The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-17
A Large Number Of Sleeping Passen-
gers DrOwnedin Their State-ROOms.
The Total Loss Of Life Said To Be One Hun
dred and Nineteen, Including Eighty Pas
sengers-Talks with the Survivors.

scuGeIS-ldlkS VIII the SurylVOrS.
New YORK, Aug. l6-The steamer Wielani.
of the Hamburg-American steamship line, has
just brought news of . collision off Sable island,
between the Geiser and Thinevalla, of the
Thingvalla line, which occurred at o'clock on
the morning Of Aug. Il The Geiser sank in
five minutes after the collision, aud los persons
were drowned. The Thinevalla was SO disabled
that she had to put into Halifax. after transfer
ring all her passengers to the Wieland. The
Gsiser had eighty six passengers aboard, seven
ty-two Of whom were drowned or killed in the
collision, and fourteen were taken FIRST on the
Th.ngvalla and then on the Wieland. The
Geiser's crew numbered fifty. Seven
teen were saved and thirty-three
were drowned Captain Moller. the
OF the Geiser, was among those saved. The
passengers Of the Thinevalla transferred to the
wielane numbered ass. The Geiser left this
port on Aug. II, bound for Stettin. The Thing
valla he= way to this city, and was ad-
vertised to leave here on Aug 25. very
heavy sea and q dense fog were experienced
through the night and early morning Of Aug
IA 1t is said an object could not be distin-
guished fifty feet away by reason of the fog.
Stories differ as to where the liability lies, If
not wholly due to the fog and heavy sea- The
Thingvala struck the Gsiser on the starboard
side. amidships. close on to o'clock
in the morning. The boats then part
ed, and within five minutes the Geiser
sank. The crew of the Thingvalla did all they
could to save the Geiser's crew and passengers,
while still in doubt as to whether the Thing
valla was not dangerously disabled. but owing
to the heavy sea only thirty-one were saved. No
other vessel was near at the time. The VIE
land, on her way to this port, was one hundred
miles away. At 11:3o o'clock the morning of
the 14th the Wieland was sighted. Signs of dis
tress were made by the Thingvalla and a trans
fer of the passengers began. Tns sea was then
very heavy, but no mishsps occurred in the
transfer Of passengers
The following is list Of passengers who are
saved from the Geiser:
Csbin-Mrs. Hilds Lind, aga twenty eight,
from New York TO Calsham, Sweden.
Steeraee-Fohan Larson. Agec 40, from New
York to Risor. Norway; Alfred Anderson, aged
"a, from New York to Grimstad. Norway;
Christofer Eliasser. aged 80. from Chicago. TO
".
ST. Paul, 20 GosbIre. Sweden; Joksru G. Ts-,
hausen. aged %, from Iron Mountain, Mich, to
Stockholm; Paul Pausen, aged "a, from Iron
wood, Mich, to Copenhagen, Denmark; Anders
Wilse. aged %, from Minneapolis, Minp.. to
Christiana. Norway; JOHN Teenwuld. aged 80.
from Hudson. Wis. &c Hondhjein, Norway
Fred X. Hansen, aged 40, from Perth Amboy, n
j., TO Copenhagen; Feus Anderson, aged "a, from
Philadelphis, to Chrissiana; Anders G. Petersen,
aged 81. from Sc. Paul. Mnn., to Gosburc,
Sweden; Lauritz Romerdehl. aged AZ. from Ian.
sing Micb., to Copen b agen; Johann AIouist, aged
80. from Iron Mountain. Mich, to Orland, Fin
land.
The Gsissr's whistle was blowing at the time
Second Officer Jorgensen jumped for the Thing
valla when they struck, and was hauled on tho
Thingvilla's deck by some of the latter's crew.
One Of the Geiser's passengers was picked up
with broken leg.
AS soon ~ the Wisland arrived in the lower
bay Captain Molier. of the Geissr, left the
steamer on q revenue cutter. He won't directly
to the office Of the agents of the company, where
he Was closeted . few moments with the agents.
He only left word that the accident was due to
the weather. and left without stating his desti-
nation. The rescued crew OF the Geiser were
taken to the Hotel Denmark on the arrival Of
the Weland. Twenty-four of the passengers
and crew Of the Geiser. under charge of Sc cond
Officer Joraensen. arrived at the Hotel Denmark K
They were brawny fellows, curiously attired
and but few had either coats or stockings
Captain Albers. of the Wieland, upon reach
ing quarantine, teleRraphsd the first intimation
of the disaster to Capt. e. Borden Hauser, gen.
eral superintendent Of the Hamburg line Ar
rangements were ar once made for the reception
Of the rescued passengers in New York. Sur
veyer of the Port Beatty and his assistant,
John Whelan, together with the az ents of the
Thingvilla line. met the Wisland as she reached
her dock IN Hoboken.
The Geiser was one of the four vessels owned
by the ThinPvalla line, and was considered their
crack ship. Most Of her passengers were West
ern people. who were booked by A Mortensen &
Co., the general agents of the line at Chicago.
Mr.. Mortensen is at present in Copenhagen. His
partner, Mr.. A. E. johnson, is expected to ar
rive tomorrow in the North German Lloyd
steamer Saale
Statements of the Captain and Others.
NEW YORK, Aug l6.-Captain MolIer, Of the
Gsiser, says he rushed to the bridge clothed
only in his nieht-drsss. He says he heard two
whistles. meaning that his steamer would keep
on her course. He recognized the Thiueyalla
approaching amidships on the starboard side.
The Gsisers engines were reversed, and she was
backing water. The same was being done bv
the Thingvalls, but both steamers were
under too much headway to avert the
catastrophe Captain Moller continues: 'sThe
passengers had now been awakened and were
scrambline over each other in wild confus ion in
an effort to reach the upper decks They forgot
the first rule on board ship in case of accident
to seize life-preservers. called to them to do
SO. but they paid no heed. I gave orders to
man the boats. and the small boat astern was
lowered. but the settling of the steamer aft at
this moment sank the boat In less than two
minutes from the time reached the bridge we
were struck. and within the Same length of
time thereafter the vessel was partly under
water. / had hardly given orders to man the