Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-25

BY Associated Press
ASTORIA, Ore, July 24.-All night long
an eager throng awaited on the docks for
the arrival of the steamer George W..
Elder, which had on board many of the
survivors of the Inflated Columbia which
was sunk in collision with the steam
schooner San Pedro near Shelter Cove,
| Cal, early Sunday morning.
Hundreds of people relatives and
friends of the survivors, came from Port
land and various towns in oregon and
| Washington to greet their loved ones.
| Patiently they waited on the docks
throughout the night, huddled in groups,
their faces illumined with happiness and
chatting happily of the reunion of the
morrow.
The scene, however, was not without
its sorrow Here and there an eXpectant
| wife, a loving father a brother or sis
ter hoping against hope sank huddled and
disconsolate They were waiting for news
| of the missing, perhaps of the dead. II
| was the presence of the bereaved that
| held the throngs in check and here and
| there some man or woman more thought
| full of the rest endeavored to console
those poor folk whose eyes scanned the
sea so anxiously for glimpse of the
| Elder.
| ship comes over tne Bar
At last the lookout at Hammond tele-
phoned in to Astoria that the Elder was
| off the bar, and at 4:45 o'clock another
| message came that the Elder was almost
| inside.
| A great cheer greeted the news and the
watchers began pacing up and down the
| pier, nervously scanning the harbor to
| catch a glimpse of the steamer.
When at last the Elder finally was dis.
! cerned in the glow of the early morning
there was cheer after cheer. Hundreds of
people from all parts of the city were
added to the expectant crowds.
Long before the Elder was within ear
shot the people on the docks began
fusllade of questions, but it was useless.
1t was not long, however, before people
| on the dock recognized or thought they
could recognize their loved ones. and the
excitement grew more tense and demon
| strative.
The scene on the Elder was perhaps
still more animated Crowds of eager
people were gathered on the docks and
| long row of happy faces shone over the
rail. Hats were waved and the cheers of
the rescued mingled with the watchers on
shore.
Shouts of greeting went back and forth
as the Elder came to her dock, and cries
of How are you? and Are you all
right?" were punctuated now and ther
with the cry of a mother or father ap.
pealints for news of a loved one.
No More Life Rats Seen
There were pitiful scenes when it was
learned that the Elder had picked up
none of the Columbia's lifeboats or RATS
| All hope had departed for some, and they
slipped away from the merrymakers' to
hide their sorrow as best they might.
| 1t was only too true-the Elder had not
sighted any of the missing RATS or boats
and had picked up none OF the Victims
after leaving Eureka.
| AS the gang plank of the Elder was
| swung out on the dock there was mad
| rush to get on board the vessel, but Capt
| lessen, reluctant as he was to restrain
| the union of his passengers and friends
and relatives on shore, was Obliged to
maintain discipline.
When all was ready the survivors were
permitted to go ashore, some to stay In
| Astoria and others to go to Portland by
| train.
Astoria Extends Welcome
| It was a curious crowd that throngcd
down the gang plank. Attired in all sorts
of misfit garments, the passengers pre-
sented an odd appearance. There were
some who had fitted out in Eureka, but
it was not difficult to recognize the sur
vivors of the Columbia disaster.
| The scene on the dock is almost be-
yond words. Every possible demonstra-
ton of joy was unpent, and the hugging
and kissing continued for many minutes
Some few were overcome by the excite
ment of the meeting and some women
| tainted but were soon revived
Some of the rescued were carried off by
their friends and those among the rescued
| who were not greeted by friends were
| taken care of and made welcome by the
| good people of Astoria. Flowers were
distributed and hot coffee and other good
things were there for those who needed
| them.
Captain Jessen Tells of Wreck
Cant. lessen of the Elder made the fol-
| lowing statement to the Associated Press
correspondent concerning his part in the
! Columbia San Pedro disaster:
| when the Elder arrived on the scene
of the disaster the Columbia had already
gone down and the deck of the San
| Pedro was awasE Our first work was TO
| pick up many of the survivors as we
! could from the RATS and in the boats OF
| the Columbia The water was pretty
smooth and the fog was Just lifting. This
was about 6 o'clock in the morning
I'VE did all we could for the poor peo-
pie and succeeded in saving many lives,
as you alreduy KNOW. WIitl VIC lidu N'OiiS
all we could for the shipwrecked pas
sengers we made ready to take the San
Pedro in tow. This was difficult task
and once the San Pedro broke away from
us. Finally everything was made fast
and we towed her into Eureka The San
Pedro had as many people on board as
she could safely carry"
The representative of the Associated
Press m de a careful canvass among the
survivors and without exception the res
cued say the officers and crew of the
San Pedro could not have been more
kind. They did everything possible in
the work of rescue and fitted all they
could out with temporary clothing and
prepared for the people who were taken
aboard
Stories by Survivors
The survivors tell thrilling tales of their
rescue.
Miss Minnie Buxton of Portland says
she never felt any fear. She swan for n
long time before she was picked up by
boat No. G, which was already over
crowded, having twenty-eight people on
board In this boat were Bffie Gordon
and Ethel Johnson, the only children
saved.
ATiss p,,xton saws the most terrifving