Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1888 — AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE. [ARTICLE]

AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE.

Collision of the Large Ocean Steamers Geiser and Thiugralla Off Sable Island. The Former Went Down in Five Minutes - and One Hundred and Seven Persons Were Drowned. [New York special dispatch.] The steamer Wleland of the Hamburg-Amcri-ean steamship line has reached this city, bringing news of a collision off Sable Island between the Geiser and the Thingvolla of the Thingvalia line, which occurred at 4 o’clock on the morning of August 14. The Geiser sank in five minutes after the collision, and over one hundred persons were drowned. The Thingvolla was so disabled that she had to put into Halifax after transferring all her passengers to the Wleland. The Geiser had eighty-six passengers aboard, seventy-two of whom were drowned or killed in the collision, and fourteen were taken first on the Thingvolla and then on the Wleland. The Geiser’s crew numbered fifty-two. Thirty-five were lost and seventeen were saved. Captain Moller, of the Geiser, was among those saved. The passengers of the Thingvolla transferred tothe Wleland numbered 465. The Geiser left this port Aug. 11, bound for Stettin. The Thingvolla was on her way to this city, and was advertised to leave here Aug. •i&. A very heavy sea and a dense fog were experienced through the night aud early morning of Aug. 14. It is said that an object could not be distinguished fifty feet away by reason of the fog. Stories differ as to where the liability lies, If not wholly due to the fog and heavy sea. The Thingvolla struck the Geiser on the starboard side amidships, close on to 4 o’clock in the morning. The boa s then parted and within five minutes toe Geiser sunk. The crew of the Thingvolla did all they could to save the Geiser’s crew and passengers, while still in doubt as to whether toe Thingvolla was not dangerously disabled, but, owing to the heavy sea, only tnirty-one were saved. No other vessel was near at toe time. The Wleland, on her way to this port, was sighted at 11:30 o’clock on toe morning of the 14th. Signs of distress were made by toe Thingvolla, and a transfer of passengers began. The sea was then very heavy, but no mishap occurred in the transfer ol passengers. PASSENGERS SAVED. Names of Those Rescued from the Geiser. Following is a list of toe passengers who were saved: Cabin—Mrs. Hilda Lind, from New York to Calsham, Sweden. Steerage—Fehann Larson, from New York to Bisor, Norway; Alfred Anderson, from New York to Grimslad, Norway; Chrlstoffer Fliaseer, from Chicago to Bergen, Norway;Peter Fohansen, from St. Paul, Minn., to Gosborg, Sweden; Johann G. Tohausen, from Iron Mountain, Mich., to Stockholm; Paul Paulsen, from Ironwood, Mich., to Copenhagen, Denmark; Anders Wilse, from Minneapolis, Minn., to Christiania, Norway; John Tenwuld, from Hudson, Wis., to Thondhjein, Norway; Fred X. Hansen, from Perth Amboy, N. J., to Copenhagen; Fens Anderson, from Philadelphia to Christiania, Norway; Anders G. Peterson, from St. Paul, Minn., to Gosborg, Sweden; Lauritz Romerdehl, from Lansing, Mich, to Copenhagen, Denmark; Johann Alquis, from Iron Mountain, Mich., to Orland, Finland.

