The Worthington advance., 1888-08-23

HORRIBLE sRlPWRECE.
...One Hundred and Nineteen Persons Ushersd
Into Eternity.
The story of the collision of the steamers
Geiser and Thingvalla is one of the most
remarkable in ocean records: az both vessels
were under full headway The night had
been dark and cloudy and it was raining oc-
casionally, but there does not appear to
have been any fog or any exceptionally
heavy seas. Both steamers were in charge
of their first officers who were old
and experienced On whom the blame
rests, neither the officers nor the passengers
on either vessel were able to state. Few pas
sengers were on the decks of the steamers at
that hour Of the morning. When the steam.
ers came in view of each other in the gray
of the dawn they were only few ships
lengths apart and the crash came in few
minutes: The iron PROV, Of the Thingvalla
struck the Geiser amidships on the star
board side, tearing its way half through the
side OF the unfortunate te steamer Passengers
and crew of the Inflated steamer who were
aroused by the shock, and who escaped in
jury, had no time to realize what had hap
pened Many who were sleeping on the side
of the vessel which was struck were crushed
in their berths as they slept and carried
DEAD AND MANGLED,
to the bottom of the sea. Those who sue
ceeded in reaching the decks of the Geiser
We're hardly less fortunate. In the binding
rain that was now beating on the deck OF
tho <>r ~ u -
vainly and running wildly about. There was
no time for explanation and Capt Mollen,
who had come on deck just before the col
isiOn endeavOred hastily to obtain an idea
of the extent Of the accident, to arouse the
passengers and crew and to lower the boats.
In the midst Of those hurried preparations
the steamer began to settle, and with lurch
sho went down head foremost The next
instant dull, heavy explosion agitated the
waters as they closed over the Geiser The
boats and the lifo RATS were all carried down
with the Geiser, and fow of the passengers
were left In the water cltnging to the spars
and wreckage;; The crash Of the collision
SasG sas Ra snsS on Sss
crushed and leaking she was seawortly, and
boats were at once lowered for the assistance
Of the few people who had escaped from the
Geiser. The boats of the Thingvalla pulled
until after daylight over the place where the
~
see Among these were Capt. Moller. who
WAS nearly exhausted, and Mrs. Hilda Loud,
cabin passenger. who was
THE ONLY WOMAN
who escaped from tho wreck. While the
search was being made for the survivors of
the Geiser Capt. Lamb, ofthe Tkinevala, was
busy attending to the injuries that his own
steamer had sustained. 1t was found that
they were moro serious than had been thought
ut first Tho bow OF the vessel had been
caved in by the severe blow that sl!e had
dealt the Gciser, and although tho ships car
pcnters had succeeded i'll bracng up the walls
of tho bulkhead tho pressure against them
was 80 great when the ship was moving as
to make it very exceedingly doubtful whether
she could continue her voyage to New
York, and in the event Of a severe storm her
condition would be too critical to take any
risks: Capt. Laub decided to put at once to
Halifax which was about $50 miles distant,
when the Wieland was sighted and signals OF
distress We're given. The Wieland bore down
upon them and Capt. Albers, hercommander,
offered to take aboard all the hcpassenger of the
Ge'ser and tho Thinsvalln: They were trans.
ferred with aome difficulty, the sea being rough,
and the Th;ngvalla sailed into Halifax, while
the Wie!and proceeded to New York. None OF
the passengers the Thingvilla were in
jured in the collision, but several Of those of
the Geiser who were rescued had sustained
severe injuries in the wreck. Andreas Wilsz
OF Minneapolis was one of the passengers
who was saved. Wilsz is a farmer, and has
long been atcu ustomed to early rising, and
to this habit he attributes the fact that he is
alive to-day to tell tho terrible story. He
was awake when the first crash came, and
heard the command Ofthe officers, "All men
on 9eck" :,
tried to cut loose one OF the life boats, but
did not succeed. There was loud and long
continued blowing Of whistles, which aroused
the passengers Hardly any Of them had
time to seize life preservers or scramble upon
deck before the crash came. Frenzicd people
rushed hlther and thither crying, cursing,
praying and pleading for their lives. 1t was
a terrible spectacle It seemed to me that the
seven minutes or less We were there
ON deck we're hours, and cannot
close my eyes now but I see the whole
scene enacted all over again. managed to
get into one Of the lifeboats and was taken
on board the rhingvalla.'
ST. PAUL SURVIVOR.
Ole Jansen ofSt. Paul, Minn. says:
When he heard the ships crash together he
sezed life prescrver and rushed on deck.
He cut one of the Geiser's boats loose, but it
stuck to the steamer until she sunk The lie
boat was then freed, but turned over before
it reached the water. He got on the upturned
boat and was saved by the boatswain crew
from the Thingvalla. The most miraculous
escape OF all was that of the second mate,
collision occurred. The black nose of the
Thingvalla ecrAped by his bunk pushing
against the door of his cabin held it closed.
The anchor chain of the Thingvalla was
hanging almost within his reach. He sprang
for it, and grasping it went up hand over
hand on to the Thingvalla.
GRAPHICALLY TOLD.
Twenty-four of the passengers and crew of
the Geiser, under charge Of Second Officer
Jorgensen, arrived at the Hotel Denmark. in
New York. They were brawny fellows, Curl
ously attired, and but few had either coats
or stockings. Second Officer JUrgensen gave
a graphic description Of the collision. He
said:
| was asleep in my hunk when ! heard O
shock and Immediately went on deck TAX
ing I'M IN the situation @ ct a glance l ordered
on the bow of the Thngvalla and scrambled
to her deck. The doomed craft sank grace
fully, stern first, with her bow in the air.
Most everybody was sound asleep and when
she began to fiji, could hear groans and
heart-rending screams coming from below.
efforts to cut down the boats, but they were
too excited to be successful. They finally
grail bbed up different pieces of wood and
jumped over the side of tho vessel
John Tuewild, saloonkecper of Hudson,
Wis, round faced bulky Swede, said: i
xas asleep when heard the crash and
hurried to the deck, where found quite a
number Of men attempting to loosen the
boats. saw no chance Of saving mysel
there, 50 rushed out, picked up a plank
and jumped overheard. The scene was
heart-rending. There must have been
thirty-five heads above the water, but one
by one they disappeared.
Erodorick r. Honcou who 1,,n1 IN D,.+1,
Amboy, n. j., was advised to take asea voy-
age for his health and sailed on tie Geiser
He said:
l heard somebody rushing through the
companion way and rushed up, carrying
my coat and shoes. found two oars and
jumped over board with them: The vessel
soon Went down and | WAS picked up.
The Geiscr was an iron clad steamship of
1918 tons burden. She was 3244 feet long,
39.3 feet beam and 22 feet deep of hold
She was built at the yards of Burmeister
Vain Mt Copenhagen. in 1881. She had
three m0StH md wHS fitted with