Daily Republican., 1888-08-18
EHE OUEAH DIsAaEnK.
Ene EhamGVAlIa IN Port-rho Uaptaln e
@tAta2nsnE-rho Scene ON the Steamers
AfbsF the eoIltslOn.


the hArbor at O'Clock this morning, in
charge of Pilot William White, of boat
No. 2
She oFawlsd along at the rate OF two
miles an hour, and three hourS elapsed
before she arrived ct the wharf OF her
agents.
CAPTAIN LAUB's STATEMENT
Captain LAub made the following
statement: "It was inst 4 O'Clock on
the morning OF Tuesday, the 18th, .
changed, when my second officer, who
had seen on deck, came down, and
asked him how the weather WAS, He
said it was raining, bat mot fogRy. he
retired. A few minutes later heard
The tetoKFaphio signal for the engines 70
reverse. This was the fiEst intImAtiou
I had Of any troubls. LeAping from
my berth / ran for the deck. As WAS
huuyiDR up the collision occurred. 1t
was q terrific shock, the steamers COM
ing together with frightful crash.
Rushing for ward / found the Thing
vallA 10 be looked with smother steamer
which did not then know.
As approached SAW man WI ON /
af erw ards fou d to bs the 9eises's C.
ond oficer, jump on to our de ". Ny
steamer hsd cut ligot through his rom
where be was fast asl ep, and he lta3ei
out Of bis bunk 10 III, TyipRvallA'a
deck. 1t may have btel two, or It may
have bet fo1F mln1tss before the TN
g'nSs were ievtTs-d d, and we backed off
without delbylrg momont. / to
quiet my tx,iad pass anRers, who w-rs
crOWd,d On deck Gni ware shoutiug Al
ryinG with fear. At this same time /
looHe o after tfe safety Of my ship, not
having any knowledge - to the eEte at
Of our damage. The officers were al
resdy engaged In cut leg away aud
Launching the lie boats One Of the
ThingvRllA's boats had just been low
cred when the ether steamer went down
stern Hrst.
"ThIs sOsns WAS q fIigh.ful one.
cannot attempt TO describe II, Soma of
her passepgsrs we're rushing mAdly
about her deck, while others were
croWded In several boats In the wafer.
l believe many Of the passengers must
have BEEN killed in their bunks by ihs
force OF the collision and never knew
what happened. As the steamer plung
cd beneath the water, carrying down
thcss on board, she capsissd ths boats
that ha1 got away. The air was rent
with ARoniEinR shTieks and prayers.
Most OF the people probably went down
with the GeiBeT. They wsIe ( flowed
soon after by the ill-iAted souls in the
boats, who must have been sucked un-
der as the ship BSnk. The orifs Of the
dying At II ring In my ears. Three Of
our boAts wtr5 Already launched and
trying to save as many As they coul |
| from the doomed Gelser, but it Was slow
work, a comparatively few n anARed to
keep RfioAt After tue BtsAmer's disAp-
p4ArAnce. Three boats were 3 could
get cut In the time we had, and ! did
mot know but what we might want the
remAining ones fer ourselves.
"Ihe two vessels were not more than
100 or $50 feet apart when the oeiseE
went down. 1hs screams Of the drown
ing lasted perhaps two mtnutsF, and
then suddenly all became quiet. Our
three boats returned loaded with the
saved who had been picked up In the
water or from off the bottoms OF their
capgizsd boats. / sent them back t1
continue the saArch for survivors, hut
they returned with only the corpte OF 4
woman. We provided the survivors
with dry clothes, hot coffee and wine
aud made them as comfortable nB possl'
BILE, while attending to the Injury tc
lourselyss. Day wAB just beginning
to break when the collision occurred
Il was raining, as the second ottoei
told me inBt before. It WAS not foggy
heard men around me say 1t WAS eigh
or ten minutes between the oollistoI
and the sinking OF the Gelser, but
could pot pay any atSentlon TO th'
time.
"Uapt. Muller WAS stlll In his under
IolothInR when be WAS taken OF thu
uapslzed boat. He WAS also ln his berti
when the collision OCCURRED and rAI
ON deck without dressing himself.
did not have time to ask for huy par
Itieulars before the WislRnd came aioni
aud took him of. We did LOT know OF
the ThingVallA what steamer We struei
Ian Ehs second officer of the Geise
Jumped on our deck.
WWhen | reached the deok, immedi
lately after the shock, the lights on boil
STEAMERS were burning all right. U
that / am certain. The 9siser hat
been seen by our fret officer severa
minutes before the collision. She Wa
NEARLY straight ahead Of US, but lttti
: cit on the port BOW. She Btarboar 1ei
, to get out OF the way, and we porteu
sne should have ported likewise. GA
whistle was not blowing nj the time, R
tners was no need for ",
APPEARANCE OF THE THINdYALLA'
} The TbinRvalla presents stIang
IaDsotsnle wish nearly the whole OF he
bow torn away, leaving an immens
hole EXPOSED TO View. A long piece Q
the byw hangs oyer the hole, whic
= reaches back into the Aidee Of the shi
lover Is feet. A projecting piece hang
over the water like an outstretehe
4 arm, and shows where the powerfu
!, Iron DlAtes Ware broken through an
snapped off ss II they we're pipe ateml
9 Crowds flaoked to the wharf to see %
stsaner, and wonder Is expressed thi
a she ever reached port No persons wei
lAllowed on board, The only statemeI
y which oould be obtained from the cal
r tain WAS that the steamer will ne e1en
insd by the Port Warden, ana prooapi
repAirod at this place. =.
'rhn ThinQvAilA will discharge b
10 cargo and 90 on = slip to be repAire'
She will bs here probably two month
After repairing she Will reload ~
cargo and proceed for Nav YORK tro
Captain Laub's statement OF the ulea
ter It would appear that the iault l,
with those ON board OF the 6eiser' wi
put her to staTboArd instead OF ID pof
The Geiaer's cfiiceE who Was on wal
At the time of the collision, Was nIlol
ihose who psrlshsd. First ome
Peterson, of the ThinRvalla, occupied
ISImilAr position on the Geiser for tnE
years, and Was transferred only sh'
time ago. Captain Lamb himself DC
not expresa an opinion on the cause
. the disaster. He says he Will iea
that to be found by the official inVes
cation. First 0fioer Peterson has DS
asked to make 3 statement, but says
= daaa mot xvIah m do 81