Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-17
AN OCEAN HORROR.
TERRIBLE Loss OF LIFE BY A
COLLISION AT SEA.
The Thingvalla and Geiser Collide
and the Latter Goes Down
1O5 Lives Lost.

The Thingvalla and Geiser Collide
and the Latter Goes Down
105 Lives Lost
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THK REcoRD-UNIoNl
NEW YORK, August 16th.-The steamer
Wieland, of the Hamburg American
steamship line, has just brought the news
of collision off Sable Island between the
Geiser and Thingvalla of the Thingvalla
line, which occurred at o'clock on the
morning of August 14th. The Geiser sank
in five minutes after the collision, and 1O5
persons were drowned. The Thingyalla
was so disabled that she had to put into
Halifax sfter transferring all her passengers
to the Wieland.
The Geiser had Sc passengers aboard, 70
OF whom were drowned, or killed in the
collision, and IA were first taken on the
Thingyalla, and then on the Wieland. I he
| Geisers crew numbered so. OF these II
were saved, and 80 were drowned. Captain
| Moller was among those saved.
The passengers of the Thingvalla, trans
ferred to the Wieland, numbered ass.
THE TERRIBLE COLLISION.
The Geiser left this port August 11th.
| bound for Stettin. The Thingvalla was on
her way to this city, and was advertised to
leave here on August 25th. A very heavy
sea and dense fog were experienced through
the night, and early on the morning of the
14th the Thingvalla struck the Geiser on
the starboard side amidships. The boats
then parted, and within five minutes the
Geiser sank
The crew of the Thingvalla did all they
could to save the Geiser's crew and passen
gers, while still in doubt as to whether the
Thirgvalla was not dangerously disabled,
but owing to the heavy sea only thirty one
were saved. No other vessel was near at
the time
The Wieland, on her way to this port,
was 100 miles away. At 11:3O o'clock on
the morning of the 14;h the Wieland was
sighted. Signs of distress were made by
the Thingvalla, and the transfer of passen-
gers began. The sea was very heavy but
no mishaps occurred in the transfer of the
passengers.
NAMES OF THE RESCUED.
Following is a list of the passengers
saved from the Gelser:
Mrs. Hilda Lind, Fahann Larson, Alfred
Anderson, Christoffer Eliazer, Peter john
son, John G. Johansen, Paul Paulsen, An
ders Wiz, John Tenwuld, Fred. Hanson.
Fens Anderson, Anders G. Peterson, Law
ritz Romerdehl, Johan Alquist
List of the crew. Captain Wilhelm
Moller; Second Officer, Peter Fuliers Fer
gensen; Third Officer, Peterson Physician,
DR.. Peter Dircks; officers boy, Louis Dor
knoxville de la Cour; Assistant Ensign.
Hans Bertelsen; Mate, Frank Oscar Peter
sen; Lampman, Fritz Ohm; sailor, Andres
Gregorsen; young man named Wildemar
Muhldorf; head fireman, Axel Andersen;
fremen, Peter Fredericksen, Hans Chris
tiansen, Johan Hanson, Niels Peter, julius
Nelson, John Albert Elkstrom and Carl
Johansen.
The officers of the company were unable
tonight to give list of the lost.
CAPTAIN ALBERs' STORY.
Captain A. Albers, of the Wieland, tells
the following story:
AT 10 O'Clock on the morning of August
14th we passed some wreckage floating in
the sea and suspected that an accident had
happened somewhere near US. A little
later we sailed through a sea of oil. and
sighted broken boat of the Geiser. About
IL 80 we sighted q steamer to the enorthward,
about six miles off, and seeing she had
flag OF distress up, we ran down to her. 1t
proved to be the Thingvalla, and Captain
Lamb, of that vessel, came to us in a small
boat and begged us to take off his passen-
gers and those he had saved from the Gel
ser. He said his own vessel was so badly
injured that he expected her 10 sink at any
moment. His forward compartment had
been completely carried away from half
way down from the deck to below the
water line. We sent out three of our boats
and the Thingvalla lowered hers, and in
five hours we had transferred the saved
passengers and crew of the Geiser, and also
the 455 passengers CT the Thingvalla. The
sea was very rough, and the work of trans
ferTing the passengers was very difficult
The immense hole in the Thingvalla's bow
was then patched up as well as possible.
and she started for Ha TX"
HOW THE COLLISION OCCURRED.
The collision, so far as known, was
caused by the fog, and the Chief Officer of
each vessel was on deck at the time of
the collision. Third Officer Peters told
much the same story OF the occurrence
He said: The fog was very dense through
the night, and rain had fallen at intervals.
and the first we knew OF the vessels ap-
prosch she was upon US. She appeared
on the stafboard side. Both vessels at
tempted to steer off head on. The Geiser
was struck opposite the engine-room, amid
ships. The Geiser, being heavily loaded,
was very low in the water, SO that the
Thingvalla carried away her own compart-
ment. The upper part of her bow ran over
the deck OF the Geiser. The Geiser's deck
houses were carried away and the state
rooms were smashed in and the occupants
killed. He heard the bell ringing in the
Geiser's engine-room, but could not tell
what the order was" Officer Peters ran on
deck as soon as be heard the bell ringing
again, this time to back, and the steamer
had Just commenced to reverse her engines
when the Thingvalla struck.
The Geiser's whistle was blowing at the
time Second Officer Figensen jumped for
the Thipgvalla, when they struck, and was
hauled on the Thingvalla by some of the
latter's crew. One of the Geiser's passen-
gers was picked up with broken leg.
CAPTAIN MoLLER DISAPPEARS.
As soon as the Wieland arrived in Lower
bay Captain Moller of the Geiser left the
steamer on revenue cutter. He went
directly to the Office of the agents of the
company, where he was closeted for few
moments with the agents. He only left
word that the accident was due to bad
weather, and left without stating his desti-
nation.
Twenty four of the passengers and crew
of the Geiser, under charge of Second
Officer Jorgensen, arrived at the Hotel
Denmark. They were brawny fellows,
curiously attired, and but few had either
coats or stockings. Second Officer Jorgen-
sen gave
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLISION.
He said; was asleep in my bunk
| when l felt the shock, and l Immediately
| went on deck. Taking in the situation at
q glance, / ordered all hands on deck
| Then l swung myself off on the bow of
| the Thingvalla and scrambled to her deck