The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-08
She Was a Passenger on the
Wrecked Ship Columbia.
CAN NEVER FORGET 1T,
Shrieks of Men and Women
We're Terrible to Hear.
Nearly FrOze to Death Before
Being Rescued.

Hutchinson, was a passenger on the
i'll fated Columbia has written to her
people telling of her terrible exper-
fence Immediately after the collision.
The letter follows:
Oakland. Cal.
Dear Folks at Home: We have been
through a terrible experience since I
wrote you last. Suppose you read all
about the Columbia going down be-
fore our telegram reached you. We
wired as soon as we reached land. 1t
is all so fresh in my mind can hard
~ talk about it, but will try to tell
you a little of it, for 1 know you will
all be anxious
1t does seem strange that, it being
our first ocean trip and our wedding
| tour, we should choose that day to go
to Portland
noon. We were both seasick before
| lunch time, and neither of US able to
eat lunch or dinner that night. We
| had a stateroom on the lower deck,
we went to bed. for we both felt mis-
! cradle and were wishing already that
we had gone by rail-
Oscar had been dreaming of a
wreck and had dreamed he sent you
| folks a telegram and the dream walk
ened him. He called me and told me
| it was dreadfully foggy and that the
whistle was blowing so much. He
| had scarcely told me this, when the
men came running past the doors
calling, Everybody to deck and life
preservers." You can never ina CINE
our feelings when We began to realize
the ship was sinking. We got up and
started to dress when someone said,
Back to your berths, everything all
right.no danger, we suppose to pre-
vent a panic. So after this we took
more time, but in a few minutes we
saw that people were rushing for the
deck, so we ran. Oscar had on his
coat and trousers, and 1 had nothing
but my underwear. my gown and my
black empire on.
We just got out on deck and were
the last of about thirty people to get
into lifeboat that was lowered about
half way, but not looSened from the
ship, and it was never cut loose. 1t
was not over thirty seconds from the
time we were in the boat until 1t went
down with the ship. I suppose it was
just as we'll that 1t was never cut
loose from the ship for it was so jam
| med with people it could never have
ridden those waves, papa and mama,
you know the size of those waves
compared to a little lifeboat
We went under the water, and so
close to the ship we wonder now why
it did not suck US under, but I took
hold of Oscars hand and we came up
together. I suppose 1t was the force
with which we were thrown that
made us go down so far but it seem
ed as though we could not hold our
breath until we came up. Oscar
Strangled some, but I managed not to |
breathe. When we came up there was
! big strong man clinging around Os- |
cars neck. L know he was insane for |
a sane man would never had done as |
he did. He had a life preserver on |
too. and Oscar had none. We saw
that we could not stay on top with |
that man clfnging to US. and I begged |
of him to let loose, but he paid no at |
tentiOn, but at last We succeeded in |
getting away. There were about 100 |
people floating around all close to-
gether, then the timber from the ship |
began to come out of course the
wreckage people and all went with |
the waves. You could do nothing but |
try to keep on top of the wave.
Myi 1t was just terrible to hear
the shrieks and prayers of men and |
women as we drifted in the water,
with no hopes whatever of being saved |
The ship had sunk-there was not even
a hfeboat In sight, nothing to build
up your hopes, and miles and miles
from land. We could hear people beg
ging others to help them and telling
each other goodbye-it was terrible. |
Nothing could have been worse.
After about three hours of floating
in the water a lifeboat came near and
asked if there were any more women;
then he called for them to come but
they had no oars. At last we succeed
ed in getting over to them and were
dragged in.
Oscar didn't know when we were
taken in to the boat. Something had
struck him on the temple, and had I
known his condition I suppose I could
never have had the courage to keep
up. We had just gotten into this life
boat when We saw a ship coming, and
in very few minutes they were car
rying me down to the lower deck.
trying to keep me from freezing. We
were both nearly gone when we reach
ed here. We supposed this ship was
not damaged, but in few minutes 1t
was the same horrible cry for life
preservers. This was the first time we
were separated. They took me on the
ship, and I don't know when they took
Oscar on. But for two hours we didn't
know each other as they had cut my
preserver off me, and I didn't know
what to do, with no one to help me,
and / was so sick 1 could hardly hold
my head up and was almost frozen
from being in the water so long.
The ship was a freight boat, the one
that ran into US. On this freight boat
is where we all suffered. 1t sank as
far as 1t could, being all wooden, and
of course it looked every minute as If
it was going to sink. The whistle grew
Fainter and fainter and the lights went
out Oh, it was sickening when the
second ship began to go under.
Oscar and I met about half an hour
before we were rescued by the Elder,
a safe ship that took. US to Eureka
People here that have only read
about this shipwreck and have gone
the earthquake say they
would take the quake ten times over
my shoes, not a thread of clothing,
but we are so thankful to both get out
alive we think nothing of what we
lost.
can't tell 1t now. 1 am feeling much
better; of course we are both bruised
and sore, but we'll both be all right
in few days, and then start home
T T