Geiser | Norway Heritage

Ship Data

Type	Built	Burden	Dimensions	Line / Owner
S.S.	1881 at Copenhagen by Burmeister & Wain	2,831 gross	324.4ft x 39.3ft x 22ft	Thingvalla Line

The Geiser of the Thingvalla Line
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Geiser, Thingvalla Line steamship
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The "Geiser" was built by Burmeister & Wain at Copenhagen for the Thingvalla Line. Her tonnage was 2,831 tons gross, 1,993 under deck and 1,818 net. She had a straight stem, one funnel, three masts (schooner rigged) and was an iron construction. She had a single screw and a compound engine with 4 inverted cylinders of 36 & 72 inches diameter each pair; stroke 42 inches. This engine delivered 300 horsepower, which gave the ship a service speed of 11 knots. The engine was built by the same company as the hull. There was accommodation for 50 1st class passengers, 50 2nd class passengers, and 900 3rd class passengers (steerage). [Lloyd's register of shipping]

Picture of the S/S Geiser

The collision between the S/S Geiser and the S/S Thingvalla

In 1888 the S/S Thingvalla collided with and sank the Thingvalla Line vessel "Geiser" off Sable Island with the loss of 105 lives:

The Collision between the S/S Thingvalla and the S/S Geiser, Details of the disaster (2000)
The Thrilling Story of the Sinking of the Gesier, The S/S Thingvalla arrives in port. From the Halifax Morning Herald Sat. Aug 18, 1888

The collision between the S/S Thingvalla and the S/S Geiser - STORY OF THE SURVIVORS (2000)
The Thrilling Story of the Sinking of the Gesier, The S/S Thingvalla arrives in port. From The Halifax Morning Herald Mon. 20 Aug. 1888. THE CATASTROPHE OFF SABLE ISLAND, Captain Møller's Version. –A Passenger says The Thingvalla Officers Are to Blame. – A Woman's Heart-rending Story.

A. B. Wilse's journey on the S/S Geiser in 1888 (Oslo 1936)
The collision between the S/S Thingvalla and the S/S Geiser - A passenger account of the disaster

Collision between the S/S Thingvalla and the S/S Geiser - excerpts from the NEW YORK TIMES
Excerpts from an article in the NEW YORK TIMES. It is dated Friday, August 17, 1888, page 2, column 3. Transcribed and contributed by Jeanne Nelson.

