Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1907-07-22
Columbia. With Many Pas.
sengers. Went Down
Five Minutes After
Accident.
SAN PEDRO RAN
into HER IN A FOG
Scores Saved by Leaplng Into
Other Vessels Chains and on
Life Raft. But Majority Went
Down. Including Captain
of Wrecked Boat.

vi WiOOhOu DO0S.
San Francisco, Cal. July 22.-The
steamers Columbia and san Pedro
were in collision off Shelter cove,
Mendocino county at midnight Sat-
urday, the Columbia going down al
most Immediately with one hundred
her commander.
The Columbia left San Francisco
Saturday. sailing for Portland, ore.
She carried 1S9 passengers, 16S being
cabin passengers and Fl in the steer
age.
Heavy Fog the Cause.
There was heavy fog at the time
of the accident and neither vessel
was able to see the other, according
to survivors, until they were too close
to avoid collision. The Columbia
was struck on the port bow with
such terrific force that she was CUT
down to the waters edge and sank
| in about five minutes
Her ofhcers attempted to get out
the boats to save the passengers and
by their advice, many of the Column
bias passengers most of whom were
men, were saved by jumping into the
| outer rigging and chains of the San
Pedro from which they were hoisted
| to the deck. About 80 were saved in
this manner. They were taken from
| the San Pedro, which was drifting
aimlessly in the ocean trying to re-
pair her damage, several hours later
| by the steamer Roanoke.
San Pedro Picked Up.
The San Pedro was picked up later
| by the steamer George w. Elder and
is being towed to Eureka.
She was comparatively unhurt be-
yond a severe cave-in near her bows.
which, however, did not let in more
water than could be handled by her
pumps. Her passengers and crew
were unhurt as far as can be learn
| ed.
1t is impossible to obtain list Of
the dead because the list of the sur
vivors is not known and cannot be
| obtained until the Roanoke arrives
here with them, which will be this
evening.
Drowned I'm Bcrths.
There were a number or thrilling
| escapes, but as most of the passen-
4 gers We're asleep at the time, many
of them drowned in their cabins. be-
| ing unable to escape In the few mo-
ments before the ship sunk.
| The rescued passengers commend
| the bravery of the captain and crew
of the Columbia, many of whom es-
| pecially the captain, took no thought
| of themselves, but attempted to save
their passengers The same unselfish
disposition was found aboard the San
| Pedro.
Collision at Midnight.
| The collision occurred at midnight
when all on board save the lookout
and the officer on the bridge were
asleep. The Columbia was steaming
north at an easy rate Suddenly out
| of the fog loomed the dark huh OF
! the steam schooner San Pedro, south
bound, evidently out of her course.
whistles We're blown and frantic ef-
forts made by the helmsman of each
vessel to avert the collision, but to
no avail.
Drown Like Rats.
The San Pedro struck the steamer
| on the port bow, tearing an Inn
mense hole in her side through which
the water rushed in a great volume.
Alarms sounded throughout the pas
| senger ship and the terrified pas
sengers scrambled from their state
rooms In the effort to escape from
the doomed vessel, but the time was
too short, =
The vessel sank within five minutes
of the time of the collision. A life
raft was launched with number OF
passengers but only a few of the
entire number aboard We're saved.
one hundred lives were lost.
The steamer Roanoke, carrying
the rescued passengers reached here
this evening bringing the first news
of the disaster. Shelter Cove. where
the collision occurred, is 17s miles
up lHt Quasi.
The life raft bearing a number Of
| survivors, is being towed to this port
by the Daisy Mitchell.
The Vessels.
| The Columbia was an iron screw
steamer of 2,122 tons register. She
was built i'm 1850 by ]. Bosh a Son.
of Chester, Pa, and she was owned
by the San Francisco and Portland
steamship co. The san Pedro is a
wooden steamer built In 1899 In ABB
erdeen. Washington.
Every Woman Lost.
| Late this afternoon II Is reported
that eighty Of the passengers and
crew of the Columbia were saved and
that $50 We're drowned including
ICaptain Doran. The steamer Roanoke
lspoke the steamer George w. Elder
and the latter had on board eighty
eight of the passengers and crew of
the Columbia, who were taken of
the steamer san Pedro.
The san Pedro had her stern gone
ward. Her main mast was gone and
her foremast sprung; her cargo was
gone and she was in water logged
condition. The Elder was trying %
tow her to Eureka but was making
slow progress.
According to j. c. Flynn, a rescued
passenger, every woman passenger
was lost.
The body of Ed Butler. supposed
to be from Portsmouth, Ohio, has
been brought here. Miss Florence
Thompson, of Johnston, Ohio. and