THOSE WHO PERISHED. A List of the Lost Made Up from the Passenger Registry-Book. Many of the victims of the Geiser were excursionists from Minneapolis, Minn. It was the third party which had gone from Minneapolis this season by the Thingvalla line. Extra inducements were offered excursionists, because a World’s Exposition is now being held in Copenhagen. Natives of Norway and Sweden embraced this opportunity to visit their homes, and the majority of outgoing passengers were residents of the Northwest. A good many of those thrifty people who lost their lives on the ill-fated steamer are supposed to have had with them large amounts of money and other valuables. The following is the best lißt of those who perished that is obtainable. It is made by striking off the names of those saved from the list of passengers as stated in the books of Passenger Agent Jensen. It will be seen that the total number of names in the list of the lost Is sev-enty-eight, six more than it should contain, as there were only eighty-six passengers aboard and fourteen were saved: Cabin passengers—L. Clausen, Capt. George N. Hammer, Bertha Irenfeld, Mrs Hilda Lind and two children, J. C. Melberg, Albert Olsen, Mrs. Ellen Seehus of Chicago, wife of the editor of Skandinaven; Hilda Svelborg. Steerage passengers—Amandt M. Anderson, Andrus Anderson, Johan Anderson, Louisa Anderson, Magnus Anderson, Mrs. Elizabeth Berg and child, Hilda Bergstrom, J. Bocklund, C. Braate, C. Carlson. Mrs. Charline Christiansen and two children, Ole Cbristopherseni, Mrs. Julia Fredericksen and two children, Soren Gabriel sen, Kitthe Gulllcksen, J. Gustavsen and child, Jans Hanson, Peter Hanson, Mrs. Karen Hanson, Mads Hanson, Andrew Ingabrfghtsen, wife, and child, J. E. Jebn, Karl Johansen, Mrs. Johnson and infant, A. G. Johnson, Mrs. John H. Johnson and infant, J. G. JohEston, Maria Josephsen, 11 years old, sent back alone t«' relatives in Sweden, Gina Kjeldass, Christian Knudsen, Christina Knudsen sister of above, Mrs. Bertha Crostopl and child, O. H. Lie, A. J. S. Lind, William Ljuadstrom, Astrid Lund, Mrs. Ida Magrane and child, Peter Miller, Peder Hansen Morstad, Ellen Nelson, Nicolini Nirnb, O. W. Orlander, Helga Olsen, Mrs. A. M. Petersen, E. Petersen wife and child, H. Randbin, Andrew Soderhohn, Fred Sorenson, T. E. Stromberg, Mrs. A. M. Sevenson and friend, Anna Thompson, Carl' E. Tuneberg and wife, Mrs.. Anna Wicker and child. Officers and crew — Henry Brown, first officer, went down standing on the bridge; Purser Gregersen; Askel Foss, chief engineer; Larsen, first engineer; Engelbrecksten, second engineer; Hensen, third enginer; W. Sevensen, assistant engineer;. Baum, of Copenhagen, a young studen in the officers' mess;. 6even men in the engine-room; ten sailors. Catering department Stewards, stewardess, and.cooks, ton mall.

THE STORY OF THE COEEISIOJt^ Descriptions of the Disaster Related by Officers of the- Gelser. Second Officer Jorgensen gave a graphic' description of the collision. He said: “1 was asleep in my bunk when I heard a shock, and I immediately went on deck. Taking in the situation at a glance I ordered all hands on deck. Then 1 swung myself off on the bow of the Thingvalla and scrambled to. her deck. The doomed craft sunk gracefully, stem first, with her bow in the air. Most everybody was sou d asleep, and when shebegan to fill I could hear groans and heartrending 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 pieces of wood and jumped over the side of the vessel.” The chief officer of each vessel was on deck at the time of the collision. The third officer, Petersen, told much, the same story of the occurrence. He said the fog was* very dense. Through the night rain had fallen- at intervals, and the first he knew of the Geiser’s approach was when she appeared on the starboard side right upon them. Both vessels attempted to sheer off, being head on. The Geiser was struck opposite the engine-rooms amidships. The Geiser, being heavily loaded, was very low in the water, so that the Th ngvalla carried away her own compartment. The upper part of her bow ran over the decks of the Geiser. The Geiser’s deck-homes were carried away and the state-rooms were smashed in and the occupants killed. He heard a bell ring in the Geiser’s, engine-room, hast could not tell what the order was. Offices- Petersen was on deck at tha time. He heard the bell ring again, this time to back, and the steamer had just commenced to reverse when the Thingvalla struck. Th© Geiser’s whistle was blowing at the time. Second Officer Jorgensen jumped lor the Thingvoßa when they struck, and was hauled on the Thingvolla’s deck by some of the laAter’a crew. A chair high enough for one to sit in and use one’s arms freely in cooking manipulations is the most sensible yet invented for ■woman. No man ever stands to perform any work that he can do in a sitting position. Woman is ever last to accept an easier method.