Omaha daily bee., 1907-07-23
Passenger Boat Sank in Less Than
Five Minutes.
7 CARRIED 24s PERSONS
Most Of Them Were in Cabins Asleep
When Vessels Struck.
LINCOLN MAN AMONG PASSENGERS
II. II. Ewart, n Graduate of University
of Nebraska Aboard CoIumbia-
List of Passengers and
Crew,

| SAN FRANCISCO, July Mn one OF the
worst marine disasters in the history OF
the Pacific coast between 100 and l50 lives
were lost as far as has been learned by a
midnight collision between the steamer
Columbia and the steam lumber schooner
San Pedro in Shelter Cove, twelve miles
southwest OF the Mendocino Humbolt
county line between 12 and 1o'clock yester-
day morning. Only meRger details OF the
tragedy have been received. though every
effort has been made to get the facts.
Scores Of kilograms to Eureka the near
est point of Importance, remain unRn-
swered. The few details known were
brought by the steamer Roanoke and the
steam schooner Daisy Mitchell which ar
rived in San Francisco this forenoon.
The Columbia. a 800 foot steal vessel OF
the San Francisco 81 Portland Steamship
company, while bound from San Francisco
for Portland, Ore, with ls9 passengers and
a crew OF sixty, collided with and was
rammed by the San Pedro, ITO foot
wooden steamer, southbound, for this city.
The sea was smooth. but the weather was
foggy The San Pedro, looming out OF the
mist few ship lengths away. bore down
on the Columbia at high speed. despite the
frantic efforts to clear and with a grinding
crash sank. her stem fully ten feet into the
Coumbia's port bow.
Passengers Asleep in Cabins.
Nearly all of the Columbia's passengers
and many OF her Grew were asleep In their
cabins and hunks when the crash came
AS the San Pedro backed away. water
poured into the ragged hole In the Column
bias bow above and below her water limo
and in Ave minutes the vessel sank to the
bottom, the deep waters OF Shelter Cove
covering over the tops Of her masts.
The story OF that Ave minutes Is yet to
be told. and as It is told by some sur
vivors the facts of the tragedy can be but
guessed at.
According to ]. s. Flynn, a passenger
on the Roanoke, Captain Doran OF the
Columbia succeeded in launching four
lifeboats and two RATS before the Column
bia sank Flynn in an interview is
quoted as saying that eighty-eight pas
sengers--all men-got away in that man
ner and were saved; that Captain DOraa
acted with great coolness in the faoe OF
death and went down with his ship.
Flynn is further quoted as saying that
not one Of the hundred odd women pas
sengers were saved.
Shortly after the collision the steamers
Roanoke and George w. Elder and the
steam schooner Daisy Mitchell, all south
bound, came the scene and stood by.
The Elder took the San Pedro in tow, and
the latest report announce their arrival
in Eureka. The stem of the San Pedro
was smashed to splinters. one OF its
masts was snapped of at the deck. 1t
settling and had a heavy List when
taken into tow. Captain Hansen remained
on board.
Assistance Declined By Elder.
! The Daisy Mitchell offered assistance TO
, the San Pedro, but this was declined II
picked up a life raft and a boat OF the
l Columbia and brought them to this city
! Near the scene of the wreck the
] Roanoke picked up a life raft and found
' underneath It the body OF a passenger
! supposed to be Edward Butler OF Ports
, mouth. N. II.
} The officers OF the Merchants exchange
in this city and OF the various newspapers
an dnews agencies have been besieged
since early morning by relatives and
friends o fthe Columbias passengers. but
, their inslstent and fearful requests for
information OF the victims and OF the
rescued remained unsatisfled. Beyond tho
) reported facts that Butler was drawned
and that Captain Doran went down with
, his ship no details Of casualties have been
received.
Assistant President Frey Of the San
Francisco & Portland Steamship company
, said this afternoon that the latter would
: take the survivors of the Columbia through
: to Portland. II was not the intention of
the company to send a relief vessel from
, here to Eureka. Captain ToEsr. who be-
longs TO the lighthouse service IN Port
! land. was a passenger on the Roanoke.
. which spoke the George W. Elder white
a It had in tow the steam schooner San
Pedro.
Judging from the condition Of the San
T3a1r padn
impression that the vessel struck the Col
n umbia with terrific force. as It's entire
deck load Of lumber was missing and she
had a big list. Its whole bow was miss
ing clear back TO the forefoot, which
s would indicate that II ran at least ten
a feet into the side OF the sunken steamer.
II The Elder was towing It with/an anchor
y chain. Its whole mainmast was gone.
d First News Received.
g The steamer Roanoke. carrying a number
e OF the dead and some OF the rescued pas
sengsrs, reached here at ais this morning
bringing the first news OF the disaster. The
dead were conveyed 20 the morgue.
Shelter Cove. where the collision occurred
= is l7S miles up the coast A life raft bear
ing a number of the survivors is being
towed to this port by the Daisy Mitchell
The San Pedro 10 being, towed TO Bureks
RI by the steamer George w Elder.
& The Columbia was a steel vessel OF 1.T+t
II tons and was 300 feet in length, 9O6 feet
: beam and 1A4 feet In depth. II carried q
q crew Of seventy-four men under Captain p
% A. Doren, who had been master OF the yes
Il sci for the last five years. The vessel was
built at Chester. Pa, In 1880. and wal
owned by the San. Francisco and Portland
Steamship company.
During the earthquake and hre the Co
h1u lUfR At h. A. -
Union Iron works and the shock loosened
some OF its blocks. with the result that the
vessel was capsized. But II was entirely
r rented and when Il left here Saturday Il
p carried g full list Of passengers-about 800
r 300
10 The San PEDRO was commanded by Cap
, tain HAnSeA and iI . WoodAd xeaaal Of Gl