The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-23
OVER HUNDRED DROWN.
Dreadful Disaster Occurred In
Pacific Ocean.
SCHOONER SINKS STEAMER
Columbia, Bound From San Francisco
to Portland, Cut In Two by the San
Pedro and Goes Down With All but
About Eighty Persons.

San Francisco, July 23.-The steam.
err Columbia. bound from this port to
Portland collded with the schooner
San Pedro off Shelter Cove. Medicine
county There was a heavy bay at
the time. and the San Pedro, which
was heavy loaded with lumber struck
the Columbia on her low with such
terrible force that she was cut down
to the water and sank in about five
with the Columbia and the rest, mum
bering about eighty. were saved by
clinging on to the San Pedro, from
which vessel they were rescued some
hours later by the steamer Roanoke.
Captain L. A. DOran of the Columbia
went down with his vessel. The San
Pedro was picked up by the steamer
George w. Elder and lowed to Eureka.
The Columbia was an iron screw
steamer of 1872 tons register. She
was built In 1880 by J. Roach & Son at
Francisco aud Portland Steamship
company. She was 1884 feet long.
1856 beam and 232 draught.
The San Pedro was wooden
steamer Of 456 tons register, built in
1889 at Aberdeen. Wash. Size was
1891 feet long. "a feet beam and 1879
feet draught.
At noon Monday It was reported
that $50 went down with the Columbia
The collision occurred at midnight
when all on board, save the lookout
and officer on the bridge. were asleep
in their berth. The Columbia was
steaming north at an easy rate. having
left here at noon Saturday. Suddenly
out Of the fog doomed the dark hulk
of the San Pedro. southbound. which
evidently was out of her course
Whistles were blown and frantic eff
forts made by helmsman of each vessel
to avert collision. but to no avail.
The San Pedro struck the Columbia In
her port bow. causing hole in her
side through which the water rushed
In great volume. Alarms were
sounded throughout the passengership
and the terrified passengers scrambled
from staterooms in an effort to escape
from the doomed vessel, but the time
was too short to put on life savers.
The life raft was launched with a
number of passengers on board, but
board were saved.
The steamer Roanoke. carrying a
number of the dead and some Of the
rescued passengers reached here at
6:15 Monday morning, bringing the
first news of the disaster. The dead
were conveyed to the mOrgue.
Shelter Cove, where the awful COLI
sion occurred, is 179 miles up the coast
number of survivors on the life
raft are being towed to this port by
the Daisey Mitchell.
During the earthquake and fire the
Columbia was lying at the dry dock OF
the Union Iron works and the shock
lOosened some Of her blocks. with the
result the vessel capsized. but she
was entirely refitted, and when she
left on her last trip she carried full
list of passengers
The San Pedro, commanded by Cap
tain Sansen. was recently sold to the
Eastern and Western Lumber COM
pany.
, The steamer Roanoke spoke the
steamer George w. Elder and the lat
ter had on board eighty eight passen
gers and crew from the Columbia
taken off the steamer San Pedro. The
San Pedro was damaged considerably
onward. Her main mast Is gone and
oremast sprung. her cargo gone and
she Is in a waterlogged condition.
Tho Poo noko nick Cd I'M a hOdV Sl1D-
posed to be Edward Butler and
brought 1t to this city.
According to J. G. Flynn, a passen-
ger on the Columbia, every woman on
board was lost