The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-24
SURVIVORS TELL
NARROWING TALE
| OF the Total on Board
Doomed Steamer Col
unbia 1o7 Live.
SHATTERED HULL
SANK LIKE SHOT
Many Storage Passengers Did
Not Have Time to Reach
the Deck-N Woman Tells
OTHER Own and
Others Expe-
| riences.

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, July 23.-|
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company
passenger steamer Pomona arrived inI
San Francisco from Eureka at 0:30|
to day, bringing from the latter place
one Of the surviving passengers of the
wrecked steamer Columbia and the
thirty two members&of the Columbla's
crew. who were saved out Of her total
complement OF flfty-nine. The pas
senger is Mrs. Liedell, of this city.
The Pacific Coast Company's dock
with people when the high black hull
Of the Pomona hove In sight around
the bend In the water front. The first
comment from the watchers was "She
| brings no bodies.,'2 for the flag at her
stern-rail was flying a t the masthead.
| The starboard rail OF the Pomona was
black with passengers, and here and
there among them. as the vessel ran
alongside the wharf. were discovered
members OF the Inflated Columba's
/ crew, whom the crowd upon the dock
| picked out by the fnondescript cloth
| ing they. wore. ;fi!s
4 Curious Crowd Greets Them.
An erroneous report had been spread
that the. Pomona brought a number OF
T. the Co1umbia's passeH gers, and this
in part accounted for the throng OF
eager men and women assembled upon
the dock. When the gang-plank was
hoisted to the Ponlona's deck. officers
|of4the Pacific Coast Company had diff
Guilty in restraining people from
i clamhering aboard. sThe crowd was
open, while the passengers came
ashore. Each was stopped at the foot
4 of the gang plank and asked excitedly,
4 Were you a passenger upon the Co
tlumbia o. With one exception the an
swer was N o..
The exception was :Mls. Liedell.
j Clothed from head to foot in a; dark
brown ulster. and her ersfsatures hidden
5jby brown veil tied over. her. hat and
4 under her chin. she ca me- falteringly
i down the plank and made ller way
4 uncertainty through the crowd. She
i held her handkerchief to :,c,S face a $
she walked, and, when asked by. news.
paper men for a recital OF her&expe-
rience. she, broke into tears anG turned,
! shaking g her head.
don't want to say anything.
don't want to talk she lnurmured.
Later. Mrs. 5Liedell consented to talk,
and IN describing her experience said:
i Story Told by Survivor.
4 When the crash occurred 1 got out
y OF my stateroom. Every one was ex-
n cited: every one except the captain.
4 He stood son the bridge. his arms ex-
tended begging the pass engers to be
q cla m The crew stood at the Loats cut
! TIN G. away at the lines that hold them.
There Was no chance to lower them.
a All who could piled into the boats Lots
. OF people jumped over the side. irving
% climb on to bits of wreckage, which
were floating In the water. 1 did no
81 nave time to think. ran to- the side.
There under the side was raft. There
4 was nobody oni It. jumped and ctruck
on the raft. Other women got on ia
lt, a lso. Some crawled from the wa er,
others jumped from the boas. Then
!; the Columbia went down, bow first The
ra1t drlrted around and water was over
! U.s., Two women and a little child
8 were washed off. and never saw them
was weak. She hegged MO to helm
her. tried to hold her on but
!, was too weak. She died before nv
a eyes. Oh. acannot forget that III
ID never forget that. She drowned and
could not help her. Who she was
Y don't know. Now and then got q
I glimpse of another raft orIboat. WE
: : sot some pieces Of wood aftcriawhilf
! ana used them for oars. and finally
- must have been hours aftorward we
: climbed on the San Pedro. 1t wa
terrible climb UP her side.
: Many Swept Into NVntcr.
Men helped, but | felt SO cold and
weak never thought l woul,l get owe,
! II. The waves kept striking over MS
> We We're dripping wet and it was sc
= cold & Onsthe San Pedro we were sit.
ting on two little narrow pieces O.
s lumber. Suddenly a wave carried ava,
tne lumber we We're sitting on. W.
mana ged to stay on the ship however :
8 put there We're many got that far who
]. got no further, for withoutfnny warn
: Ing the rear mast Of the San Pedr,
! gave way and swept several into til,
/. sea- One or two We're brought bacl
/ awe, but of the others we saw moth
s Ing, And the darkness hanging owe
~ cContinued on Second Page.) 43.