Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-17
An Ocean Tragedy.
The GeiSer Goes Down with
Scores of People.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYvICTlMS
OF Collision Between Two Steamer
Reused from Sleep to Face
Grim Death
Fearful Panic Among the Doomed fassen-
rers-A wild Rush to the Deck
and tn. boats.

|
NEW YORK, Aug Il T steamship :
ieiser, of the Thingvala line which left New
York saturday, AuguSD IL, for Stettin, !
va run into off Cape Race Tuesday 10y the
steamship ThngvaIla, of the same line Her
vide Was stove in and she sank rapidly. The
panc-stricken people We're got into boats ms
rapidly as possible the Thingvalia> boats
being also used in the work of rescue The
CieiSlr sank so fast, however, that before the
boats returned from the Thlngvalla after
their first trip, the disabled steamer had
gone down, leaving scores of people strug
Cling in the water. Many of these were
picked up, but when the roll was called on
board the Thingvalla 1t was found that
eighty passengers and thirtv-three OF the
crew Of the Gelser were missing.
The Hamburg lin" steamship Wiriand |
which was in the rIclnitv. came up in time |
to assist in the work OF rescuinE, and she took |
the passengers from the Ihngvaila, |
The latter proceeding III damaged condition
for Halifax, while the Wieland proceeded to |
New York, arriving at quarantine late YES
teriav afternoon
The coll siou occurred If Sable island The
Gieiser ss,nk in five minutes. The Thing
vala's passengers 40 in number, We're trans
ferred to the Wlehnd aut brought here with
the fourteen of thu. passengers and seventeen
Of the crew Of the Geiser All the others on
the Gei>er. eighty passengers and thir-
tv-thret OF the crew, were drowned The
ThimsvaIla Is trying to reach Halifax The
exact extent OF her injuries are unknown
The Thlngvalls left Stttrln July II. and Co
penhageu Aug 4 for New York She Is
GO manded by Capt Laub- She is l,N+l
tons register The treiser was OF Isl tons.
The collision occurred about O'Clock
Tuesday morning First Mate Henry Brown
had been in charge, the captain having re-
tired at II 2. m the night being perfectly
clear and no danger appreheniet. Ahont :
O'Clock Capt Mnller was awakened 10y call
from the chief officer on the bridge. who said
there was danger Of collision. 4 moment
| later there was Shrll blowing OF whistles,
which awakened the passengers, but before
| they could get on deck or seize hfe-preservers
| there was terrible shock, and the vessel ;
| side was crushed in. Some OF the water
| tight compartment were broken into, ami
| the ship began at once To sink Those on
| hoard were thrown into confusion and panic.
| A rush WAS made for the boats
Capt Moller had rushed 10 the bridge
| clothed only IN his night dress, He saws he
| heard two whistles meaning that his steamer
would keep on her course. He recognized
the Thingvalla approaching amdshLp> on the
| Starbaard side The Geiser's engines We're
reversed, and she was backing water. The
sand was being done by the ThinEvalla, hut
both steamers were under too heavy head
way to avert the catastrophe Capt Moller
CONTINUES:
"The passengers had now been awakened,
and were scramhling over each other in Wild
confusion in an effort to reach the Upper
decks They forgot the first rule on board
ship in case Of accident, to seize life pre-
servers called To them 10 do So bnt they
paid no heed ! gave orders to
man the boats, and the small boat
astern was lowered but the sitting
of the steamer aft at thl4 moment sank the
boat In less than two minutes from the
time reached the bridge We were struck,
. and within the same length Of tine there
, after the vessel was under water had
hardly given orders to man the lite aut
i small hants when ! was swept from tn.
bridge The paniC-Stricheu pa~-enger- tua'it
a Jump for the few haats that ware iHnnch"d
and the boats We're Immediately caP-iltd A.
: soon Is | came to the surface ! began t,
swim | saw no hing N the darkness tut tn
10 masts of the ship, hut heard the awful
E cries of thnSe who were struggling IN tn
e water or sinking to death. ! >upp1-e hai
= been in the water five minutes when cam
1 near a row boat from the Thingvaila am
was picked no The officers and crew a
q the Thingvalla did everything that huma
n beings could do to save the lives ri thus
: who went down with the Geiser.'
Other accounts Corrohorate the captain
statement rs to the panic Of the passenger
and the swamplng Vi the boats. The pas
sengars were mostly farmers from the north
> west who had by years Of industry and ecor
Il Onv accumulated competence, and wer
e going on visit to their native land Man
: were especially ATTRACTED thither at this tim
| by the great exposition at Copenhagen
h Those that were saved lost all their effect
o and even all their clothing except their nigh
e wear.
- Anders Wilsa, of Minneapolis, one Of thos
Il saved. SAWS that being used to early rlsInl
=, he was awake when the crash came, about
:, O'Clock He heard the cries of the Officer
: and crew and the orders for all to come q
:. deck He rushed up and tried to cnt loo
one of the lifeboats but could not do so. tt
1t steamer sank with terrible rapitity. He WI
l. taken down in the whirlpool When be can
J. up he was under an overturned lIfeboat, +
IN swan around until he was picked up.
Y Ole Jansen, Of St. Paul MINI, says tn
t. when he heard the ships crash together
10 seized a life preserver and rushed on dec
A. He cut one Of the Gaiser'S boats loose hut
ie stuck to the steamer until she sank III
life boat was then freed, but turned over h
n fore it reached the water. He got on Il
g. upturned boat and was saved by the boa
SWANS crew from the Thingvalla,
81 The most miraculous escape of all W
Ill that of the second mate, Mr. JorgenSen. /
IT, was in his bunk when the collision Occurre
le The black nose of the Thingvalla scraped
nc his bunk and pushing against the door OF |
4? cabin held it closed The anchor chain
r. the Thingvaia was hanging almost with
be his reach He sprang for it and graspIng
10 went up hand over hand to the Thlngvail
no The following is the official list of
If saved and lost:
ID Officers saved Capt Carl Moller, Seco
~ Mate Jorgenseu, Third Mate John fetersc
I" and DR. Peter Derks
"a. Officers lost; First Mate Henry Brow
=. First Engineer Axe Foss, Second Engine
Larsen, Third Engineer Engelbrecht, furs
>" Gregersen and Stewardess Anna
Passengers saved: II. G. Petersen, )
ali Paul; John L. Hansen Perth Amboy, N. .
i'll JAMS Andersen, Philadelphia; John Larse
en- Port Richmond; Hilda Lind, New York n
nd two children were lost; Paul Panlse
an Chicago; Lauretz Runnerdel, Chicago; 10
k Tenvolde, Chicago; Christofsen Elcose
e. Chicago; H. j Johansen, Chicago, 10
ne Ehlquest, Chicago, ALI Andersen, Broc
act lyn Peter johnson, st Paul; A. Wise,
he Paul
an Passengers lost: Second cabin-Mrs Ell
T. Zachus, J. G.. Meidborg, L. Nilsson, Hill
-, Soelberg, Capt. George Ham nor, Bert
- Ebenfelt and L. Ciausen.
" Steerage-Auders Andersen, Carl Joha
III sen, Soren Gabriensen. Peter Hansen, NJ
he trad, Kittel Gulliksen, Peter Carlson, j.
cry Jehn, j. Fredericksen and two chlidr
ey Frederick Sorensen, j. Gustafson and CHI
me J. Janson, H. Raudbig, Hilda Barjstrc
,ed Karen Hanson, William LJungstre
,ud Jina K ielddes, Maria Josefsen and childr
ore Amanda Andersen, Heldja Olson, Johar