Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-07-23
CAPTAIN GOES DOWN
WITH The VESSEL
Columbia Goes Down Five
Minutes After Being Struck
While the Passengers are
Helples S to Save
Themselves

San Francisco. July 22.-News was
received here today that the steamers
Columbia and San Pedro were in col
lision of Shelter Cove in Mendocino
county at midnight Saturday and that
the Columbia was sunk and one hun
dred lives were lost.
There was heavy fog at the time
the San Pedro. heavily laden with lum-
ber, struck the Columbia on her port
bow with such terrific force that she
| was cut down to the water and sank
IN about five minutes.
100 Find Watery Grave,
About one hundred people sank with
1 her to watery graves The rest, num-
bering about eighty, we're saved by
clinging to the San Pedro, from which
vessel they were rescued some hours
later by the Roanoake.
Captain Doran Of the Columbia went
down with the vessel.
The San Pedro was picked up by the
steamer George W. Elder and Is now
being towed into Eureka.
| No Time to Save Passengers.
The collision occurred at midnight
when all on board save the lookout
and the officer on the bridge were
asleep in their berths.
The Columbia was steaming north at
q high rate, having left here at noon
Saturday.
Suddenly out of the fog loomed tho
dark hulk Of the San Pedro, south
bound which was evidently out Of her
course whistles were blown and fran
tic efforts were made by the helms
man Of each vessel to avert colliS-
ion, but they were Of no avail.
The San Pedro struck the steamer
on the port bow, tearing an immense
hole in it's side through which the
/ water rushed in great volume.
! Alarms were sounded Throughout
4 the passenger ship and the terrified
passengers scrambled from their state
rooms in an effort to escape from the
doomed vessel. But the time was too
shirt to aid the life savers and the ves-
sci sank within five minutes Of the
time Of the collision.
Only Few Rescued.
A life raft was launched with mum.
ber OF passengers on board, but only
a few of the entire number aboard
were saved. One hundred lives were
lost
The steamer Roanoake, carrying
number of the dead and some OF the
rescued passengers. reached here this
morning
Shelter Cove, where the collision oc-
CURED, is 179 miles up the coast.
A life raft bearing number Of sur
vivors is being towed to port by the
Daisy Mitchell. The San Pedro Is be-
; ing towed to Eureka.
The Columbia carried crew of "a
men under Captain p A. Doran. who
lost his life with the ship.
, Death List Placed at 100.
The latest report says hat eighty Of
the passengers and crew Of the Co
lumba were saved and 150 drowned
!, According to J. G. Flynn a rescued
passenger Of the Columbia, every wom-
| an passenger on board was lost.
Death List Unknown.
} One of the most distressing features
, of the accident is that UP to IL O'clock
r today there is complete ignorance Of
. the names of the drowned or survivors.
, Miss Florence Thompson Of Johnston,
,, Ohio, and Miss Eva Brooker OF Frank
lin, KY, are known to be among the
lost.
Scores Drown In Ohio.
Lorain, o. July pa score Of men
were precipitated into the river here
J this morning and several were drown
ed. The men were employed in the
shipyards and were leaning against
the rail- waiting for the bridge to be
I closed when the rail broke and twen-
5 ty went into the river
3 Two bodies have been taken from
;, the water Undoubtedly some OF
/ those missing are still In the water.
81 All the dead and missing are foreign.
ers.