamer which did not then know. As
approached saw man. whom | afterward found
TO be the Geser's second officer, Jump on TO our
deck. Ny steamer had cut right through his
rOom where he was sound asleep and he capcd
out of his bunk TO the Thngvalla'S deck. 1t may
have been two or it may have been four minutes
before the engines were reversed and we backed
off without delaying a moment
went to quiet my excited passengers, who
were crowded deck and were shouting and
crying with fear At the same time looked after
Io.-i l-rO lQIu 70
as to the extent Of our damage. The officers were
already engaged in cutting away and launching the
lifc-boats One Of the ThinGvala's boats had Just
been lowered when the other steamer went down
stern first The scene was 4 frightfu one. | cannot
attempt to describe it. Some of her passengers
were rushing madly about her deck, while Others
were crowded in several boats in the water. |
believe that many OF the passengers must have
been killed in their hunks by the force of the
collision, and never knew what happened. As
the steamer plunged beneath the water carrying
down those on board, she capsfzed the boats that
had got away. The air rent with agonlzlng
shricSs and prayers. Most Of the people probably
went down with the GeiSer They were soon after
followed by the ill-fated souls in the boats, who
must have been sucked under as tie ship sank.
THE EFFORTS TO SAVE SURVIVORS.
"The cries Of the dying still ring in my ears.
Three of our boats were already launched and
trying to save as many as they could from the !
doomed Geiscr nut it slow work. as COM /
parativcy few managed to keep afloat after the /
steamers Disappearance. Three boats were all l /
could get cut in the time we had, and did not |
know but what might want the remaining ones /
for ourselves The two vessels were not more /
than 90 or ! 80 feet apart when the Gei>er went I
down. The screams OF the drowning lasted per .
haps two minutes, and then suddenly all became /
quiet. Our three boats returned loaded with the .
saved, who had been picked up IN the water or
from of the bottoms OF their capNl%cu o9atS.
sent them back 10 continue the scarcn lor sur
yivorS but they returned with only the corpse ot /
a woman. We provided the Survivors with dFy .
clothes hot coffee and wine, and maze them as /
rom Portable as possible while attending 10 the
injury to ourselves. Day was Just beginning 10
break when the collision occurred: II was ram
ing ms the second officer told me Just before. IT.
was not foggy. | heard men around me say II
was eight or ten minutes between the ,collsloh
and the sinking Of the Gclses, nut cOuld not pay
any attention 10 the time.
In my opinion, nearly all the people on The
Gciscr's deck and in the boats sank with the
steamer Everything that we could possibly do
appeared we began lettlsoning the cargo TO Keep
the Ihingvaia alloat HE crew ana tile liissen-
gers worked side by side, throwing G,yerD%rd what
was brought out of the hold. What was Jet
tiscned consisted wholly OF wood pulp and pr0vi-
,ions There was not much wind, but heavy
swell Between and 10 o'clock wc reached
the forward bulllhead, then stopped throwing Ih"
cargo over and got 70 work snoring up the com
partmcnt we were leaking badly in the fore
lold and kept the pumps going all the time SO
hat the vnter had not time to gain on MS AZ
o'clock the steamer Wieland, for Ncw-lork
hove in sight, and W. transferred all the rescued
passengers. as we'll as our own 4j0 passengers, 70
,er The Wieland proceeded about o'clock IN
he afternoon. leaving US also steering for New
York We continued the work OF Snoring up the
but after awhile, on account oil
The wind and increasing We t0uhd IL inpoS,
,ibe 10 keep on for New-l orS and decided TO head
or Halifax At this tu< it still looked very
much as If we might sink, and some OF the Grey
1od refused 70 work wanting 10 be transferred TO
he Weland before she left rs. We went aS
low as two knots an hour: ana sometimes found
hat too fast We just had 10 crawl. that was all
IN Wednesday afternoon q iiShlng yessci move III
iobt and we bo-c down for hcr She proved To
,c The schooner Capo and engaged her to stand
" and accompany the steamer 10 Halifax 50 as
o be able 10 help u in case she should 60 down.
ast night the sea was so heavy had TO tucn the
tcamcr around, running stern foremost and steer
oh p6 ~ "A