The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-23
SHIPS CRASH; 1888 LIVES LOST
PASSENGER STEAMER GOES DOWN
OFF CALIFORNIA COAST.

or az Midnight IN Dense Fog women
and Children Are EnguIfcd while
Asleep I'm Their Beds Below Decks.
SAN Francisco. July 27.-The passenger
steamer Columbia was sunk last Sunday
morning on the coast Of Mendocino county
after a.collision with the steam schooner
San Pedro.
Eighty-ni women and ninety-n min men
were drowned out Of a total of 24s passen-
gers and crew on board.
Fifty persons escaped by lesping to the
San Pedro's deck.
our lifeboats are reported tonight to
ave been picked up and on the way to
Eureka. one containing thirteen people.
another one. another fifteen and another
with an unknown number.
The Columbia sank in eleven minutes,
which gave the women and children who
we're asleep below no chance to escape and
which also drowned all the engineering
force.
The disaster seems to have been due to
the carelessness of the captain Of the San
Pedro, who was out Of his course
The vessels crashed together in a heavy
fog and most OF those who escaped leaped
from the 81 liking Columbia to the decks Of
the San Pedro. Capt. Doran Of the Column
bia went down with his ship
The news was brought to this city by the
steamer Roanoke. which spoke the survivors
Sunday morning.
The Columbia left here last Saturday
morning with a heavy passenger list and
much freight. AT midnight she wa steam
ing along under the slow bell. ten miles off
Point Delgado on the Mendocino coast.
In a dense fog which hid everything a few
feet IVA
Suddenly out Of the fog doomed up the
dark hull OF the steam chooner San Pedro.
south bound. which was evidently out Of
its course. Whistles were blown and the
helmsmen OF both vessels triel to avert a
collision. but in vain
The San Pedro strucS the steamer on
the port bow, tearing an immense hole in
her side, through WHICH. the water rushed.
Alarms we're sounded throughout the
Columbia, and the passengers scrambled
from their staterooms.
The vessel sank within eleven minutes
from the time Of the collision. A life raft
was launched with a number Of passengers
on board. but only a few were saved on it.
Many Of the passengers were asleep and
never knew that danger was near until
they we're engulfed
The fact that the San Pedro was lumber
laden was all that prevented her from
sharing the same fate. as water poured into
her hold, but her load Of lumber buoyed
her up.
From midnight when the steamers struck
the survivors drifted in the fog covered
sea until daybreak Sunday morning. when
the fog raised and they were sighted by the
steamer George W. Elder. She took the
half Head survivors from the rigging and
piles Of the San Pedro. The San
Pedro was then deserted until the George
w. Elder had searched the ocean for boats
and RATS. As soon as the ifeboats and
RATS we're found the Elder returned and
took the San Pedro in % for Eureka.
where they arrived safely this afternoon.
Before the Elder had left the vicinity of
the accident several boats were sighted.
Among these was the Roanoke. commanded
by Capt. Durham. Some three miles
north OF the scene Of the disaster Capt.
Durham sighted ron the bridge OF his
weasel a life raft, which was hauled aboard.
After a thorough search lasting several
hours the Roanoke proceeded to this port.
-0n Sunday morning." said Capt. Dun
ham. Il sighted the George W. Elder tow
ing the disabled steam lumber schooner
that afterward proved TO be the San Pedro.
l learned from the captain OF the steamer.
Capt. lessen, that the steam schooner
had collided with the Columbia az midnight
the night before in a heavy fog. the CO.
lumbia sinking within eleven minutes after
the crash. He told me that eighty-njne
had been saved"
Among those lost in the wreck are:
wife, Mis-. Florence as' LEWIS evil; s Mrs M AZ RoS ok saf
! M,s W s n ss' s sSd wit H., MT <, l. Fs,E 7; %ini mr.:
WI 'inssis and. wife. Miss Anna BahieaHn..
Mr. Mr.; N 3; s S.s.en Mi si.. rIfS sssi fo1 Tas%PSsG I.:
Shaw Ms:; \; e. be$sqa; Miss RUBY Cooper.
Msrinsals and wife, Mis-: Cora schulz. Miss
Gslsfud 4 B $sisf. a. Miss I. E %i"sios sri :sS. s Mi:.
M Msy,o moS SI., Y y (. J Rss5i ! Bef Me-. nIss $ Msis
lace, Miss b Wallace. Mrs. J. Benson. Miss
Cooper. Miss Msbelle Ws,sons Miss Mabel
Wife. Miss b: Husser. Mrs X y: Cannon Miss
Gllasky. Sarah A. Roberts. Mrs. Carrie Martin.
Mis- MI. & 4. ! !. ffssGiTa z. Niss sIS!s Ms and Ss siis..
Miss Grace + Keller: Mas Essie b Ke1sr.
Miss May Walter, Miss N. Mclenno9, Mrs.
A. Gray. Miss A. u. Cowell, Mrs. Jane r. Best.
Mrs. J, J. Drake, Miss =. Cannon. Miss Shout
diel, Mrs. Blanche =, Gordon, Mrs. r.. Ander-
son, Miss u, Churchley. Miss Mary y. Cox.
Mrs. D. r.. Lidelt. 3. Lpman and wife. Miss
Julia Matek. Miss Frances SCHROEDER. Mrs.
A. Kellar, Miss W, White. Miss Alma Il.
Kellar, Mrs. William Soules. Miss A. Burnell,
Miss MADEIRA Sparks and Mrs. T.. Silva.
The Mendocino coast at the point where
the Columbia and San Pedro coilided Ia the
burying ground for several other large
steamers that have gone to the bottom in
the last few years.
Near the hull and boilers Of the old steam
er Humboldt. which was wrecked several
years ago, rests the steel steamer st. Paul,
which went ashore a year and a half ago.
or the st. Paul's 200 passengers there was
a life lost.
In the fall Of 1905, shortly before the