The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-07-25
Steamship Goes Down in
Crash With a Schooner.
SCORES OF LIVES LOST
IF 24e Souls on Board Only 144 Are
So Far Known to Have Escaped.
s.. Disaster Occurred Off the >;
California Coast. f.

A San Francisco special says: In a
collision between the passenger steam
er Columbia and the steam schooner
San Pedro off the Mendocino coast.
sne hundred passengers lost their lives
early Sunday morning. The Columbia
was sunk and lies completely sub
merged in the deep waters of Shelter
cove.
The collision occurred at midnight,
I when all on board save the lookout and
officer on the bridge were asleep In
their berths. The Columbia was steam
ing north at an easy rate, having
left San Francisco at noon. Suddenly
out OF the fog loomed the dark hulk
Of the steam schooner San Pedro,
southDound, which was evidently out
of her course. Whistles were blown and
frantic efforts made by the helmsman
OF each vessel to avoid the collision.
but without avail.
The San Pedro struck the Columbia
in the port bow, tearing an immense
hole in her side through which the
water rushed in great volume. Alarms
were sounded on the passenger ship
and the terrified passengers scrambled
from their staterocms in an effort to
escape from the doomed vessel. But
the time was too short to aid the life
savers. The vessel sank within five
minutes of the time CT the collision. A
life raft was launched with number
of passengers on board, bus only a few
: of the entire number aboard were
saved.
OF the 24s persons On the steamer
1 Columbia, one hundred and fo-ty-four
we're landed at Eureka, Cal, Monday
by the steamer Elder. OF these 1o7
were passengers and 81 members Of
the crew of the Columbia.
In addition to these four life boats
are reported to have been picked up,
one containing thirteen people, one IS,
and one Is. The number on the fourth
boat is not given.
Nearly all of the Columbia's, passen-
gers and many of her crew were aslesp
in their cabins and bunks when the
crash came. AS the San Pedro backed
away the sea poured in through the
ragged hole in the Columbia's bow
above the water line, and in five min
utes the Columbia sank to the bottom,
the deep waters Of Shelter Cove cov-
ering even the tops of the Columbia's
InastS
The story of that FIVE minutes is yet
. to be told, and as it is to be told by
some survivors, only the facts Of the
tragedy can be guessed at.
Z According to J. S. Flynn, a passenger
on the Roanoke, Captain Doran of the
Columbia succeeded in launching four
life boats and two RATS before the
Columbia sank.
Flynn, in an interview, is quoted as
saying that SO passengers, all
men, got away in that manner, and
were saved; that Captain Doran acted
with great coolness in the face Of
death, and went down with his ship.
Flynn is further quoted as saying that
none of the hundred odd women were
saved.
Shorty after the collision the steam
ers Roanoke and George w. Elder and
the steam schooner Daisy Mitchell, all
southbound, came to the scene and
stood by. The Elder took the San Pc.
dro in tow and the last report an.
nounces their arrival in Eureka. The
stem of the San Pedro was smashed
to splinters, one Of her masts was
snapped a. the deck, anG she was set
ting and had a heavy list when taken
IN