Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1888 — A TRAGEDY OF THE SEA. [ARTICLE]

A TRAGEDY OF THE SEA.

The steamer Wieland of the Ham- • burg-American line brought news to New York Friday of a collision off Sable Island, between the Geiser and Thingvalla, of the Thingvalla line, which occurred at 4 o’clock on the mornjng of Geiser sank in five minutes after the collision, and 105 persons were drowned. The Thingvalla was so disabled that she had to put into Halifax after transferring all her passengers ■ ter the” W ieltuid. —— —■ -- L. ,’ :V The Geiser had eighty-six passengers aboard, seventv-two of whom were drowned or killed in the collision, and fourteen were taken first on the Thingvalla and then on the Wieland. The Geiser’s crew numbered fifty. Seventeen were saved and tnirty-three were drowned. Capt. Moller, pf the Geiser, was among those saved. The passengers of Thingvalla transferred to the Wieland numbered 355. The Geiser left New York on Aug. 11, bound for Stettin. The Thingvalla was on her way to New York and was advertised to leave on Aug. 25. A very heavy sea a dense fog were experienced during the night and early on the morning of Aug. 14; it is said 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 Thingvalla struck the Geiser on the starboard side amidships, close on to 4 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 thirtyone were saved. No other vessel was near at the time.

The Wieland on her way to New York was one hundred miles way. At 11:30 in the mottling of the 14th the Wieland was sighted. Signs of distress were made by the Thingvalla, and a transfer of the passengers began. The sea was then very heavy, but no mishaps occurred in the transfer of passengers. The Geiser’s whistle was blowing at the time. Second Officer Jorgensen jumped for the Thingvalla when they struck, and was hauled on the Thingvalla’s deck by some of the latter’s crew. One of the Geiser's passengers was picked up with a broken leg. —= __ As soon as the Wieland arrived in the lower bay Captain Moller, of the Geiser, left the steamer on a revenue cutter. He went directly to the office of the agents of the company, where he was ■closeted a few moments with the agents/ He omy left word that the accident was due to the weather, and left without stating his • destination. The rescued crew of the Geiser was taken to the Hotel Denmark oa the arrival of the Wieland. Twenty-four of the passengers and crew of the Geiser, under •charge of Second Officer Jorgensen, arrived at the Hotel Denmark. They were brawny fellows, curiously attired, and but few had either coats or stockings.

The Geiser was one of the four vessls owned by the Thingvalla line, and was considered the crack ship. Most of the passengers were Western people, who were booked by A. Mortensen & Co., the general agents of the line at Chicago. Capt. A. Albers, of the Wieland tells the following story: “At 10 o’clock on the morning of Aug. 14 we passed some wreckage floating in the sea, and suspected that an accident had happened somewhere near us, a litter later we sailed through a sea of oil and sighted a broken boat of the Geiser. About 11:30 we sighted a steamer to the northward, about eight miles off, and seeing she had a flag of distress up we ran down to her. It proved to be the Thingvalla, and -Captain lamb, of that vessel, came to us in a small boat and beggsdous to take off his passengers and those he had saved from the Geiser. He said his own vessel was-so badly injured he expected her to sink at any moment. His forward compartment had been completely carried away from half way from the deck to below the water line. ,We sent out three of our boats and-fee Thingvalla lowered two of hers, and in five hours we had t ransferred the saved passengers and crew of the Geiser and also the four hundred and fifty passengers of the Thingvalla. The sea was very rough at the lithe and. the work of transferring 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 collision, so far as kftown, was caused by the

fog. _ - . T&. The chief officer of each vessel was on deck at the time of the collision. The third officer, Mr. Petersen, told much the same story of the occurrence. He said the fog was very dense. “Tliroug the night rain had fallen at internals. The first we a knew of the Geiser’s approach was when she appeared oh the starboord, right upon us. Both vessels tried to sheer off, being head on, The Geiser was struck opposite the engine rooms amidships. Ihe Geiser being heavily loaded was very low in the water, so that the Thingvalla carried away her own compartment. . The upper part of her bow ran over the decks of the Geiser. The Geiser’s deck-houses were carried away and the state rooms were smashed in and the occupants killed. We beard a bell ring in the the Geiser’s engine room,

f If” but could not tell what' the order was. Officer Petersen was on the deck at the time. He then heard the bell ring again, this time to bock, and the steamer had just commenced to reverse when the Thingvalla struck.!’