The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-07
Liner Columbia Not Dis
abled by Crash With
Ics berg
NARROW ESCAPE
FROM DISASTER
Bow of Vessel Crushed In, and
Tons of Ice Rattle Down on
Deck-Passengers and Crew
Hurled to Floor, but Give
No Evidence of
Panic.

New York, August e.-The Anchor
Line steamer Columbia. which collided
with an iceberg on August ., reached
New York to-daY from Glasgow under
her own steam. Many yards of can
vas covered the mole made in her bow
BY the iceberg, but her officers said
the damage was entirely above the
water line and could be handny re-
paired. The accident occurred about
10 miles OFF the coast of Newfound-
land.
The Columbia's SOS passengers had
just sat down TO dinner, and because
OF the heavy fog the vessels engines
had been stopped. unheralded by the
customary drop in temperature, the
iceberg doomed up in front of the yes
sci almost at the moment of collision.
There was a crash as the sharp stem
cut into the berg. and tons of ice ra =
tied to the vessels deck Captain
George Mitchell signaled full speed
as'ern, and the liner backed away
An inventory of the damage showed
the bow stove an SO badly that the
liner took considerable water, and the
canvas was accordingly stretched
across the splintered section There
was no trouble from this source during
the res; of the voyage.
Is Badly Damaged.
Close examination of the Columbia
a her dock tonight revealed greater
damage than at first reported Her
hold was flooded with hundreds of tons
OF water, her bow plates were crumpled
for fifteen feet, her port anchor was
torn away. and several persons aboard
were suffering from injuries.
Captain Mitchell explained that the
vessel was stopped in the fog, when
he heard the echo of his fog horn from
the berg. After the impact. he said
water poured into the forward hold
to the depth of nine feet The pumps
weer set going. and the crew was
put 10 stemm!ns the thrush with sand
bags and other makeshitts. Passen-
gers and crew were in many instances
thrown to the floor. Tom Murray. the
forecastle lookout. was buried under
'he ice which poured down upon the
vessels deck, and when shipmates dug
him out he was senseless Tables in
the dining saloon were swept bare OF
the evening meal. and stewards were
sent spra wiling in the general crash
of crcckery.
The eiShty-eight first cabin passen-
gers had hardly tasted food when the
ship struck. There was momentary
silence after the crash OF falling dishes
bul Tue passengers kept their seats
and there was no evidence of panic.
Towers High Above Them.
Passengers said the iceberg lowered
more than 100 feet above them and
was a quarter of mile in length
Fifteen minutes after the acciden,
the Columbia cleared the fog zone and
sighted vessel without wireless bear
Ing directly toward the berg. Imme-
diately signals were burned in the in
ternational code. reading: You are
running into danger"
The vessel was then 1920 miles from
New York and as the pumps were low
erins the water in the hold, Captain
Mitchell held his ship 10 her course
without summoning aid. The wireless
sent word of the collision TO the Co.
lumbia's sister ship, the Furnessia. and
the message was relayed TO Glasgow
and cabled TO New York
CAPTAIN Mitchell said tonight the
accident was the nearest to a maritime
disaster he had ever experianced