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 ~
lninety-eight.
So far only one boat has arrived at
Shelter Cove. II Is said that before the
steamer sank six boats and three life
RATS We're launched. These are yet TO
be heard from and IL Is expected that
steamers passing up and down the
coast Will succeed in picking them up.
That so many escaped Is accreditei A..
strange to say, to the fact that the
boilers exploded when the steamer
was sinking, counteracting the tre-
mendous suction and saving "A number
of people in the water from being
drawn into the vortex.
Not few passengers on the Co.
lumbia We're teachers, and their
friend, who have been attending the
National Educational association eoh-
vention at Los Angeles.
Swan to Safety With Broken Arm.
To his own prowess as a swimmer
John Swift. eX-firemen on the Column
bia can attribute his safe arrival on
broken in two places, he swan "a
some wreckage after the Columbia
sank and clung there until taken
aboard the John w. Elder. Swift,
with John Roache was working in the
Columbia's fire room when the crash
find out what had occurred and to
lend e hand in clearing away the
boats. Not until Roache yelled down
the Ventilator that the ship was in
great danger, did Swift know what
had occurred. He scrambled up the
iron stairway of the fire room and had
barely reached the deck when the
vessel gave a lurch and the whole
starboard side went under water.
Fortunately he had come out on the
port side where. i'm the darkness. he
did not know. Before the enormity
of the disaster dawned upon him there
was another lureh, a wave swept him
from his feet and the next minute he
was swimming in the water.
Il don't remember what happened
after that until | came to, floating
about In the water. IL 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 ii was limp and real
lied that il 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 OF
the disaster or facts regarding the sur
vivors have been received during the
day.
Captain Died at His Post.
c. Murphy, a 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
ran to the deck on the starbOard side
toward the stern, where my post was
When | saw the San Pedro | knew
what was up. ! was pretty sure sh"
was sinking. so | ran into every cabin
shaking the people in the hunks and
dragging out their life preservers. L
remember 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
I would not let them stop to dress.
The boat lay ON her right side un-
I'll she sunk. When we were all cling
ing to the port rail hardly any OF W.
with any clothes on, the captain stood
on the bridge and looked down on
US, and said
"Well. boys, I did all | could for
you and | can do no more. She's a
soner. Goodbye.