Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-24
STORY OF THE WRECK
Professor Lewis Graphic Tale
 of Columbia Disaster.
BOILERS EXPLODED AS SHIP SANK

"Catastrophe Was over Ten Minutes After Vessels Crashed Together; All Might Have Been Saved" Says Seattle Man.
 EUREKA, Cal, July 24.-Approx imately 150 of 249 souls on board tht steamship Columbia escaped death when that vessel went to the bottom neT Shelter cove in a collision with the steam schooner San Pedro. One r hundred and seven of the Colunbia's passengers and thirty-seven of her crew have been brought to this port by the steamship George W. Elder which lowed the San Pedro from the scene of the disaster to Eureka. Professor William Hardin Lewis of Seattle gave this account of the wreck
 As nearly as l can learn the col
 hsion occurred at about 12:15. The shock was hardly noticeable, but ] heard the crash and a scraping sound For, few seconds I heard no other sound and decided to await develop l one of the crew shouting, All hands on deckn
 Without any waste of time, though not in real hurry. I completely dress. ed, even to buttoning my vest. tying my cravat and facing one of my shoes, but decided not to lace the other be. cause l might need to remove them in case I had to swim. After adjusting life preserver gathered up my two grips and two bundles and began to scurry for the stairway near the stern.
 "The vessel was tilting more every second as I moved along the side. Several men and some women were running about, asking for life pre- servers, and I told them all to look in their own berths. As I passed along I noticed boat filled with peo- pie, and others were trying to chamber into 1t. Those inside were pleading that no more should get in because the boat would surely sink, sol left them and climbed over the ships rail just in time to keep from sliding across the steep deck down into the water on the lower side.
 Within very short time the vessel sank until the water touched my an- kles, when I sprang into the ocean, hoping to swim far enough away to avoid the whirlpool which thought surely must follow the ship when 1t sank. had taken about twenty five strokes and began to be in dismay be- cause seemed to make so little head way when the side of the ship toppled down toward me. As the water cov- cred the boilers a great hissing was followed by an explosion which heaved large quantity of water and wreck age toward me.
 T was carried farther from where the ship was sinking, but the rushing mass of tangled timbers caused me fresh alarm, so continued my efforts to swim away until, on turning my head, saw that the pile had spread out nearly flat and that some things had almost overtaken me. A few strokes brought me to a raft, upon which I scrambled, and as looked around no one appeared within twenty yards of me. All I could do was sim. ply to await results, for I had no means of moving the raft about nor a rope that could be thrown within reach of any one.
 Although the catastrophe was over within ten minutes after the collision, am sure there was plenty of time for all to have left the ship with life preservers had they merely known where they were stored and how they were put on. That could easily have been learned by all who were willing to take the time for reading the con. spicuous signs that were on the walls of all the staterooms"
 Miss Leidell stated that she was asleep in her berth when the accident occurred. She ran out on the deck and leaped into the water, as she thought. but fortunately she landed on one of the half submerged rafts and was not badly hurt. She said a woman with a child fin her arms followed, but fell into the water. and both were drown ed. Just before the Columbia went down, Miss Leidell said. Captain Do- ran tied down the whistle cord and, throwing his hands up. cried out: Good by. God bless your
 Sixteen names were added to the list of survivors of the Columbia San Pedro collision when a ship landed at Shelter cove with sixteen survivors. The boat also contained two dead bod les. that of Mrs. O. A Lewis of Pasa- dena. Cal, and an unknown man, pre-