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S/S Geiser, Thingvalla Line Main Page >>

BurdenBuiltShipowner or operator Dimensions
2,831 gross 1881 at Copenhagen by Burmeister & Wain Thingvalla Line 324.4ft x 39.3ft x 22ft 
 Year Departure ArrivalRemarks
 1881  August, launchedAtlantic Journey ID 5093
 1882  Jan. 4, deliveredAtlantic Journey ID 5094
 1882  Jan. 1, departed from Copenhagen on her maiden voyage to New York via ChristiansandAtlantic Journey ID 5095
 1882  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 1882  Christiania  Mar. 08  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 OceanTransatlantc ID
 1882  Christiania  Apr. 27  New York  May 14 Capt. Schierbech from Christiania with 257 emigrants and cargo of 5,000kg wood pulpTransatlantc ID
 1882  Christiania  June 15  New York  July 01 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 hoursTransatlantc ID
 1882  July 5, arrived at Burmeister & Wain for repairs Atlantic Journey ID 5096
 1882  Christiania  Aug. 10  New York  Aug. 30 Transatlantc ID
 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.Atlantic Journey ID 8599
 1882  Christiania  Oct. 05  New York  Oct. 21 214 passengersTransatlantc ID
 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.Transatlantc ID
 1883  Christiania  Jan. 29  New York  Feb. 15 Transatlantc ID
 1883  Christiania  Mar. 23  New York  Apr. 10 302 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1883  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 1883  Christiania  May 17  New York  June 02 352 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1883  Christiania  July 12  New York  July 27 320 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1883  Christiania  Sept. 06  New York  Sept. 22 266 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1883  Christiania  Nov. 01  New York  Nov. 19 Transatlantc ID
 1884  Christiania  Dec. 27  New York  Jan. 13 14 Norwegian emigrants onboardTransatlantc ID
 1884  Christiania  Feb. 21  New York  Mar. 09 Transatlantc ID
 1884  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 1884  Christiania  Apr. 17  New York  May 02 326 Norwegian passengers (245 emigrants from Christiania) - from Copenhagen 440 personsTransatlantc ID
 1884  Christiania  June 12  New York  June 30 Capt. Schierbech, 184 emigrants from Christiania and 640,000 kg. wood pulpTransatlantc ID
 1884  Christiania  Aug. 07  New York  Aug. 21 Transatlantc ID
 1884  Sept. 20, arrived at Burmeister & Wain for repairs Atlantic Journey ID 5097
 1884  Christiania  Oct. 16  New York  Nov. 01 Transatlantc ID
 1884  Christiania  Dec. 11  New York  Dec. 29 Transatlantc ID
 1885  Jan. 17, grounded at Kaveringen in the Christianiafjord, refloated by ice-breaker Mjølner, minor damages to the shipAtlantic Journey ID 4950
 1885  Jan. 24, arrived at Burmeister & Wain for repairs Atlantic Journey ID 5098
 1885  Christiania  Feb. 09  New York  Feb. 23 Capt. Schierbech from Christiania with 21 emigrants. Cargo: herring, anchovies, cheese and wood pulpTransatlantc ID
 1885  Christiania  Apr. 02  New York  Apr. 17 Capt. Schierbeck from Christiania with 100 emigrants. Cargo: 435 barrels of herring and 500kg stockfishTransatlantc ID
 1885  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 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 followedTransatlantc ID
 1885  Lost her railing when the towline broke in an attempt to tow the Gallia of the Cunard Line which had a broken shaft.Atlantic Journey ID 5099
 1885  Christiania  July 23  New York  Aug. 07 Transatlantc ID
 1885  Christiania  Sept. 17  New York  Oct. 02 132 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1885  Christiania  Nov. 12  New York  Nov. 28 Transatlantc ID
 1886  Christiania  Mar. 04  New York  Mar. 23 Reported severe ice condition between Christiania and ChristiansandTransatlantc ID
 1886  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 1886  Christiania  Apr. 29  New York  May 14 385 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1886  Christiania  June 24  New York  July 09 415 Norwegian passengersTransatlantc ID
 1886  Christiania  Aug. 19  New York  Sept. 03 302 Norwegian passengerTransatlantc ID
 1886  Christiania  Oct. 12  New York  Oct. 28 Transatlantc ID
 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 AquavitTransatlantc ID
 1887  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 1887  Christiania  June 09  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.Transatlantc ID
 1887  Christiania  Aug. 04  New York  Aug. 19 Transatlantc ID
 1887  Christiania  Sept. 29  New York  Oct. 13 Transatlantc ID
 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 Atlantic Journey ID 9169
 1887  Christiania  Nov. 24  New York  Dec. 12 Also reported arrive 1887-12-13Transatlantc ID
 1888  Christiania  Jan. 19  New York  Feb. 09 46 Emigrants from ChristianiaTransatlantc ID
 1888  Towed the Donau of NDL to New YorkAtlantic Journey ID 5101
 1888  Christiania  Mar. 15  New York  Apr. 12 Transatlantc ID
 1888  Christiania - Christiansand - New York   
 1888  Christiania  May 24  New York  June 08 Transatlantc ID
 1888  Christiania  July 19  New York  Aug. 03 Geisers last westbound journey. She sank of Sable Island on her journey starting in New York 1888-08-14Transatlantc ID
 1888  Aug. 14, collided with the Thingvalla, broke in two after 5 minutes and sank, 105 lives lostAtlantic Journey ID 5102
The information listed above is not the complete record of the ship. The information was collected from a multitude of sources, and new information will be added as it emerges
S.S. Geiser, Thingvalla Line steamship
The S.S. Geiser. - Painter: Antonio Jacobsen (1882). - Source: Museet for søfart. - This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


Geiser, Thingvalla Line steamship
The Geiser of the Thingvalla Line
Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Geiser, Thingvalla Line steamship
Geiser, Thingvalla Line steamship
Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

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]


 

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.

GEISE
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