The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-07-23
COLUMBIA
SURVIVORS

San Francisco, Cal, July 23.-The
Pacific coast steamer Pomona arrived
in San Francisco from Eureka this
morning, bringing from the latter
place one surviving passenger of the
wrecked steamer Columbia, Miss A.
Leidel, of this city, and thirty-two
members of the crew of the Columbia
who were saved from a complement
of fifty-nine. The Pomona brought no
bodies. An erroneous report had been
spread that the Pomona brought a
number of the Columbia's passengers,
and a throlg of eager men and wo-
men assembled on the dock. When
the gang plank was hOiSted to the
Pomona's deck the people were res
trained with difficulty from Chamber
ing aboard. Miss Leidell was too over
come by her experiences to talk to
the reporters, and the officers of the
Columbia refused to talk until they
had delivered their statements to the
company's officials.
1t is now hoped that the loss of life
will not be so large as first reported.
1t is known that of the 18S passengers
on the Columbia, 81 were saved by
the George w. Elder, which towed the
San Pedro to Eureka. There were So
in the crew of the Columbia and of
these SO were on the Elder.
Reports from Shelter Cove an
nounce the arrival of one boat with
Is more passengers and members of
the crew, leaving a total death roll
of 98 So far only one boat mas arriv-
ed at Shelter Cove. 1t is said that be-
fore the steamer sank six boats and
three life RATS were launched. These
are yet to be heard from, and it is
expected that steamers passing up
and down the coast will succeed in
picking them up. That so many es-
capped is accredited, strange to say,
to the fact that the boilers exploded
when the steamer was sinking, coun-
teracting the tremendous suction and
saving number of people in the wa
ter from being drawn into the vortex.
Many of the passengers on the Colum-
bia were teachers and their friends
who had been attending the National
Educational Association at Los An
geles.
about an hour before we sailed"
said Captain Swanson, of the Pomo-
ma, thirty or more survivors reached
Eureka from Shelter Cove. l did not
have an opportunity to learn their
names Many of the survivors have
been sent north to Portland on the
steamer George w. Elder, which res
cued eighty or ninety men and wom-
en- and took them to Eureka. Many of
the survivors who remained at Eure-
ka are being cared for in hospitals.
They are suffering from the shock and
exposure and grief"
Two FL Paso Teachers Lost.
Ell 7'aso, Tex, July 23.-Two El Pa
so victims of the Columbia steamship
tha Wallace. Miss Edna for five years
has been principal of Spanish in the
FL Paso High School, and had been
elected to the same position in the
University of Texas for the coming
year Miss Bertha lived in Austin,
where Miss Edna lived before coming
here They had been attending the
National Educational Association con
ventioa at Los Angeles.
Colorado Teachers in Wreck.
Denver, Colo, July 23-Miss Mary
Parsons, believed to have perished
in the Columbia disaster, was Den
yer school teacher. Miss Katrina Hay
den, another victim, was a teacher
at Colorado Springs. Both had been
in attendance at the National Educa-
tio1al Association convention.
Illinois Woman and Three Daughters.
Decatur, Ill, July 23.-Mrs. George
E. Kelter and three daughters, whose
names were included in last nights
list of dead in the Columbia disaster,
were the wife and children of George
E. Kelter, secretary OF the Decatur
Racing Association and one of the
wealthiest stockmen of central ILL
nois.