Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-08-25
The OCEAN HORROR.

Tho list of the Lost by the Geiser Catas-
trophe Now Placed at 1I8-The Thing
val1a Reaches Halifax in Safety Her
Captains Story.
New YORK, Aug. 49, The collision of the
steamers Thingvilla and Geiser was dis
cussed everywhere in maritime circles.
The main question was as to who was to
blame for the disaster. It is now certain
that lis persons perlshed when the Geiser
went down. Here is the corrected list:
Total number of adult passengers.
PASSENGERS lost........ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. g
Total lost. 11s
The estimated loss on the vessel is $780,
600 and the loss on cargo about S12O, 600
The insurance is not yet fully known. The
company, it is said, will, as far as in its
power, indemnify the survivors.
Very few Of those lost belonged in
this city or vicinity; nearly all the
passengers were from the West. Forty
two tickets were issued by A.
and the holders of six of these were saved.
Fifteen tickets were issued by A. E. John
son e Co., agents at st. Paul, Mimi, Of
whom three were saved. Two were issued
by Sven A. Hansa, agent at Worcester,
Mass, both of whom were lost. One was
issued by r.. Wennstrom, agent at Phila-
delphla, and he was saved. Thirty three
tickets were issued at the New York Of
ice. OF whom three were saved
THE THINGvALLA ARRIVES
HALIFAX, N. s., Aug. 1S.-The steamer
Thingvalla, which collided with and sunk
the steamer Geiser with such an appalling
loss of life, arrived here yesterday.
She presents strange spectacle with
nearly the whole of her bow torn away,
leaving an immense hole exposed to
view. No persons were allowed on board.
Captain Lamb, Of the Thingvalla, has i'm
posed silence upon his seamen as to the
disaster, but has himself prepared state.
ment of the details of the collision as he
knew and saw This is the captain's
story:
I was in bed on the morning Of the 18th.
The second officer relieved the first officer on
the bridge at o'clock in the morning. At4:3O
was awakened by hearing the second officer
shout out: Port helmp A moment later the
telegraph bell rang to reverse engines.
jumped out OF bed and rushed on deck in my
ntght-clothes. Just as arrived on deck there
was tremendous crash. We had collided with
large steamer and struck her amidships ius T.
below the mainmast. moment all was
confusion and there were loud shrieks from
the people on both ships. I Immediately
ran aft and ordered my crew to pre-
pare boats for launching. By the time
l returned to the bridge we had olsen
tangled ourselves from the strange ship 7
found on the bridge the second officer of the
vessel we had collded with. From him T
learned that she was our sister Ship the Gel
ser, Captain Moler. The Thingvalla had cut
into the Geiser clean to the mates state-room
That officer was asleep at the time. He rolled
out OF his bunk and grasped the chains of our
anchor, NV first Qutv n INV
ship and quiet my passengers. This did.
Daylight was just breaking, and there was no
fog, but it was haZy and there was Slight
shower of rain.
Il went forward to see what damage we had
sustained and set the pumps working. Very
shortly after the collision the Geiser sank. +
can't tell how long AFTER but it was within ten
minutes. One Of our boats was afioat
when she went down. The Geiser
had three boats out. She seemed to break
into two and went down stern first with fearful
suction. Her boats We're doubtless ali capsized
by the Suction. The scenes at that moment
were lndescribable. I have read thrilling ro-
| mances OF great disasters at sea, but nothing
ever read can compare for moment with
| the reality. Above the gurglng noise of the
| suction rose the shreks of $50 drown
ing men and women. Oh, it was terribleI
| can hear their dying shouts at this moment,
and shall never forget the scene to my dying
|
est cries for life began as the Geiser COM
| menced to sink. Her living freight were drawn
down by her and the last cries died away as
she disappeared from view. The final scene
| only lasted two minutes. then the carnival OF
death was succeeded by an appalling silence.
| by this time our four boats were launched.
The passengers and crew Of the ill-fated ship
came to the surface; we picked them up until
! fifteen of them were rescued and taken aboard
| the Thlngvalla. We provided them with
I clothes and hot drinks. They were
mostly all in their night-clothes and
our boats were still cruising among the
wreckage in the hope of saving even one more
human life, but the rest had all been drowned.
| We only found the floating corpse of one
woman. Our own passengers and crew behaved
we'll. Some of the survivors had thrilling
escapes. The first. second and third engineers
were all together life raft The third en-.
| gineer had his arm broken during the collision,
| yet the first two men were lost and the dis.
| abled man saved.
| after the Geiser disappeared we began jet.
tisoning the cargo to keep the Thngvalla
af1oat The crew and the passengers worked
side by side, throwing overheard what was
brought out of the hold. What was
| jettisoned consisted solely of wood.
pulp and provisions. There was not
| much wind, but a heavy swell. Between
| and 10 o'clock we reached the forward bulk.
head. Then we stopped throwing the cargo
| over and got to work snoring up the compart.
| ment We were leaking badly in the fore hold,
and kept the pumps going steadily, SO that the
water had not time to gain on us. At II O'CLOCK
the steamer Wieland for New York hove in
| sight and we transferred all the rescued pas
sengers, as well as our own $50 passengers, tc
her
Captain Lamb does not express an opin-
ion on the cause OF the disaster, but says
! h<,r.
official investigation. From his statement
however, it would appear that the fault
lay with the officers of the Geiser who put
her to starboard instead of port. The Gel
SER officer who was on the watch at the
time of the disaster was among the lost
The Thingvalla, after discharging hel
cargo, will go on slip for repairs, which
will probably require two months. She
will then reload her cargo and proceed tt
New York
NORTHWESTERN PEOPLE LOST.
ELGIN, Ill, Aug. 1S.-Among the passen.
gerslost off Sable Island were Mrs. John 81
johnson and infant, Of this city.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Aug. Isl. Gustav
sen and child, of Grantsburg, Wis, were
lost with the Geiser An Eau Claire pas
senger was in the sunken steamer
CHICAGO, Aug. 18-It is definitely known
that'among the lost passenger the follow
ing came from Chicago: Miss Hilda Sol
berg, Mrs. Ellen Seehus, wife Ct the book
keeper of the Chicago Skandia,auen Mrs
/ Seehus was on her way to visit her ole
home in Christiania, Norway; Mrs. a
M. Petersen, Mrs. John S. johnson anG
/ baby.
Sons of Veterans Elect Officers.
/ WHEELING, W. Va, Aug. 1S.-The Ma
tional Commandery of the Sons of Vet
Grams elected the following officers: Com
mander-in Chief, George R. Abbott, OF