The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-07-27

and mothers and children became lost
to each other in the excitement when
the boats collided.
lhat some poor navigation was made
and that the lives lost are upol the
nead OF someone is generally conceded.
II is SAID that the San Pedro was under
SLOW bell and the Columbia. accord
ing 10 the testimony of passengers. was
gong fuil speed. II is said she was
neaded west when the collision oc-
cufed, and one passenger stated that
the Columbia crossed the bow. o. at
tempted to cross, the bow of the San
Pedro
H. Hawse, third officer on the Co
lumbla, said he was in his room al the
time OF the wreck and he noted the
snock and heard the alarm given. He
makes the official statement that the
Columbia toated eleven minutes after
the san Pedro struck her. officer
1a"se tells of the heroic rescue of
woman passenger by Maybelle Watson
who resides in Berkeley. California.
MISS watson was in one of the small
ooats with about twenty of the passan-
gers and crew. The boat capsized
when he ship went under and they all
went down. Only about ten or twelve
wfo fan on life preservers, came up.
Miss Watson had been in the wat er
about thirty minutes when young
wcrlap appealed to her for help. She
had put her life preserver on wrong
and could not keep her head above wa
ter. Miss Watson asked someone -
help but all refused She held the
girls head above water for almost
two hours. The girl was unconscious
lnost of the time. When Officer Hawse
approached in boat and asked Miss
Watson to give him her hand so that
re could help her in. she refused as
sistance until they had lifted her IN
conscious companion aboard. When
the tive girls were taken on board the
San Pedro the doctors said that Miss
Wa1son'S companion was beyond re-
ooyery. but when they learned of the
heroic efforts Of Miss Watson to save
her they worked hard and the young
woman revived and is now all right.
Miss Watson is only sixteen years OF
age.
Captain Doran Hero.
J. s. Flynn, passenger on the Co
lumbia, gives this graphic description
OF tho wreck:
NV God, how fortunate l am to
surviVe this terrible disaster off the
MenGocino coast. In allowing my mind
to gG' her in the details of that terrible
Wreck my heart goes out to the rela,
t!ves and friends of Capt. P. A. Do
ran Of the Columbia and his conscien
tious and competent seamen.
"a hero in the face of a terrible dis
ester. he went down to his grave with
his ship after he had performed one
Of the most heroic feats that ever
c.me TO my notice. Captain Doran, in
| FIVE minutes, which was the length oi
time the Columbia remained above Wa
ter after she was struck. launched four
GoatS and two RATS with eighty -eigh.
pass u gers from the doomed ship.
"All passengers below the HURT
cane deck, and the engineering force
at work in the hold of the vessel, were
given no chance for their lives, bu'
were drowned like rats. Most of the
passengers were women. They mac
retired early in the evening and mus
have been sound asleep at the time oI
the collision. From my personal OBJ
scrvation, l did not see a single wo
man saved.
1T was foggy at the time. We werG
proceeding, think, under a slow bell
The San Pedro, which sailed from
Eureka, lumber-laden. was proceeding
ct high rate of speed, and it is m,
relief that the consequences of tbs
disaster rest entirely upon the shoul
ders OF the San Pedro's master. We
struck at right angle, about midships
and sank almost Immediately. III
backing away from the Columbia thu
San Pedro allowed the passengel
steamer to fill, and in five minutes the
Columbia had sunk from sight.
Il don't think l will ever forget th'
terrible scenes of panic which ensuet
Upon the half-lit deck of the Columbia
Men rushed panic stricken the entir'
length of the deck, and fought witt
their fellow passengers for chance
to escape death. Above all the disor
de- Captain Doran, cool and collected
strove to maintain order and in the
Wild confusion succeeded in puttins
over the side all of the starboa"1
boats.
After passing through ten miles o.
wreckage on our way here the Roam
oke succeeded in picking up life raft
Under this raft was found the deaS
Lody of man in life preserver.
There was another man in the
room with me. Lord knows what be
came OF him. l was in one of the boats
which was picked up by the ROANOKE
and in this manner managed to escap"
recall the captain of the Roanoke
having offered his assistance to the
Elder. but that vessel reported tha
she was able to make Eureka al
right"