New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-07

big berg the Columbia had Just rammed.
After the passengers felt reasonably
certain their vessel was not going to
sink many of them began to worry
about the fate OF the steamer that had
vanished off to the eastward
"Efie" Dexter. the wireless operator,
who had been bowled over in his chair
by the shock. tried to get into commun-
cation with the stranger, but got no re-
ply 10 his call He thought the yes
eel might have hit the iceberg harder
than had the Columbia and might be
IN more need OF help. He sent out mes
ssges offering help. but no reply came
through his receiver. II was thought on
board the Columbia that the eastbound
vessel had no wireless II she had she
probably was damaged badly and could
not reply. Many Of the Columbia's pas
sengers believed the vessel hit the ice
berg and sank
AS she passed by at about ten knots
Captain Mitchell sent up a night signal
in the Morse code which said: You are
running into danger
If the Columbia had been in need Of
prompt assistance she could not have
procured il by wireless for she passed
BY only four ships after the collision,
and none Of them had wireless.
Find Steamer Damaged Badly.
The reversing engines Of the Columbia
carried her back in a northeasterly di-
recticn. with her buckled bow pointing
southwest. When she had drifted about
six lengths away from the iceberg she
came to a dead stop. Captain Mitchell
and his officers made quick but care
full examination Of the shattered bow
and were relieved 10 find the Columbia
had not received fatal blow. EVIL
IDENTITY she had crawled up on the sheh
of the berg. for the passengers said they
fel, the bow was lifting and the stern
sinking as she rammed her nose into the
fee
Tho Columbia got the full force OF the
crash Her stem post was not merely
twisted and gored above the waterllne'
bu, her plates below got as bad Tea
tns as thu structure above. Inc ice
drove the steel plates inward ABOUT
seven feet. The starboard anchor was
,ammed into the hawse pipe ana couio
not he moved. 49,,
The mort anchor was wrenched clean
from the pipe and left hanging on d
ledge OF the great ice mountain nv
bow was so badly buckled tnat lne pie
anchor chains were Wedged ana en-
tangled in the Wreckage, and had tnere
been occasion for it. later on, in shoai
water. the Columbia could not nave
anchored The food from the sea poured
in rapidly through the gaping rent III
the bow.
The first collision bulkhead was
punched in. but the second one heid
we'll and kept back the water until tenn
Iorary repairs could be made. The
pumps were started and helped some
what. but when the Columbia came IN
Yesterday she had about ninety tons OF
water in her foreward hold, the hood
being about FIVE feet deep.
The first survey of the damaged YES
sel showed she needed prompt atten-
ton. and Captain Mitchell lost no time
in snoring up a temporary bukhead OF
timbers. canvas mattresses. sand and
concrete While this was going on a
gang of men 'was sent forward TO clear
off the Ice.
Murray. the lookout. was hauled out
OF the debris. cut and bleeding, and car
ried to the ships hospital, where he was
still detained when the Columbia locked
yesterday.
II took twenty men nearly two hours
20 hack the ice into small pieces and
throw il into the sea. One piece was
So large that nine men were required to
move II.
Six Hurt in the Collision.
Only six persons were injured by the
collision.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ogilvie. sixty years old,
who was on her first visit to this coUn-
try was thrown down and broke her
ankle She was walking on the main
came together, and pitched headlong TO
the deck She was on her way TO spend
the remainder of her life with a married
daughter in Pittsburg.
Sarah Lucas, an eleven-year-old girl.
travelling in the steerage with her
mother, was thrown down and received
a cut over the eye and several bruises
or the cheek.
steward carrying a tray Of dishes in
the dining saloon was bowled over and
cut his head severely by hitting post.
Samuel McAllister. a linen merchant
OF Belfast, who had just left the dining
saloon. received a painful hurt. He was
the crash came and fell backward,
breaking his right collar bone.
The Columbia. according to Captain
Mitchell. was one hundred miles north
of cane Race and hfty-seven miles east
of il when the collision occurred. The
wireless operator had been i'm cOmmuni-
cation with the eastbound Anchor liner
Furnessia when the Columbia encOun-
tered the iceberg. He had just said
soodby to the Furnessia when the Co
lumbia struck, and. fearing she would
soon he beyond the range OF wireless
transmission he sent her report ~ the
accident a few minutes after it oc-
CURED.
This message was relayed by the Fur
nessia TO Glasgow. and the mishap was
known at the home office Of the line the
following morning.
Tell How Iceberg Looked.
Tho iceberg was described differently
nv different passengers. The fog that
enshroudel II made it impossible for any
20 estimate accurately its dimensions.
Some declared ii showed above water
n huge cube. about one hundred feet
IN all dimensions
Another said neither end Of IL could
be seen. but that the pinnacle appeared
70 be about 100 feet hign.
Captain Mitchell described the berg
as big fellow" but gave no estimate
Of it's height. He said he was busy with
more important things than the meas
urereni Of icebergs
Mr. SpeerS. a professor OF Hollywood,
Ireland said he took 2 good look at the
berg and was sure il was as high as the
Columba's tunnels.