Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-08-23
LOST AT SEA.
Over One Hundred Persons Lost.
on Sinking Steamship


Geiser, of the Thingvalla line, which left
New York last Saturday for Stettin, was
run into off Cape Race Tuesday by the
steamship Tkingvalla, of the same line.
Her side was stove in and she sank
rapidly.
The panic-stricken people We're got into
boats as rapidly as possibly, the Thing
valla's boats being all used in the work OF
rescue. The Geiser sank so fast, however,
| that before the boats returned from the
Thingvalla after their first trip, the dis
abled steamer had gone down, leaving
scores of people struggling in the water.
Many of these were picked up, but when
the roll was called on board the Thing
valla it was found that seventy-two pas
sengers and thirty three of the crew of the
Geiser were missing.
The Hamburg line steamship Wieland,
which was in the vicinity, came up in time
to assist in the work of rescue. and she
| divided the rescued party with the Thing
valia, the latter proceeding in a damaged
| condition for Halifax, while the Wieland
proceeded to New York, arriving at quar-
antine late yesterday afternoon.
1t is claimed that fourteen passengers
and seventeen of the crew were saved, in
Guiding Captain Miller.
The collision occurred Off Sable Island.
The Geiser sank in FIVE minutes. The
Thingvalla's passengers, 455 in number,
were transferred to the Wieland and
brought here with the fourteen passen-
gers and seventeen OF the crew of the
Geiser. All others of the Geser's seventy
two passengers and thirty three crew were
drowned.
Stories differ as to where the liability
lzr1 n - n \ L
sea. The Thingvalla struck the Geiser on
the starboard amidships close on to four
O'Clock in the morning. The boats then
parted and within five minutes the
Geiser sank. The crew of the Thingvalla
did all they could to save the Geiser's
crew and passengers while still in doubt
as to whether the Thingvalla was not
dangerously disabled, but owing to the
heavy sea only thirty-one were saved. No
other vessel was near at the time. The
Wieand, on her way 70 this port was 100
miles away. At IL 80 O'Clock on the morn
ing on the 14th the Nieland was sighted.
Signs of distress were made by the Thing
valla, and transfer of the passengers
began. The sea was then heavy, but no
mishap occurred in the transfer of pas
sengers.
Captain Albers, of the Wieland, tells the
following story: "At ten O'Clock on the
morning of August IA, we passed some
wreckage floating in the sea, and suspected
that an accident had happened somewhere
near us. A little later we sailed through
sea of oil and sighted a broken boat of the
Geiser. About II 80 we sighted a steamer
to the north about eight miles off and see
ing she had a flag of distress up, we ran
down to her. 1t proved to be the Thing
valla, and Captain Lambotta, of the ves-
sci, came to us in a small boat and begged
US to take off his passengers and those
he had saved from the Geiser. He said
his own vessel was so badly injured he ex-
pected her to sink at any moment. His
forward compartment had been complete
ly carried away from half way from the
deck to below the water line. We sent out
three of our boats, and the Thingvalla
lowered two of hers, and in five hours we
had transferred the saved passengers and
crew of the Geiser and also the 4j5 passen-
gers of the Thingvalla. The sea was very
rough at the time and the work of trans
ferring the passengers was very difficult.
The immense hole in the Thingvalla's bow
was then patched up as well as possible
and she started for Halifax. The COL
lision, so far as known, was caused by the
fog"
The following is the best list of the lost
which can be obtained. 1t is made by
striking off the names of those saved from
the list of passengers as stated in the books
of Passenger Agent Jensen. 1t will be
seen that the total number of names in the
list of the lost is seventy -eight, six more
than it should contain, as there were only
eighty-six passengers aboard and four
teen were saved.
Cabin passengers: L. Clausen, Captain
George N. Hammer, Bertha Irenfeld, Mrs.
Hilda Lind and two children, j. c. Mel
bourg, Albert Olsen, Mrs. Ellen Seehus,
Chicago, wife Of the editor of the ScGRdi-
ndren, and Hilda Svelborg.
Steerage passengers: Amanda Ander-
son, Andrus Anderson, John Anderson,
Louisa Anderson, Magnus Anderson,
Mrs. Elizabeth Berg and child, Hilda
Bergstrom, j. Berekelund, c. Braath, c.
Carlson, Mrs. Charline Christensen and
two children, Ole ChristOphersen, Mrs
Julia Fredericksen and two children,
Soren Gabrielsen, kittie Gullicksen, j..
Gustavsen and child, JAMS Hanson. Peter
Hanson, Mrs. Karen Hanson, MAIDS Han
son, Andrew Ingebrightsen, wife and child,
J. E. Jelm. Kari Johannsen, Mrs. johnson
and infant, A. G. johnson, Mrs. John II.
Johnson and infant, j. G.. johnson, Marie
Josephsen, eleven years old, sent back
alone to relative in Sweden; Gina Kjel-
dass, Christian Knudsten, Christina
Knudsten, Mrs. Bertha Johnstropel and
child, o. H. Lie, A. ]. S. Lind, William
Ljunstrom, Astrid Lund, Mrs. Ida Man
Crane and child, Peter Miller, Peder Han
sen Morstadt, Ellen Nelson, Nicolini Nimb,
o. W. Orlander, Helga Olsen, Mrs. A. N.
Petersen, Z. Petersen, wife and child, II.
Randbin, Andrew Soderholm, Fred Soren-
sen, T. Z. Stromberg, Mrs. A. N. Steven
son and friend, Anna Thompson, Carl E.
Tuneberg and wife, Mrs. Anna Wicker and
child.
The officers and crew lost were: Henry
Brown, first officer, went down standing
on the bridge; - Gregorsen. purser; Acsel
Foss, chief engineer; L. Larsen, first en-
gineer; - Engelbecksten, second engi-
neer; - Hensen, third engineer; w. Sew
enson, assistant engineer; - Raum, Of
Copenhagen, a young student in the OFF,
GERS mess, seven men in the engine room,
ten sailors and ten stewards, stewardess
and cooks; total crew lost, thirty-fve.
These are the latest and best estimates of
the lost.
New Jersey Republican Clubs.