The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-07-25
will Begin Investigation.

birmingham, u, y. supervising Inspector
OF hulls and boilers will tomorrow be-
gin an investigation of the sinking Of
the steamer Columbia, Captain Birming-
ham declared today that he will insti
tnte most thorough inquiry into the
loss of the vessel He went to Eureka
today to take the dispositions af the
captain and crew ot the San Pedro and
he summoned The officers and crew Of
the Columbia 10 be in attendance.
Guilty Of Manslaughter.
Captain Bulger said; IN the publish.
ed report that the San Pedro refused TO
take on board boatload Of passengers
Is true, then the master Of that vessel
ii guilty Of manslaughter.r
Two Brave Men.
A. Larsen aud ). Petersen were sail
oFs on the Columbia and TO these men
are credited the lives Of 20 passengers.
Just be.ote the boat sank Larsen and
Petersen saw the passengers almost q
boats length away trying to clear a
lifeboat. They ran to the boat and with
their knives slashed away the fasten-
ings and after loading in 20 people they
pulled the lilehoat clear from the whirl.
pool the Columbia caused when she sank.
This was the boat which picked up
Pearson, Ethel johnson and Ellie t'oNlon
A Sad Tale.
0ne OF the sadaest tales is that OF f.
iaivo, steerage passenger who with
his wife aud two children was coming
10 Portland 10 make his home, Silvo
got his family on deck but they were
drawn down in the whirlpool when the
vessel sank, Silyo came up with the
little boy In his arms, but the wife and
baby had disappeared. For long time
he held the little boy, until he was
struck by a piece Of wreckagc and lost
his hold on the child, Siyo says that
he swan in every direction and diyed
repeatedly but the boy was gone.
Miss watson'a Story.
| when | came to the surface some
penons were singing N'arer, My God
10 Thee" and other hymns and l
struck oil from the place where the YES
sci sank | never swan a stroke be-
fore but somehow / had the confidence
TO try and when ! iound ! was making
proersss | swan harder than ever !
had gone but a little way when a wom-
an rose beside me aud caught me around
the neck had some difficulty in break.
ing her hold as she was much terrified
and seemed to cling to me with all her
might, managed to quiet her before
we both sank and then cautioned her ia
place her hands on my shoulders and |
would keep her up all right. She fol,
lowed my instructions until she lost
consciousness and | had to support hel
with one arm and swim with the other
During this time several men swan past
lis and called to them to help me with
the woman, whose only name | re-
membcr was Grace and that she came
from Cleveland, Ohio, but the brutes in
foremd me that they had enough to do
to take care OF themselves. After | had
been refused by five men did not ask
for any more help and struggled along
the best | could until was picked up
over two and a half hours after the
collision by Third Officer Hawes and
his life boat, | insisted that he take
the woman first, which he did and soon
had me out Of the water The boat
caew thought that she was dead and SO
did the doctors on the San Pedro but to
oblige Officer Halves they made de
termined effort to save her and sue
eeeded"
The woman to whom Miss Watson re-
fers is Miss Emma Griesse Of Cleye-
land, o.
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