The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-10
CHIEF OFFICER OF
MINNESOTA PRAISED
j. S. BIain, of New Steamer,
CompIimented for Bravery
and Efficiency

Henry F. Murphy, wool merchant
of Toronto, passed through the city
yesterday on his way home after a
long visit to the Pacific coast. Mr.
Murphy was a classmate in Trinity col
: 1ege, Dublin, of j. S. Blain, who has
just been named as chief officer of the
steamer Minnesota. In speaking OF
Mr.. Blain, he said:
.'Blain is one of the most careful as
we'll as daring officers who follow the
sea. A dozen years ago he got berth
on the old steamer Columbia, which
piled between the Hawaiian islands and
the American coast, and when the ship
was wrecked off the California coast,
his action in bringing her safely into
port was one of the gamest things in
the annals of the sea.
He was third officer at the time and
while he was asleep in his berth the
ship struck a sunken reef near Men
docino, and it was thought she was
.ssurely about to be destroyed.
Three Officers Disabled
"The captain was on the bridge at
the time and while the sea was calm.
one of the heaviest fogs of the year
lay on the surface of the waters, COM
pIetely blotting' out the towering cliff
that lay about cable length from the.
stranded Columbia. The shock threw
the captain to the deck and besides
fracturing his skull, broke one of. his
legs and put him out of commission.
The chief officer was not aboard that
trip and the first luff was i'll with a
fever. The second officer was thrown
from his bunk as was Blain when the
ship stranded, but the latter was for.
stunate in only sustaining fractured
arm, while the second officer was laid
up with badly Jared spine and
broken leg.
''Blain's arm was set by the ships
doctor and he took command. He suf-
fered intense pain, but nevertheless
took his station on the bridge and di-.
rected the crew in an effort to release.
the Columbia. Fortunately she struck
atslow tide and when it began to rise
the ship f1oated free, and with the aid
of her engines was able to get to sea-.
Her bow was stove to the catheads and
the two forward compartments were
flooded, but the engines were not ap-s
preciably affected.
Steam Pipe Holds Ship Together
''The ship was headed northward and
for twenty -four hours the most ter
rible damage did not develop so as TO
=
up and the Columbia began. to roll and
pitch and it was found that her back
was broken and that when she was
lifted on the crest of a big roller a
crack yawned clear of the deck plates
and exposed the steam pipe connecting
the boilers with the engines. Every
time the ship pitched the big pipe was
plainly to be seen; practically the only
thing that kept the ship from collaps-
ing.
The steam pressure inside the pipe
was 100 pounds to the square inch and
the lateral pressure from the pitching
must have been several times as heavy,
for she gave some mighty hsaves be-
fore Cape Flattery loomed up in the
distance.
'Blain kept the bridge in spite of in,
juries and although he was fully cog
infant that death lurked but few feet
below him in the steam pipe, he calm
ly kept all the watches and landed the
limping steamer safe at her dock at
Seattle.
'.The Great Northern is to be compli-
mented in securing such asman for the
important post of chief officer