Chronological History

Year	Event
1881	August, launched
1882	Jan. 4, delivered
1882	Jan. 1, departed from Copenhagen on her maiden voyage to New York via Christiansand
1882	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1882	Christiania Mar. 8 → New York Mar. 28. Capt. Thomsen from Copenhagen to New York via Christiania and Christiansand. 138 emigrants embarked in Christiania. Reported westerly hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
1882	Christiania Apr. 27 → New York May 14. Capt. Schierbech from Christiania with 257 emigrants and cargo of 5,000kg wood pulp.
1882	Christiania June 15 → New York July 1. Capt. Schjerbeck arrived in Christiania from Copenhagen with some 400 Danish and Swedish emigrants. Another 242 emigrants embanked in Christiania and loaded 10 barrels of medicine fish oil, and 20,000kg wood pulp. Stopped for two hours.
1882	July 5, arrived at Burmeister & Wain for repairs
1882	Christiania Aug. 10 → New York Aug. 30
1882	Sept. 20 passed Oxø fyr (lighthouse) in the morning and expected to arrive Christiania at midnight. Cargo from America was some 400 ton general goods mostly wheat and leather.
1882	Christiania Oct. 5 → New York Oct. 21. 214 passengers.
1882	Christiania Nov. 30 → New York Dec. 19. Capt. Schierbech from Christiania with passengers. Cargo loaded mostly fish products, wood pulp, cheese, 100-kilo foghorns and 138-kilo books..
1883	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1883	Christiania Jan. 29 → New York Feb. 15
1883	Christiania Mar. 23 → New York Apr. 10. 302 Norwegian passengers.
1883	Christiania May 17 → New York June 2. 352 Norwegian passengers.
1883	Christiania July 12 → New York July 27. 320 Norwegian passengers.
1883	Christiania Sept. 6 → New York Sept. 22. 266 Norwegian passengers.
1883	Christiania Nov. 1 → New York Nov. 19
1884	Christiania Dec. 27 → New York Jan. 13. 14 Norwegian emigrants onboard.
1884	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1884	Christiania Feb. 21 → New York Mar. 9
1884	Christiania Apr. 17 → New York May 2. 326 Norwegian passengers (245 emigrants from Christiania)<BR>from Copenhagen 440 persons.
1884	Christiania June 12 → New York June 30. Capt. Schierbech, 184 emigrants from Christiania and 640,000 kg. wood pulp.
1884	Christiania Aug. 7 → New York Aug. 21
1884	Sept. 20, arrived at Burmeister & Wain for repairs
1884	Christiania Oct. 16 → New York Nov. 1
1884	Christiania Dec. 11 → New York Dec. 29
1885	Jan. 17, grounded at Kaveringen in the Christianiafjord, refloated by ice-breaker Mjølner, minor damages to the ship
1885	Jan. 24, arrived at Burmeister & Wain for repairs
1885	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1885	Christiania Feb. 9 → New York Feb. 23. Capt. Schierbech from Christiania with 21 emigrants. Cargo: herring, anchovies, cheese and wood pulp.
1885	Christiania Apr. 2 → New York Apr. 17. Capt. Schierbeck from Christiania with 100 emigrants. Cargo: 435 barrels of herring and 500kg stockfish.
1885	Lost her railing when the towline broke in an attempt to tow the Gallia of the Cunard Line which had a broken shaft.
1885	Christiania May 28 → New York June 13. Capt. Schierbech from Christiania with 170 passengers and loaded 9,000kg wood pulp. Total some 260 Norwegian passengers followed.
1885	Christiania July 23 → New York Aug. 7
1885	Christiania Sept. 17 → New York Oct. 2. 132 Norwegian passengers.
1885	Christiania Nov. 12 → New York Nov. 28
1886	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1886	Christiania Mar. 4 → New York Mar. 23. Reported severe ice condition between Christiania and Christiansand.
1886	Christiania Apr. 29 → New York May 14. 385 Norwegian passengers.
1886	Christiania June 24 → New York July 9. 415 Norwegian passengers.
1886	Christiania Aug. 19 → New York Sept. 3. 302 Norwegian passenger.
1886	Christiania Oct. 12 → New York Oct. 28
1887	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1887	Christiania Apr. 14 → New York Apr. 30. Capt. Møller from Christiania with passengers and general goods; wood and chemical pulp, herring, brown whey cheese and 250-litre Aquavit.
1887	Christiania June 9 → New York June 25. Capt. Møller. Some 285 emigrants embarked in Christiania and loaded wood pulp as cargo. Another 115 emigrants embarked in Christiansand. A total number of 830 persons followed the ship to New York..
1887	Christiania Aug. 4 → New York Aug. 19
1887	Christiania Sept. 29 → New York Oct. 13
1887	Oct. 22: departed New York carrying fifty-eight military officers from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, who had taken part in a military encampment at Chicago
1887	Christiania Nov. 24 → New York Dec. 12. Also reported arrive 1887-12-13.
1888	Departed Christiania - Christiansand. Arrived New York. — See in Routes & Departures
1888	Christiania Jan. 19 → New York Feb. 9. 46 Emigrants from Christiania.
1888	Towed the Donau of NDL to New York
1888	Christiania Mar. 15 → New York Apr. 12
1888	Christiania May 24 → New York June 8
1888	Christiania July 19 → New York Aug. 3. Geisers last westbound journey. She sank of Sable Island on her journey starting in New York 1888-08-14.
1888	Aug. 14, collided with the Thingvalla, broke in two after 5 minutes and sank, 105 lives lost

Routes & Departures

Year

Route

Departures

1882