STORIES OF SURVIVORS. ACCOUNTS OF THE DISASTER GIVEN BY EYE-WITNESSES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 300, 19 September 1888, Page 5

STORIES OF SURVIVORS. ACCOUNTS OF THE DISASTER GIVEN BY EYE-WITNESSES.

On the arrival of the Wieland at New York t\veDty-four of the passengeis and crew of the Geiser under charge of Second Officer Joigensen, ariived at the Hotel Denmark. They were brawny fellows, curiously attired, and but few had either coats or stockings. Second Officer Jorgensen gave a graphic desciiption of the collision. He said: "I was asleep in my bunk when I felt a shock, and I immediately went on deck. Taking in the situation at a glance, I ordered all on deck. Then I swung myself off on the bow of the Thing valla and sci ambled to her deck. The doomed ciaft sank gracefully stern first with her bow in the air. Most everybody was sound asleep, and when she began to fill we could hear groans and heaifcrending screams coming from below. Thoae who reached th<? deck made frantic efforts to cut down the boats, but they were too excited to b3 successful. They finally grabbed up different pieces of wood and jumped over the side of the vessel. " Annas Wielies, a ci\il engineei at Minneapolis, one of the passengers on the Geiser, said : <% About 3 o'clock on Thursday morning I was awakened by a light shock, and thinking we had struck a wreck I went on deck just as some one shouted ' she is sinking.' I found that we had been struck on the stai board side about midships. There were at that time four or five men working at the boats. I had a coik jacket and felt comparath ely safe, so call-d the people downstairs and then watched the boat sink As she went down I stuck to her and was carried dow n some distance. 800 1 I felt my sell shooting through the water impelled by my cork jacket. I was on top of the water for perhaps half nn hour, i climbed on the keel of a small boat which was floating upside down and wai finally picked up."'