Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-18
SCENES OF TERROR.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE SINK
INC OF rHg eEsER.
Tie Stories Of otiesrs OF the Vessel and
sarvivOrs-rhnlIing In
eidents, &C.

Geiser ~ cleaned from the statements OF
officers of the ship and passengers
The revcnue-cuttor Chandler. in com
nand OF Captain James Bradley, hove
alongside the steamer Wieland just aa
rho cast her anchor in quarantine.
Captain G. Muller, Of the Geiser, told the
Ead story OF bis collision and requested 20
be taken 20 the city 20 make an official
report. Among the first to greet him
was World reporter. 90 whom the
Captain related without the least hesita-
tion or without any attempt TO conceal
fact, every incident both previous to and
after the collision. Wills telling his
thrilling tale. carefully coneealiug any
loudation Of his own heroic conduct in
standing 10y the ship until huge wave
carried him away Just in time 10 save
INN from being drowned by the snction
oi the steamer IN going down, his sun.
burned face was stroaked with tears.
The Goiscr, bound for Stolten, Chris
tana. and Copenhagen, cleared Sandy
Hook shortly after ii O'Clock Saturday
morning. Her passengers, numbering
eighty-threc, not including good many
children too young 20 be rated as pas
fengcrs chiefly natives Of Norway aud
Sweden returning 10 their native coun-
Try for q short vacation. stood on the
decks. aud most OF them for the lest time
raw the dim outlines OF America fade in
the distance. Sunday came and went
without anything occurring. The wea-
fhcr was pleasant, bright skies and
calm still sea prevailing the whole time.
Monday morning dawnei, andthe Gciser
was on the dreaded bank Of mists. 1t
was not focgy, but IA misty rain
prevailed greater part Of the time.
V h~n the ship was IN latitude 42.l7 north
and lougitudo t-i.5i west. proceeding at
moderate speed, all hands hopeful of
crossing The banks IN safety. So plea
Faut was the weather that at ii o'clock
Monday night Captain Muller left the
bridge in command o. Chief Officer
Brown and decided TO take few hours
T,st He reclined on a sofa IN the chart
TOom, directly under the bridge. The
Captain gave his officers strict orders To
call HIM should it become foggy, and 70
report TO him al midnight the progress
fle steamer was making.
st T. o'clock the watches reported
everything al night. At 3 o'clock on
fhe morning OF the 18th Chicf-Oficer
Brown reported 10 Lis commander
weather siCbtable, with occasional
T9in. Captain Muller, after telling his
chief officer that he would take sound
Sings az o'clock that morning, undressod
himself and decided to take two hours
Of good sleep.
ROJsED FROM his SLIP.
The brave officer had not as yet closed
his eyes. Sleep, for some reason, did
not come to him as *ickly as usual lie
tossed about On his lIttie cot, thinking
that II WAS near time 10 take his sound
Snes. The hands Of tho steamer clock
were just approaching 335, the Goiser
standing her course, steering east and
bali south, when the door Of the chart
room WAS suddenly thrown open.
"COmc on deck. wildly shouted Chief
Officer Brown, tive are going to have a
COLLISION
Quick a. flash, without putting on
Lis clothes. Captain Muller mounted tho
bridge, clad in lis nlght-clothes, and
assumed command. lie came too late.
No human effort could now prevent the
disaster Tho sharp bows of the Thing
valla we're about 10 strike the Geiser d.
Sectly alnidshIps, opposite the main rig
ging. What now occurred is best told IN
Captain Mnller's own language.
ALL HOPE WAS GONE.
CAS- soon as | reached the bridge J
gould see the lights Of a big steamship
on our starboard bow. My officer had
already sounded two blasts OF his whistle
md the engines were reversed. saw at
fol. la
and gave orders for the men on deck 70
rouse the passengers and the remainder
Of the crew, who were III their hunks.
MY officers aud men worked brayely 10
laTnch the boats and lifo-Taits and get
fho people on deck. The boat on the
bridge was successfully launched, but
No. / on the stsrhoard side filled with
water on beng got away. Boat No.
was launched, but no one would Jump
into II. now shouted 70 my men, VINO
were struggling with our boats amid
ships. to put all the women and children
5ut0 them.
81 cannot attempt TO describe the
fccue. Only a very few of the passen-
gers got on deck, and most OF those that
were lost were drowned III their hunks.
NV officers behaved with GOODNESS and
bravery. Chief officer PrOwn sacrificed
his life in irving 10 save the passengers.
I baw hun lump from the bridge down
t. the decks. Up from below came the
ritfui va!iings aul lamentations OF the
Ieople. SOME rushed ont OF the cabins,
never thinking 10 take a lite-preserver
with them. officer Brown rushed down
nrnong them and made futile efforts TO
distribute hie preserVe1s. bnt IN tue
nttcppt be persisted. for before any OF
them could get on deck or Jump INTO "a
boat the tieiser's stern began 10 SINK,
and IN leas than five minutes she carried
Gown with her more than one hundred |
human beings.
CARRIED BENEATH TIE WAVES.
ThecoolDess and bravery exhibited by /
Captain Muller after the collision re- /
eeiyed the commentator Of the few who |
survived. lie stood by bis vessel until |
the very last. Just as the stern OF hls I
vessel disappeared wave swept over |
the bridge, carving the Captain with It. /
He WAS hurled down and nearly drowned /
by the suction OF the vessel. For nearly /
a minute he WAS under the water |
When he came TO the surface terrible /
sight met his gaze. Rats and boats were /
floating about, while men, women, ana /
children we're vainly endeayoring 10 (
catch them. tie swan about for some /
minutes and then succeeded in getting .
hold of an oar. He chung 10 this, aud /
with It's aid swan for the 1hingvalia.
lie was floating about for nearly hall an /
hour before he was rescued. When ne ,
reached the Thingvalla men and women
were swarming her decks, assisting the |
rescued people as they were picked mp. /
Captain Muller says be shouted Tor
something 10 cover his nakedness. but
some Of the sailors, who recognized hlm,
shouted