Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-07-25
The Exact Number Who Were
Drowned When The Columbia
Sank Not Known.
NOT 50 MANY As REPORTED
The Chief Engineer Was Awakened
by the Crash and Escaped by
Swlmmins--A Waiter
Helped Others.

senger steamer Pomona arrived In
San Francisco from Eureka at 1880
Tuesday morning, bringing from the
latter place one Of the surviving pas
sengers Of the wrecked steamer G
umbia and the 80 members Of the
Columbias crew who were saved out
Of her total complement Of So.
The passenger is Miss A. Leidell Of
this city.
1t is hoped now that the loss Of
life will not be SO heavy as at first
reported. The exact number will not
be known until complete accounts are
brought in from Bryceland and Shelter
Cove.
1t is known that of 1888 passengers
reported by the company as sailing on
the Columbia, 81 were saved by the
Geo. W. Elder, which towed the San
Pedro into Eureka.
There were 80 in the crew OF the
Columbia and of these SO were on the
Elder. Reports from Shelter Cove an
nounee the arrival of one boat with
is more passengers and crew, leaV-
ing the total death roll at SO.
So far only one boat has arrived at
Shelter Cove, although four were re-
ported there. It is said that before
the steamer sank six Of her boats
had been launched together with three
life RATS. These have yet to be heard
from and 1t is expected that steamers
passing up and down the coast will
succeed in picking them up with their
living freight. That so many escaped
is accredited, strange to say, to the
fact that the explosion Of the boilers
when the steamer was sinking, coun-
teracted the tremendous suction an6
saved a lot Of people who were In
the water from being drawn into the
vortex and down with the wreckage.
Chief Engineer ]. Y. Jackson gave
the following account Of the wrecked
steamer Columbia in an interview to
the Evening Post: =.
II was in my stateroom when the
crash occurred and scrambled into
a few clothes and came up on deck,
All was confusion and turmoil. The
roar Of the water as 1t poured In the
hole of the Columbia's side was deaf
ening. Then desperately swimming
away caught a rope thrown from
the deck Of the San Pedro. From there
| looked back at the Columbia, just
in time to see her plunge beneath the
waves. AS she sank l could dimly
see many men dash across the deck
toward the San Pedro; the next mo
ment the fog had hidden the dreadful
scenes.
81 am sure that many steerage pas
sengers did not leave their staterooms
as the interval was SO short between
the time she was struck and the time
she sank that the men had not time
to get to the deck and those that did
jumped overheard and were sucked
down by the vortex created by the
sinking vessel.
"When I rushed across the deck It
seemed to be deserted but l knew
that many were about me, for the
screams and cries were awful. tNank
God that l am safe, but would willing
" have given my life, as Captain Do
ran did, to save those that persisted.
81 did not realize that the vessel
was going to sink SO soon as 1t did
and l believe Captain Doran was OF
the same opinion"
C. Murphy, a waiter, one Of the
survivors Of the Columbia, said:
when the San Pedro struck u.s.
the shock awoke ne right away. The
next moment, the second steward,
Marks, called US to our fire drill posts
and ran to the deck on the star
board side toward the stern where
my post was. When saw the San
Pedro / knew what was up. was
pretty sure she vas sinking, 80 ! ran
into every cabin, shaking the peo-
pIe IN the hunks and dragging out
their life preservers. ! remember
putting life preservers on eight wo-
men on that side. Everybody was
cool, but nobody knew what to do.
They stood around dazod and let me
put the straps aver their shoulders
Just like children without asking any
question or trying to help themselves.
would not let them stop to dress.
~The boat lay on her right side IN
Ill she sunk. When we were all cling
Inr to the port rail, hardly any Of rs
with any clothes on, the captain stood
on The bridge and looked down on rs
and said: Wen. boys, I did all ]
could for you and / can do no more.
shes a eonsr. oOod-bTs."
Another @Flsre Back" Accident
Fort Terry. Plum Island, N. Y, July
al.-By a premature explosion Of q
blank charge Of one Of the six-inch
life guns at Battery Bradford, this
post, Tuesday, shortly before noon,
Private George Hammond Of the 1ooth
company coast aftiiier3, United States
o. kmerica, vas killed and -four others
weip injured. one man seriously.