The Irish standard., 1907-08-17
Brave CAPT. DORIAN
Heroic Master of Ill Fated Co.
lumbla Met Death
Fearlessly.
Was Born in County Down Ire
p land Fifty Years Ago.

\; The name of brave Captain Doran
Master Mariner, who went down wit!
his ship, the Columbia, at midnigh'
last Saturday Off the Mendocinc
coast, has gone around the world, says
the San Francisco Monitor. The story
of his courage and brave presence OF
mind has been already told in man!
tongues, and the last greeting he gave
the world as the waters of the ocear
closed about him-"Good-bye Goo
bless yeu!''-have passed many lips as
q prayer.
Catholics involuptarily lift up their
hearts in prayer for the souls of tn:
swift when news of sucl
a disaster as the sinking of the Co
lumbia comes to them. Perhaps more
than the wonted prayers were silently
sent to Heaven when tidings OF this
latest ragedy of the sea came home
For to many the brave captain of the
Inflated ship was known as fellow
member of the Catholic Church
Captain Parick Doran was a pew
holder in St. Vincent de Pauls parish,
where both he and his wife attended.
The home of Captain Doran was at
2l1O Union street.
I. When the Columbia received her
death blow Captain Doran bravelE
mounted the bridge in order the
more quickly to direct the work of
rescue or save the steamer, If that
were possible. He was an experienced
NAVIGATOR and well known all along
the Pacific coast For years. in sun
and fog. he had carried his steamship;
in safety from port to port, and no
man knew the rocky coast better than
he. Captain Doran was years ago
master of steam schooners running in
and out of this port, and later had the
steamship Charles Nelson. Still later
he was in command of the Pomona,
81 the Pacific Coast Steamship COM
pany's line, running to Eureka.
In 1899 Captain Doran was selected
to command the steamer George W.,
Elder on what was known as the Har-
riman voyage to Alaska at the time
E. H. Hartman and a party Of scien-
fists made an extensive tour of Alas
kan waters and the Boring Sea, the
voyage extending over a period of two
months. He showed such an accurata
knowledge of the northern coast dur
ing the course of that trip that he was
APPOINTED soon after his return to the
command of the Columbia, finest of
steamships running to Portland. He
had since been constantly on the
route.
It took just seven minutes for the
Columbia to sink out Of sight after the
San Pedro had cut into her hull. Yet
in those seven minutes such good
use did the brave and level-headed
Captain Doran make Of his time tina:
1852 of the 245 souls on board were
saved.
Inspired by the splendid example #
Captain Doran, the crew of the Co.
lunbia went about their work in quiet
ing the passengers and getting them
into life RATS and boats, with won
derful calmness. But the sea poured
into the shattered hull with ominous
swiftness. Through it all the captain
stood upon the bridge and directed the
He knew that his time had come, and
had made up his mind to die on the
bridge with his vessel, and to the las:
< directed the work of saving his pas.
sengers. r
And this is the way the skipper Of
the Columbia died. AS the waves be-
gan to splash the upper decks he was
still shouting orders to his crew, and
encouragement to his passengers
When the waves began to lap abou!
bis feet he still chung to the rail. and
with his feet firmly planted on the
bridge he went down with his ship.
Just before the ship gave the final
slurth Captain Doran's voice was
heard for the last time. 1t rang out
like the; notes of clarion. "Good-bye!
God, bless you ALL" he said.
Captain Doran was only so years
az age; a man in the prime of his life
what a man he was needs no TELLING
his gallant. death. a prayer and a
blessing on his lips. tells that story
better than any words.
E$s Captain Doran was born in Kilkeel
County Down, Ireland, August 10
sIss7.
When a child he left home and went
Ito Scotland. and has since visited al
most every country in the world. Sew
Seral times he returned to visit his
parents in Ireland and never forgot the