Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-24

nounce the arrival of one boat with
fifteen more OF the passengers and
crew. leaving the total death roll a.
ninety-eight.
So far only one boat has arrived at
Shelter Cove. 1t Is said that before the
steamer sank six boats and three life
RATS We're launched. These are vet to
be heard from and 1t is expected that
steamers passing up and down the
coast viii succeed In picking them up.
That so many escaped Is accredited.
strange to say to the fact that the
boilers exploded when the steamer
was sinking, counteracting the tre-
mend0us suction and saving a number
OF people in the water from being
drawn into the vortex.
Not a few passengers on the Coz
lumbia We're teachers, and their
friend, who have been attending the
National Educational association con-
vention at Los Angeles.
Swan 10 Safety With Broken Arm.
To his own prowess as a swimmc-
John Swift, ex-firemen on the Colum-
bia can attribute his safe arrival on
the Pomona today. With an arm
broken In two places, he swan TO
some wreckage after the Columbia
sank and clung there until taken
aboard the John w. Elder. Swift
With John Roache was working IN the
Columbla's fire room when the crash
occurred Roache went on deck to
ma out what had occurred and to
iena hand IN clearing away the
boats. Not until ROache yelled down
the ventllator that the ship was in
great danger. did Swift know what
mad occurred. He scrambled up the
iron stairway of the fire room and had
barely reached the deck when the
vessel gave lurch and the whole
starbOard side went under water.
fortunately he had come out on tho
port side, where, in the darkness, he
did not know. Before the enormity
of the disaster dawned upon him there
was another lurch, wave swept him
from his feet and the next minute he
was swimming In the water.
don't remember what happened
after that until came to, floating
about in the water. 1t was perfectly
dark didn't have life preserver
on and | don't know how / managed
to keep afloat all that time. | tried
TO move. My left arm hurt terribly.
Then | noticed 1t was limp and real
lied that 1t must have been broken.
swan to a piece of timber floating
by. | clung there until the Elder came
along and picked me up"
Communication with Eureka both
by telegraph and telephone Is still in
terrupted and no further details OIL
the disaster or facts regarding the SUR
yivors have been received during the
day.
Captain Died at His Post.
G. Murphy, waiter, one of the sur
vivors of the Columbia, who arrived
here today, said;
When the San Pedro struck us,
the shock awOke me right away. The
next moment the second steward
called us to our fire drill posts and II
ran to the deck on the starboard side
toward the stern, where my post was
When ] saw the San Pedro l knew
what was up. ! was pretty sure she
was sinking, so | ran into every cabin
shaking the people In the hunks and
dragging out their life preservers. II
putting life preservers on
eight women on that side. Every
body was cool, but nobody knew what
TO do. They stood around dazed and
let me put the strap over their should
ers just like children without asking
questions or trying to help themselves
would not let them stop to dress.
The boat lay on her right side un-
iii she sunk Wnen we we're all cling
Ing TO the port rail. hardly any of us
with any clothes on, the captain stood
on the bridge and looked down on
u.s. and said:
We'll, boys, did all could for
you and I can do no more. She's a
gOner. Goodbye"