, 1888-08-18
REACHED HER PORT.
Arrival of the Thingvalla at
Halifax.
Capt. Lambs Story of the
Collision.
Cause Of the Wreck to be In
vestigated at Copenhagen.

"A [AuSs IL mug an
reached her pier just before noon to-day.
Capt. Lauf was asleep at the time of the
collision. His statement furnished moth
ing new
The Thingvalla presents a strange spec,
tacle with nearly the whole OF her bow
torn away, leaving an immense hole ex-
posed to view. A long piece OF the bow
hangs over the hole, which reaches back
into the sides of the ship over fifteen feet.
A projecting piece hangs owe the water
like an outstretched arm and shows where
the powerful iron plates we're broken
through and snapped off as if they were
cardboard. The wonder is expressed that
she ever reached her port. The disabled
vessel will discharge her cargo and go on
the slip to be repaired. She will be here
probably two months. After repairing
She is to reload and proceed for New
York.
Capt. Lamb has imposed silence on his
steamer as to the disaster, but has himself
prepared a statement Of the details of the
collision as he knew and saw it. His
story is much the same as those told by
the other steamer yesterday. He says the
scene as the Thingvalla backed away from
the Geyser was a frightful one.
L CdullOl dlNClupL ~ oCcCllDG IT. bhlu
he. Some of her passengers were rush
ing madly about her deck, while others
were crowded in several boats in the water.
| believe many passengers must have
been killed in their hunks by the force
of the collision and neve- knew what hap
pened. As the steamer plunged beneath
the water. carrying down those on board,
she capsized the boats that had got away
81 H. - - Al .1A
and prayers. Mostof the people probably
went down with the Geyser. They were
followed soon after by the illfated souls in
the boats who must have been sucked un-
der as the ship sank. The cries of the
dying still ring in my ears.
Three of u boats were already
launched and trying to save as many
as they could from the doomed Geyser,
but 1t was slow work, as comparatively
few managed to keep afoat at the
steamers disappearance. Three boats
were all | could get out in the time
we had and | don't know but what we
might have wanted the remaining ones
for ourselves.
THE two vessels were not more than 100
or $50 feet apart when the Geyser went
down. The screams of the drowning
lasted perhaps two minutes and then sud-
denly all became quiet. Our three boats
returned loaded with the saved who had
been picked up. | sent them back to
continue the search for survivors, but
they returned with only the corpse OF a
woman. We provided the survivors with
dry clothes, hot coffee and wine and made
them as comparable as possible, while at
tending to the injury to ourselves. Day
was Just beginning to break when the COLI
sion occurred. 1t was raining as the second
officer told me. just before. 1t was not
foggy. In my opinion nearly all the peo-
pie on the Geyser's deck and boats sank
with the steamer. Everything we could
do possibly to save them was done.
After the Geyser disappeared we be-
gain iettisoning the cargo to keep the
Thingvalla afioat. The crew and passen-
gers worked side by side, throwing over
board what was brought out of the hold.
What was jettisoned consisted solely of
wool and provisions. There was not much
wind, but Il heavy swell.
Between 9 and 10 o'clock we reached
the forward bulkhead and then stopped
throwing the cargo overheard and got to
work shroing up the compartments. At II
o'clock the steamer Wieland, for New
York, hove in sight and we transferred all
the rescued passengers as well as our "
$50 passengers to her. The Wieland
proceeded about 3 o'clock in the afternoon,
leaving us also steering for New York.
We continued the work of snoring up the
compartment, but after n while, on ac-
count of the wind aud sea increasing, we
found it impossible to keep on for New
York and decided to head Tor Halifax.
AT this time it still looked very much
as if we might sink and some of the crew
had refused to work, wanting to be trans
ferrcd to the Wieland before she left us.
We went as slow as two knots an hour
and sometimes found that too much.
We Just had to crawl, that was all.
"On Wednesday afternoon a fishing
vessel hove in sight and we bore down for
her. She proved to be the schooner
Capass of Lahave, Capt. Cleversy, and l
engaged her to stand by and accompany
the steamer to Halifax so as to be able to
help US in case she should go down.
Last night the sea was so heavy that |
had to urn the steamer around, running
stern foremost and steering by the
schooner, which was connected by a
hauser with the steamers bow. We ran
against the wind this way all night. We
did not know on the Thingvalla what
steamer we struck till the second officer OF
the Geyser jumped on our decks. When
| reached the deck Immediately after the
shock the lights on both steamers were
burning all right. OF hat | am certain.
The Geyser had been seen by our first
officer several minutes before the collision.
She was nearly straight ahead of us, but
a little bit on the port bow. She star
boarded to get cut of our way and we
ported. She should have ported like
wise"
From Capt. Lambs statement of the
disaster it would appear thar the fault lay
with those on board the Geyser, who put
her to starboard instead of to port. The
Geyscr officer who was on watch at the
time of collision was among those who
persisted. Capt. Lamb himself does not
express an opinion ON the cause OF the
disaster.
New YoRK, Aug, 1.-THE Danish
consul has concluded that an investigation
into the sinking of the Geyser will be
held by the courts in Copenhagen and not
here. as first determined.
Fresh oysters received daily at Saddle