Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-30
SPEED CAUSE
OFDLSASTER
STEAMSHIP COMPANIES BLAMED
FOR WRECKS AT SEA
SCHEDULES TOO FAST, SAYS
SECOND OFFICER
Investigation Of Loss of Columbia,
Which Went Down with Scores of
Passengers, Is Begun In
San Francisco
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 29.-The re-
| sponsibility of the companies which by
| iron schedules compel their masters of
ships to go at speed that their own
consciences tell them is unsafe, was the
feature of the Columbia wreck >investiga-
ton before Capt. Birmingham today.
Second Officer Agerups testimony es-
tablished more clearly thans had been
done before the fact that captains are
| compelled to run their ships at full speed
along dangerous coast in foggy wealth
er and in a course navigated by many
vessels.
"Is 1t the usual practice on this coast
| to go full speed?" asked Capt. Bermlng-
| ham.
1.-THE captain always slowed UP when
| he heard a steamer ahead" was the
answer
| question as to whether 1t was neces-
| sary to go at full speed In order to make
the schedule elected the statement that
| there was a certain time allowed for the
| round trip of coast steamships and that
| it was necessary to arrive at certain
| hour to get in on the tide and avoid de-
| lay.
"Did the ship never slow up unless
| there was a steamer ahead!
Seldom Slowed UP
"I can't recollect that we ever did 1t
| might be once in a great while, perhaps,
especially in very bad weather." said
| Agerup.
Attorney George A. Knight, counsel for
| the company, then took the witness, ana
after getting the statement from Age
rup that he had been with Capt. Doran
| six years, asked him.
Did you ever hear the captain say
that you must push the steamer ahead
at any cost?'
mo, SIR" said the witness.
Did you ever hear him say that he
must make a certain time?"
mo, SIR"
Although Knight succeeded In estap-
fishing the fact that the captain never
gave the order mentioned, Knight made
| no effort to shake the testimony that
dangerous runs were made to keep the
yssel on its schdule and that the moral
suasion of the company was the reason
for them.
The first witness today in the investi-
CATION into the Columbia-San PEDRO dls-
aster of week ago was MISS anna V tha
terburg, who was a passenger on the
steamer Columbia at the time OF the COL
lision.
Defends Hawse
Miss Osterburg stated that the behavior
of Third officer Hawse of the Columbia
was gentlemanly through the disaster.
According to her testimony, indications
are that the charge against Ha"se is
| one of mis- taken identity
NIise Osterb.rg told the following story
"After l heard the crash l opened the
| door of my stateroom and ran across the
deck directly opposite where lifeboat NO.
Q was tied. got into the boat but pc
for. II was united the Columbia sank
| and I was thrown into the water. LUCK
| ily as soon as 1 heard the crash put
ON a life preserver and this with my
swimming kept me afloat for some time.
T then signaled to lifeboat and l was
| taken on board. Some man did not
| know handed me his coat. OFFICER Hawse
was on board this boat
During her testimony Attorney Nc
| Cloud, who is the attorney for the VIII
| ness as we'll as that of Officer Hawse,
brought out the fact that Miss Osterburg
was the first woman in the boat and that
| therefore she is competent to judge
whether Hawse's actions were gentle
manly.
The witness stated that the charge that
he procured some whisky for himself
Is without foundation and that the whls-
ky was for a sick woman who was on
board She denied the story that Hawse
man passenger and declared he did so
voluntarily. Miss Osterburg also denied
| that Hawse struck a passenger
James Fogarty. the saloon Waterman
of the Columbia, testified that he was
| in the saloon at the time of the collision
| and that he awakened all of the saloon
passengers He testified that he was In
| Third Officer Hawses lifeboat and was
! sitting in the bow directly facing the
| third officer, who sat in the stern. lie
| also stated that Hawse was thoroughly
| clothed and most emphaticaly denied
| that the third officer gave his coat to
| any one
Cant. Johnson of the steam schooner
| Newport, which arrived here today from
Eureka, reported that yesterday, while
his vessel was a few miles off Point
| Arena on the Mendocino coast he passed
pieces of wreckage of the ill-fated steam
| er Columbia. A part of the hurricane
deck measures S0x29 feet said Capt.
| Johnson. and was seen floating with two
| llfeboats on It, What appeared to be
the bridge of the vessel was also plainly
discerned from the Newport.
Can't. Johnson also reported that he
passed through great deal of wreckage
and lumber, the latter no doubt pelns
a part of the San Pedro's deck load.
MARYSVILLE, July 29.-Word received
from Bert Lippman, now in Portland
says he and his wife were saved from
the Columbia wreck Mrs. Lippmans
name continually appeared in the list OF
those missing.
PORTLAND, July 29.-Assistant In
spectors OF Hulls and Boilers Howe ana
Wynn have been directed by Supervising
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