Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-18
BEYOND THE ROCKIES.
The Thingvalla Arrives at
Halifax.
STORY.
n LAUB'S
Narrow Escape From Davy Jones
Locker Cargo JettisOned.
Eastern Echoes.


Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
HALIFAX, August 1.-THE Thingvall'
was sighted this morning coming up tn
harbor at 8 80. She reached the pie
three hours after being sighted. Th'
vessel presents strange spectacle, witt
nearly her whole bow torn away, leaving
an immense hole exposed to view.
long piece Of the bow hangs over the hole
which reaches back into the sides of thu
ship over fifteen feet. The projecting
piece hangs over the water like an out
stretched arm, and shows where the
powerful iron plates were broker
through and snapped off as if caro-
board. Wonder is expressed thai
she ever reached port. The disabled
vessel will discharge her cargo and &C
on the slip to be repaired. She will be
here probably two months. After repair
ing she is to be reloaded and will pro-
ceed for New York.
Captain Lauo has enforced silence
upon his seamen as to the disaster, but
has himself prepared statement of the
details of the collision as he knows and
saw it. His story is much the same as
those told by other seamen yesterday.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
The scene as the Thingvalla backed
away from the Geiser was frightful
one. l can but attempt to describe it.
Some of her passengers were rushing
madly about her deck, while others were
crowded in several small boats in the
water. l believe many 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 capsized the boats
that had got away. The air was
rent with agonizing shrieks and prayers.
Most of tie 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 dying
are still ringing in my ears. Three of
our boats were already launched and
trying to save as many as they could
from the doomed Geiser, but it was slow
work. Comparatively few managed to
keep afloat after the steamers disappear
ance. Three boats was all could get
out in time; we had moe but didn't
know but what We might want the re-
manning ones for ourselves. The two
vessels were not more than 100 or
$50 apart when the Geiser went 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. | sent them back to continue
the search for the survivors, but they re-
turned with only the corpse of a woman.
We provided the survivors with dry
clothes and hot coffee and wine, and
made them as comfortable as possible.
Day was just beginning to break when
the collision occurred. II was raining,
1t was not foggy. In my opinion nearly
boats sank with the steamer. Every
thing we could possibly do to save them
was done.
JETTIsoNING THE CARGO.
After the Geiser disappeared we began
tightening our cargo to keep the Thing
valla afloat. Grew and passengers worked
side by side throwing overheard what
was brought up from the hold. What
was jettisoned consisted solely of wood
pulp and provisions. There was not much
wind but heavy sea. Between 8 and
O'Clock we reached the forward bulk
head, then stopping throwing the cargo
overheard we got to work snoring up the
compartment. At 8 O'Clock the steamer
Weiland for New York, hove in sight,
and We transferred all the rescued pas
sengers as well as our own four hundred
passengers to her. The Weiland pro-
ceeded about 8 o'clock in the afternoon,
leaving us also steering for New York.
We continued tho work of snoring up the
corn apartment, but after while, on &C.
count OF the wind on and the sea increas-
ing, we found it impossible to keep on
for New York, and decided to head for
Halifax. At this time it still looked
very much as if we might sink, and some
of the crew had refused to work, wanting
to be transferred to the Weiland before she
left us. We went as slow as two knots an
hour and sometimes found thattoo much.
We just had to crawl that way all the
way in. On Wednesday afternoon a
fishing vessel have in sight and we bore
down for her. She proved to be the
Cleversy, and engaged her to stand by
and accompany the steamer to Halifax,
80 as to be able to help us in case she
bnOulu SO uOWAs AId6h hlShu Wdo ~
heavy l had to turn the steamer around,
running stern foremost and steering
by the schooner who was connected by q
hawser with the steamers bow. We ran
against the wind this way all night. We
did not know on the Thingvalla what
steamer we struck, until the second Off
Ger of the Geiser jumped on our decks.
When reached the deck after the shock
the lights on both steamers were burning
all right, of that am certain, The Geiser
had been seen first by our first afficer
several minutes before the collision. She
was nearly straight ahead but little bit
on the port bow. She start oarded to get
out of the way and we ported, she should
have ported likewise.
WHO is TO BLAME?
From Captain Laub's statement of the
disaster it would appear that the fault
lay with those on board the Geiser, who
put her to starboard instead of to port.
The Geiser's officer who was on watch at
the time of the collision was among
those who perished.
NEW YORK, August 1.-THE Danish
Council has concluded that the investiga
ton into the sinking of the Geiser will be
held by the courts in Copenhagen, an6
not here, as at first determined. The
estimated cost on the Geiser is $3.50, 900
and on the cargo $4,000.
CORRECTED LIST OF THE MISSING.