The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-01-16
Three Great Waves Sweep the
Lighthouse Tender COlumbine.
STEWARD OWENS sADLylNJuRsD
The Toward House Stove In and
the Chief Engineers Room
Demolished.

One of those unforeseen accidents
which are just as unacccuntable as un
foreseen, happened to the lighthouse
tender Columbine yesterday while eros
sing out to sea, resulting in consider
able damage to the vessel and the ser
ious injury of the ships steward, Rob
ert Owens.
The Columbine left port early yester
day morning and reached the heads
about 9 o'clock. She was bound fol
Tlllamook Rock with supplies for th'
light station. 1t was beautiful morn
ing and scarcely a ripple disturbed thu
surface of the bay as the pretty little
steamer glided down the channel tow
ard the open sea. From all appear
ances very quiet sea awaited then
outside, and white-tlpped breakers of
the end of the jetty only indicated th'
usual break at that point. Just before
reaching the flat-topped buoy, which |:
located far inside, Captain Richardson
who was on the bridge, remarked thai
an unusually smooth sea prevailed as
scarcely break was perceptible thai
far in. The whole crew, however, who
were in a position to look out over the
bow of the vessel, were startled a mo-
ment later by sudden wall of water
that seemed to arise in front Of them
as if by some violent subterranean ac-
ton. 1t was not as high, perhaps, as
many another sea that the brave little
steamer had battled with, but the sud
denness of It's appearance caused the
captain and his men to stare In wonder
at the flying spray, as the big wave
parted on the ships bow and settled
back from whence 1t had so mystic
riously come. Scarcely had the steamer
recovered from the violent shock, than
a great mountain of water shot up d.
rectly in front of the vessel, followed
instantly by another wall Of about the
same size. 1t was all so sudden that
Captain Richardson was unable to give
a signal before hundreds of tens OF
water swept over the vessel, leaving
wreck and ruin in its boiling wake.
An awful crash that sent the blood run
ming cold through the veins of those
below, told of the mighty force with
which the wave had struck the vessel.
Men who have made the sea their
home, ana who have experienced as
severe storms as those who man the
Columbine, are not of weak hearts,
but the sight of this mountain Of water
coming down on them with lightning
rapidity, would certainly have made
the stoutest hearts quail. The sound Of
breaking timbers and crashing glass,
told those who were unable to see 1t,
that terrible accident had happened
and subsequent investigation proved
that their suspicious were well founded
Captain Richardson kept the steam
er's head to sea, running slowly until
the light ship was nearly reached. He
had not been notified up to this time of
the nature Of the damage caused by
the sea, and was on the point Of setting
mis- course for Tillamook Rock, when
word came up that the steward was
badly injured. He turned the deck over
70 one Of the officers and went below.
Here he found the forward part OF the
house in kindling wood. being badly
stove in. Back at Engineer Lords
room, at the after part Of the star
board gangway, a scene OF destruction
met the eye. The door was stove In,
and with one end on the bunk, was a.
large water cask that had so badly in
jured the steward. The contents OF the
room were a confused mass OF ruin.
Mr.. owens, at the time the sea struck
the vessel, was standing In the forward
part of the gangway, and a water cask,
torn loose from the deck by the force
Of the rushing sea, struck him and car
ried him along In its mad rush. HeI
was jammed up against the chief en-
glneer's room, the cask continuing IN
side and bringing up against the bunk.
Owens was injured badly on the leg,
and otherwise bruised. He was carried
into the saloon and kindly cared for
by the officers.
Down below the fire poured In tor
rents, and In the ward room It was
three feet deep. The ships carpenter
was slightly bruised but not seriously.
A large pane Of plass in the pilot
house was broken into a thousand
pieces, and the man at the Wheel had
a narrow escape from flying glass. The
steam steering gear was was disabled,
but the lashings from the hand steer
Ing gear were instantly cut and that
wheel brought into action.
First officer Leighton. who was
standing forward Of the pilot house,
directly in the rear OF the foremast.
saved himself by graspine the topping
ut. though his hand was considerably
bruised
As soon as the real situation was
known to Captain Richardson, the
steamer was put back to port, arriving
about 1915 p. m The injured man was