Terrible Shipping Casualty

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 43, 18 September 1888, Page 3

Terrible Shipping Casualty

130 LIVES LOST. (Per Mail Steamer at Auckland. The steamship Geiser, of the Tiring - valla Line, which left New York early in August with a large passenger list, waa run down by the steamer Thingralla, of the same line, on Tuesday, 14th August, off Gape Baoe, and one hundred and thirty lives are reported lost. The Geiser had her side completely stove in. The Thingvalla put out her boats as rapidly as possible, and made every effort to rescue the passengers, but in spite of almost superhuman efforts the list of lost is frightful. The Thingvalla was badly injured, her bow being knocked off ; and all the provisions, which were carried in the bow compartment, swept away. There was nothing wherewith to feed the rescued passengers, and when the steamer Wieland hove in sight she divided the people with her, and bore away for Halifax, Nova Scotia, to effect repairs. The vessel was so seriously damaged that for a short time it seemed as if she would follow the Geiser, which sank .five minutes after she was struck. Captain M oiler, of the Geiser, was picked up nearly exhausted by one of the Thingvalla's boats, and also Mrs Hilda Lind, the only weman who escaped from the wreck. The scene beggars description. Boats pulled after daylight over the place where the Geiser went down, picking up all who could be seen, guided often by the voices, growing fainter and fainter each moment, of those appealing for help. The collision occurred at 3.30 in the morning.