Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-20

DO0IOS, Jan. ia OSp9tco IIOW
Capt. 3. g. Wright saws the wreck OF
the City Of Columbus 10 a mile and
half from shore with the bow out Of the
water while the stern lies In about four
fashorns. The upper work il gone. II
the weather moderates, it may b p0sai-
BILE to save some part Of the vessel.
Nsckerson. tine president Of the company,
left Boston at O'Clock this morning on
look after the saved and take charge of
from Woods Shoals states that Captain
Wright has become violently insane,
The tug Storm King and the revenue
cutter Dexter are storm bound, the for
mer at Woods Shoals and the latter ct
New Bedford. A driving snow storm
prevails, and the. weather is very thick.
The Survivors of the City Of Colum-
ms arrived this morning FROM New
Bedford. Many of them are in Q pitt
able condition. F. w. Fairbauk, of
Gorham, Maine, says he was in his berth
IN the steerage, awake and somewhat
uneasy. when the accident occurred. He
is of the opinion that the steamer struck
on the rocks several times before she
came on them finally. He noted three
Successive shocks and thought it might
be that a high sea vas hurting ice
against the side. When the steamer
was grounded on the rocks, the water
rushed into the steerage, and he soram-
blsd out taking the greater part of his
clothing. As the vessel filled she keeled
over. and he got into the rigging where
he chung for hours, with the sea break.
ing over him at intervals. At one time
some rigging gave way and fell on him,
and he received q blow across the fore
head which stunned him, and another
on the chest, but his fingers were frozen
to the rigging, aud be Was not swept of.
he attributes his safety to q rubber
coat, the skirts Of which he had tied
around him, and this kept his clothing
dry. Many more he thinks would have
been saved but for the high sea running.
The boats could not approach the
wreck. When his turn came he jumped
into the raging water, and after reach
ing the surface was swept within reach
of his rescuers. He saw two men Who
made . perilous leap overheard and
were washed away to death, and he be-
lieves many met the Same fate before
the rescus was attempted. A single boat
with several Indians IN it came from the
shore, but they could not approach the
wreck. They were engaged in picking
up floating matter. While in the rigging
the pilot told him he had fixed
the vessels wheel, aud as he was very
cold went to the smoke stack to warm
himself. He remained there 20 min
utes, and when he returned to his post
he found that the ship had veered
around. When he ascertained that the
vessel was among the rocks, and it
would probably be Impossible to save
her, he put her right ON shore, and ran
her az high AZ be could, with the result,
that although she drew II feet of water,
Ter fore foot was in IL feet. Fairbanks
is Of the opinion that many passengers
did not leave the cabin until their bod
les we're washed out by the waves,
which soon tore of the after part of the
deck and carried ont the bodies, furni-
tare and baggage before the eyes of the
Mortified survivors. Oscar TsaiRi was
in the rigging with him, and hs per-
ished before aid came to hand. Not .
woman or child was seen alive after the
vessel went ashore. He thinks Morton,
of the Boston Globe, did not succeed in
gaining the deck.
A. WIldman, Of Lawrence, who was
in berth in a cabin state room, Vas
awakened by the first shock. He aroused
bis companion, Fred. M. Sargent Of
Merrimack, who was lost. The vessel
then Topped over, and he reached the
main rigging with great difficulty. He
tells of the sweeping away, one BY one,
of those in the rigging as the GOLD
caused them to loose their hold and the
waves tore the rigging from their grasp
When he was leaving the cabin he saw
ono man keeping woman and two boys
in the state room. None Of the9 party
were seen afterwards, the cabin and ell
in it being overwhelmed in the sea.
NEW BEDFORD, Jan. 19.-The early
train from Boston this morning was
heavily laden with relatives and friends
Of the victims Of the City Of Columbus
disaster. They could gain but little in
formation here regarding individual
victims, and have since been wandering
to and fro along the wharvss impor-
tuning all they met about the wreck.
The revenue cutter Dexter sailed with
search for bodies. All the bodies
brought here on the Dexter have been
identified except one. The Dexter re-
turns this afternoon, and until then no
further Information can DO obtained
from the wreck.
Il. Phillips. first assistant engineer of
the City of Columbia, states: "When
We struck, Morrison, the chief engineer,
exclaimed, The vessels ashore! We
shut down right of, and the ship backed
of. Then We got bells to 90 ahead and
she drove right on the reef. Il did not
seem ten minutes before she sank. I
had Just time to get a life prcserver.
The boat was outside the buoy, but
there was a terrific current. About
forty men then took refuge in the rig
ging. where they remained until half
past ten an, when life-boat put OF
from Grayhead and took away several
passengers, one of whom died soon
afterwards. Shortly after noon another
life boat pat off to the distressed vessel,
ana meanwhile, the revenue cutter
Dexter Game along and sent of two
boats. Twenty ono from the wreck
we're placed aboard the pexter, four Of
whom died afterwards. The total num-
Der OF persons saved il twenty three.
Five dead bodies have been recovered.
Seventeen of the saved and four Of the
dead have been brought here. and six
supposed to Dc dead, and ono dead are
AT Grayhead. One-third of the pas
sengers were women and children, not
one Of whom, 90 far a. known, was
saved"
THE EDWARDS STORY.
A. F. Pitm N, the chief steward, said:
II WAS in my berth when she struck,
and was not awakened by the shock.
A general alarm was given aud hur-
ried on my oloshes and left the state
room. The greatest excitement pre-
vailed, and women were rushing about
the cabins. On reaching the deck
found men hosting the jib. In about
twenty minutes the steamer listed and
the houses were carried away BY the
sea almost immediately, and the deck
began to break up. About Z am, q
tho passengers came on deck they we're
swept over by scores. The sceus va
horrible. After the steamer listed !
made my way along the vindWard sids
ON An inclined plane. and into the rig
ing, where about forty persons, I'll man
had taken refuge. There We chung
with fingers benumbed and with floating
oorpses and debris q our fest. sav
one man knocked into tbs go when the
top Of the head Of the mast broke >
, The steward furtae said he remember
ed few passenger, among them tn
Globe reporter, whom he rooolloOteC