The sun., 1888-08-23
HORRIBLE SHlPwRECK.
Appalling Loss Of Life In steamship Collision
.--One Hundred and Nineteen Persons Ushered
Into Eternity.


Geiser and Thingvalla is one of the most
remarkable in ocean records; as both vessels
We're under full headway. The night had
been dark and cloudy and it was raining oe-
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 giew of each other in the gray
of the dawn they We're only a few ships
lengths apart and the crash came in n few
minutes. The iron PROV of the Thingvalla
struck the Geiser amidshps on the star
board side, tearing its way half through the
side of I he unfortunate 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
were hardly less fortunate. In the binding
rain that was now beating on the deck OF
the vessel, some of the officers were shouting
v NuiuiS anu Nidiy hbout. htIt NuS
no time for explanation and Capt. Mollen,
who had come on deck just before the col
lison 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
she went down head foremost. The next
instant n dull, heavy explosion agitated the
waters as they closed over the Geiser The
boats and the life RATS were all carried down
with the Geiser, and "a few of the passengers
We're left i'll the water clinging to the spars
and wreckage. The crash of the collision
brought the Thingvalla's passengers on deck,
but it was soon found that though badly
crushed and leaking she was seaworthy, 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
Geiser went down, taking in all they could
see. Among these were Capt. Moller, who
was nearly exhausted. and Mrs. Hilda Loud,
a cabin passenger who was
THE ONLY WOMAN
who escaped from the wreck. While the
search was being made for the survivors of
the Geiser Capt. Laub. ofthe Thingvalla, was
busy attending to the injuries that his own
steamer had sustained. 1t was found that
they were more serious than had been thought
at first. The bow of the vessel had been
caved i'll by the severe blow that she had
dealt the Geiser, and although the ships car
penters had succeeded in bracing up the walls
of the bulkhead the pressure against them
was SO 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 Il severe storm her
condition would be too critical to take any
risks Capt. Laub decided to put at once to
.I, 81. 1 a
when the Wieland was sighted and signals of
distress were given. The Wieland bore down
upon them and Capt. Albers, hercommander,
offered to take aboard all the passenger ofthe
Geiser and the Thingvalla. They were trans
ferred with some difficulty, the sea being rough
and the Thingvalla sailed into Halifax. while
the Wieland proceeded to New York. None OF
the passengers of 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 farmer, and has
long been accustomed to early rising. and
to this habit he attributes the fact that he is
alive to-day to tell the terrible story He
was awake when the first crash came. and
heard the command of the officers, ''All men
on deck
''I at once rushed on deck" he said, 'and
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. Frenzied people
rushed hlther and thither crying, cursing,
praying and pleading for their lives. 1t was
a terrible spectacle. 1t seemed to me that the
seven minutes or less We were there
on deck were hours, and l cannot
close my eyes now but l see the whole
scene enacted all over again. managed to
get into one of the lifeboats and was taken
on board the Thingvalla."
A ST. PAUL SURVIVOR.
Ole Jansen of st. Paul, Mimi, says:
When he heard the ships crash together he
siezed a life preserver and rushed on deck.
He cut one of the Geiser's boats loose. but it
stuck to the steamer until she sunk. The life
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 ThingvalIa. The most miraculous
escape of all was that of the second mate,
Mr.. Jorgensen. He was in his bunk when the
collision occurred. The black nose of the
Thingvala scraped 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 Jorgensen gave
graphic description Of the collision. He
said:
l was asleep in my bunk when / heard a
shock and Immediately went on deck TAX
ing in the situation at glance, l ordered
all hands on deck Then swung myself of
on the bow of the Thingvalla, 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 ELL, could hear groans and
heart-rending screams coming from below
Those who reached the deck made frantic
efforts to cut down the boats, but they were
too excited to be successful. They finally
grabbed up different pieces of wood and
jumped over the side of the vessel
John Tuewild, q saloonkeeper of Hudson
Wis, a roundiaced bulky Swede, said:
was asleep when heard the crash and
hurried to the deck where found quite q
number of men attempting to loosen tht
boats. saw no chance of saving mysel
there, SO rushed out, picked up a plank
and jumped overheard. The scene was
heart-rending. There must have been
by one they disappeared.
Frederick c. Hansen, who lived in Perth
Amboy. N. j., was advised to take sea voy.
age for his health, and sailed on the Geiser
He said:
heard somebody rushing through thu
companion way and rushed up. carrying
my coat and shoes. found two oars and
| jumped overheard with them The vesse
soon went down and was picked up.
The Geiser was an iron clad steamship o
1918 tons burden. She was 324. A feet long
| 1913 feet beam and % feet deep OF hold
| She was built at the yards Of BurmeisteI
& Vain Mt Copenhagen, in 1881. She haa
| three masts and was fitted with compound
| inverted engines, with four cylinders of 81
| and ~ inches diameter and 42-inch stroke
| The Thingvalla is somewhat smaller thar
| the Inflated Geiser. being 3O1.5 feet long ant
| 37.4 feet beam. She is registered at 1,63(
| tons burden, and was built at Burmeiterl
yards, Copenhagen, in 1874.
JANSEN CAsBORGs ACCOUNT.
| The following graphic account was giver
| by young druggist named Jansen Cast
| borg. who was on board the Thingvalla. eI
route to Galveston, Texas with his sister:
| 1t was just about daylight, and all, witt
| the exception of myself and a few friends