, 1888-08-17

curlously attireu ana but lew had either
coats or stockings on.
C OFFICER
gave a graphic description of the collis-
ion. He said:
| was asleep in my bunk when | felt
the shock and Immediately went on deck
taking in the situation at a glance. [
ordered all hands on deck, and then |
swung myself off on the bow of the
Ihlngvalla and scrambled to her deck.
The doomed craft sank gracefully, stern
frst with her bow in the air. Most
everybody was sound asleep and when she
began to fill | could hear groans and
HEARTRENDINd SCREAMS
coming from below. Those who reached
the deck made frantic efforts to cut down
the boats, but they were too excited TO be
successful. They finally grabbed up
different pieces OF wood and jumped over
the side ofthe vessel.
MIR. wILBEE,
a civil engineer of Minneapolis, one of the
passengers on the Geyser, said:
About 4 o'clock Tuesday morning | was
awakened by a slight shock and thinking
We had struck a wreck [ went on deck lust
as someone shouted,
SHE Is SINKING"
| found she had been struck on the star
board side about amidships. There were
at that time four or FIVE men working at
the boats. L had a cork Jacket and felt
comfortably safe so [ called to the people
down stairs and her watched the boat
sink. As she went down | stuck to her
and was carried down some distance.
Soon | felt myself shooting through the
water, impelled by my cork jacket. | was
on top of the water for perhaps half an
hour. | climbed on the keel of a small
boat floating upside down and was finally
picked up
DIR. A. AAGwERN
of Copenhagen, a young dentist who is
on his way to Philadelphia to complete
his studies, was among the Thingvalla's
passengers. He made the folio wing state
ment to an Associated Press reporter:
The voyage was u~neventful until early
Tuesday morning. L had left my berth
and looking out saw there was a dense
fog prevailing. | could hear our steam
whistle blowing, but heard no other sig
nails 1t was exactly 4;30 o'clock when |
was hurled to the floor OF my state room.
There was a
TERRIFIC CRASH
and l knew instinctively that a collision
had occurred. | ran to the deck and
found we had run into the steamship
Geyser. AS | reached the deck the
Thingvalla drew out of the rent she had
made in the Geyser's side.
Capt. Lamp of the Thingvalla was in
his berth when the accident occurred. He
was one Of the first to reach the deck of
the Geyser. His arm was broken two
weeks ago and he was in his berth when
the Thingvalla crashed into his room. He
managed to climb aboard the Thingvalla
as she drew back. He was not so much
as touched by water. The Thingvalla's
crew did all they could to rescue the I'M
fortunates and obeyed orders promptly.
The Thingvalla's upper deck was not in-
iured, but her bows were broken in from
a point ten feet below the deck. The
dent was about twenty-seven feet in
length and ran back above and below the
water line to the Geyser's bulkhead. Had
it not been for the bulkhead the Thing
valla would have gone down like q shot.
Capt. Lamb, First Office Peterson and
Second Officer Jorgensen were on the
Thingvalla's bridge at, the time, and |
afterwards learned that Capt. Moller of
the Geyser had gone to bed and left First
Officer Brown in command of the vessel.
Brown was lost. The life boats were
promptly launched from the Thngvalla,
and the work of rescue began. Some of
the Geyser's passengers and crew had
reached their boats, but most Of them
were picked up from improvised crafts.
chicken coops, camp stools and anything
else that would float. The survivors had
to hurry as the Geyser went down stern
first about five minutes after the crash.
Distress signals were sounded and the
ship laid in for daylight. The fog lifted
about $40 o'clock. Between 10 and IL
o o'clock the steamship Wieland of the
american packet line bore down
to us and laid to within a short distance
of our vessel Capt. Lamb took a boat
and went to the Wieland. Capt. Albers
OF that vessel readily consented to receive
the passengers and crew Of the Geyser
and the work of transferring was accom-
plished with only a single accident. A
Is year old boy whose name | did not
learn had his legs crushed. He was one
of the Thingvalla's passengers
and a number of her complement
were also taken aboard the
Wieland. The sea had become some
what rougher by this time and there were
many lively scenes as children and older
passengers we're lowered in sings to the
boats. All able bodied passengers and
the crew were used as ship ladders. As
we reached the Wieland the last of the
Geyser's abandoned life boats floated out
of sight. There was no fault to be found
with the manner in which we were treat
ed aboard the Wieland. Nothing was too
good for us. Even the passengers divided
their clothing with the un%tortunates from
Geyser.
Capt. Albers of the Wieland upon
reaching quarantine telegraphed the first
intimation of the disaster to Capt. il.
Bordenhuser general superintendent Of
the Hamburg line, and arrangements
were at once made for the reception of
the rescued passengers in New York and
Surveyor of Port Baltic and his assistant
John Whelan, together with the agents
of the Ihinvalla line, met the Wieland as
she reached her dock in Hoboken.
The Geyser WI one of four vessels
owned by the Thingvalla line and was con
sidered their crack ship. Most of her
passengers were Western people who were
hookad hv A Mortenson ~ Go. general