The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-07-25

Probably one hundred persons were
drowned and scores of others were res
cued after clinging for hours to drift
| ing wreckage as the result of terrible
sea collision, word of which was re-
| ceived in San Francisco Monday morn
ing. The ships were the passenger
steamer Columbia, north bound from
San Francisco to Portland, and the
small lumber steamer San Pedro south
ward bound and heavily laden.
The disaster occurred early Sunday
morning off Shelter Cove. Mendocino
County, and from the meager reports
which have come it is certain thai more
than half the Columbia's 30 passen-
gers and crew went down with tie ship
in the fog and darkness
| Carried About $50 Passengers.
The Columbia left San Francisco on
Saturday evening. carrying 1S9 passen-
gers and crew of about thirty under
the command of Captain z. A. Doran.
Soon after dark a heavy fog came on
and the steamer was feeling her way
along the coast. The sea was calm and
the majority Of the passengers were IN
their berths when Shelter Cove was
passed. Captain Doran was on the
bridge when few minutes later and
just after midnight the black bulk of
the San Pedro doomed up almost dead
ahead. The Columbia at once reversed
its engines and Captain Doran put the
helm hard aport, hut it was too late 10
prevent the collision
With scarcely diminished speed the
San Pedro, laden with lumber, crash
ed into the port bow of the passenger
ship with a force that cut the iron
steamer to the water line Many OF the
passengers must have been stunned or
killed in their berths. for the force Of
the blow was terrific aud both ships
reeled apart as if they had struck solid
rock.
Lifeboats Had Been Shattered.
Half clad and frenzied by fear, men
and women rushed from the state
rooms to the deck of the Columbia,
which was settling rapidly by the bows.
An effort was made TO launch the life
boats, Captain Doran standing calmly
on the shattered bridge of his boat
and shouting his orders through meg
aphone. Several Of the boats had been
shattered in the collision, and so quick
ly did the Columbia go down that there
was no time to launch the others Sur
vivors say that all the officers of the
Columbia did their duty bravely and
tried to save the women and children,
but that they were powerless.
Many Leap Into Ocean.
Feeling the steamer sinking beneath
their feet, many of the men among the
Columbia's passengers and crew leaned
into the sea and swan to the San Pc
dro, which could be made out drifting
away through the fog. They alone, it
seems, were saved. One lifeboat was
launched, but ii was swamped the mo-
ment it reached the water by the rush
of frenzied men and women. All who
were in it are believed TO have perish
ed, drawn down by the suction of the
steamer when she went down with a
final rush, her decks still dotted with
screaming men and women.
Captain Goes Down with ship.
At the last moment the stern of the
Columbia rose high above the water,
and many of the unfortunates slid the
length of the deck as the steamer shot
beneath the waves, with Captain Doran
clinging to the bridge and making no
attempt TO saye his own life.
The San Pedro, wooden boat, was
severely damaged by the collision, but
was kept afioat by her cargo. Finding
their steamer was sac for the time, the
crew turned to the task of rescuing the
Columbia's passengers, and about
eighty who had swum to the sides Of
the freighter were drawn on board.
Boats were launched, and a number OF
others who had chung to wreckage were
found and taken on board.
Survivors among the passengers of
the Columbia say that the San Pedro
was not seen until she burst through
the fog curtain less thau hundred
feet away and headed straight for the
passenger steamer. Why the fog horns
were not heard is not made clear.
Sighted by Another Vessel.
The San Pedro drifted around help
lessly for two hours before the fog lift
ed and the water-logged ship was made
out by the steamer George w. Elder,
which threw her line and towed her
to Eureka. The steamer Roanoke sooil
came up and took off the passengers,
many of whom were clad only in their
night garments and were suffering Sc
verely from exposure. They were TAX
en- to Eureka. Many of the drowned
were residents of San Francisco. 9th
ers lived at Portland, the Columbia's
destination, and other towns along the
north coast
The Columbia was an iron-screw
steamer of 2,272 tons register. She
was built in 1880 by J. Roch & Son, Of
Chester, Pa, and was owned by the
San Francisco and Portland Steamship