The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-04-23
Fine Hartman Steamer Destroyed
in San Francisco.
COMPANY HAS HARD LUCK
Every Boat Operated by the Corpora
tion In Cost Traffic Has Been
Ill.Used During the Last
Three Years.

i
Thrown oyti on her eide by the first
shock of the earthquake che steamer
Columbia caught fire while she vas
occupying u berth on the Union Iron
works dfydocn AZ san Francisco and
was totally destroyed, The engineers,
.iiremcn and other Of the crew who
wcrr Oh the steamer at the time mar
rowly escaped with their lives Their
licenses and other belongings were lot.
letter giving An account of the af-
fair was received in Portland Saturday
afternoon by Mr- Murphy, wife Of j..
g, Murphy, third assistant engineer on
the vessel. Until then IL was believed
by the local officials Df the Hartman
steamship lines that the Columbia was
safe. a. the drydock il in u remote
part Of the water front, far removed
from a district Of a continuous line Of
buildings, II was believed that the
steamer would not be damaged
The Columbia was one OF the finest
steamer, on the coast. For the past
twenty years she has been plying regu-
lnrly between Portland and San Fran
cisco IN the freight and passenger trade.
About two weeks ago she was taken
out Of commission temporarily 10 be
given a general oyerhauling. During
her enforced layoiT the company had
secured the steamer Barracuda to take
her first trip. however, the disaster oc-
currd and the company cancelled her
sailing date.
Until other arrangements can be made
thr company will have no other vessel
on the route but the Costa Rica. II Is
probable that she viii I've tied up TEN.
porarily ON account Of the decision
reached BY the California authorities
not TO permit any vessel TO leave the
Bay City carrying freight.
Disaster ha, oyertaken every steamer
which In. been operated by the Harri-
man Interest," in the coast service dur.
ing the past two or three years. About
eighteen months ago the steamer Elder
was wrecked in the Columbia river
BY running on ledge of rocks near
.Gobe while she was bound from Port
land 10 san Francisco. After spending
nearly $50O0n to raise the vessel the
company turned her over to the under
writers. who also failed to remove her.
About sis month. ago she was purchas-
ed by j. IL. Peterson Of Portland for
$1,000, The work Of trying to raise
her from the rocks on which she has
settled i. still in progress.
4 few months later the company lost
the steamer 81, Paul, another hand
some coaster, which cost close to a
quarter Of million dollars. In a heavy
fog she drifted into the breakers and
on the rocks oil Point Gorda, California,
while bound from the Bay City to
Portland. The following day her pas
oengers were picked up by other steam
crs and all were saved. The steamers
bones are bleaching on the sands close
to the spot where the wreck occurred.
The steamer Oregon, chartered by the
company to assist in taking care OF the
heavy traffic caught fire OIL Crescent
City and was saved from total destruc-
ton only through heroic efforts of hel
officers and crew, For two days they
fought the flames and succeeded in get
ting the vessel to san Francisco, al
though she was badly damaged
1t is estimated that the Columbia
cost close to $25O.O0O She was by fal
the best equipped boat running ont OF
Portland, Captain Doran had been IL
command OF her for years. She was
built at Chester. Penn, in 1880 and soor
afterwards was brought around the
Horn to the Pacific Coast, The steamer
was 300 feet long 1856 feet across The
beam, IA feet deep and of 2,12l,So tons
gross register. Portland Journal