Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-08-01
JURY ACQUITS
| ". D. HAYWOOD
Orchards GrewsOme Story Received
Little CredenCe.
Deliberations Lasted q Hours, With
Only Two for Conviction-Hay-
wood Shakes Hands With Coun-
sci, Thanks Jurors and Goes to
See His Mother.

Eureka, CAL, July 23.-Arrival yes
terday of the steamer George W. Elder
with the battered steam schooner San
Pedro in tow, brought the first news of
among the worst Of the Pacific coast.
The San Pedro drove full speed into
the stem of the steamer Columbia,
bound from San Francisco to Portland,
tearing great cash in her side, and
causing her to sink within eight min
utes near Shelter cove about 1890
O'Clock Sunday morning.
The first reports justified the belief
that at least half of the $50 persons on
board the Columbia had perished, but
hourly the total shrinks. The best ad-
vices now are that III escaped death
when the vessel went to the bottom.
| One hundred and seven Of the Colum-
bias passengers and 81 of her crew
have been brought to this port by the
steamer Geo. w. Elder, which towed
the collding schooner San Pedro from
the scene of the disaster to Eureka. A
late message from Shelter cove says
that three more lifeboats have been
picked up, one of them containing Is
persons, another 15 and the third not
reported.
Two hours after the wreck the fog
lifted and cold wind commenced to
blow. The people in the boats suffered
much.
O. Swanson, sailor of the San Ped
70, was at the wheel Saturday night
when the fatal collision occurred. In
his report to the sailors agent, John
Erickson, the blame is laid upon the
shoulders of the Columbia's officers.
Other members of the crew of the San
Pedro substantiate the story of Swan
son. He says that the order was given
20 him when the lookout sighted the,
Columbia to put the wheel hard apot.
Three points apoIt carried the San
Pedro seaward apparently out of the,
way of the approaching vessel, whose
name at that time was not known.
Short toots from the whistles of both
vessels warned the shippers. The CO.
lumbia was on the coast side, the San
Pedro on the sea side. Apparently
both vessels were proceeding at full
speed. If all had gone well, the San
Pedro would have cleared the Colum-
ba, but it is evident that an order,
"put the wheel hard a-starboard, was,
given on the Columbia. This sent her
directly across the bow of the steam
schooner. Whether or not the speed of
either vessel was slackened is imma-
terial, for the crash of the vessels was
terrific. The Columbia, an iron vessel,
bore the brunt of the impact, and her
iron plates cracked, and cash seven
feet across the forward hatch allowed
the water free ingress at great velocity.
Among the survivors rescued and car
ried north to this port by the George
w. Elder are men and women from a
score of states, not few from the At
antic seaboard and the Middle West.
Among these are number of school
who were varying with sea.
voyage their home trip from the an
lual convention Of the National Educa,
ional association at Los Angeles
segregation Of the Columbia's pas
enger list shows that in her cabins she.
;arried IS men and 80 women and
urls; in her steerage 20 men and one,
,oman, total of 1S9. Discrepancies,
nowever, between the full list furnished
he purser on sailing and some of the
lames given by the survivors who have
cached here indicate that the total
lumber of passengers may have been
reater. Sixteen of the names given
ere are not found on the steamship.
certified list. Adding to the.
SO accredited passengers the SO or go
nembers of the Columbia's crew gives
total Of 249 lives jeopardized in the,
1idnight collision. 1t is known that
least 40 women were saved