The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-07
Anchor Liner Columbia Hits
Berg in Mid-Ocean-
Many Injured
LOOKOUT is BURIED
UNDER TONS OF ICE
After Heroic Work on Part Of
Captain and Crew YES
sci Makes Port Bad
ly Damaged

NEW YORK. August the
smashed bow and torn decks OF the
Anchor liner Columbia. IN port to-
| day from Glasgow, bore silent testi-
| mony to the collision of the steamer
with huge iceberg In mid ocean last
wednesday. Nine passengers and
sailors We're injured. but despite their
cuts, bruises, broken arms and dis
located collarbones, all praised tho
captain and thanked heaven that the
damage was no worse
SO dense was the fog at the time
and so high was the berg out OF the
| water that no one saw its top. Those
who were brave enough to tumble out
on deck estimated the height Of tho
berg as being $50 feet out OF water
| and described 1t of cube formation.
AS the bow of the liner merged
its way twelve feet into the berg
tons and tons Of ice broke and fell
| on the deck. buryfng the lootout man,
| Tom Murray, under It. Nine men
worked for five hours Kidding the
deck of its Icy cargo.
The stem OF the Columbia was
badly damaged both above and below
the water line. The port anchor was
carried away and the starboard an
Choir was so tightly wedged by the
| twisting OF the stem that 1t was use-
| Tess. Water rushed in and out of
the fore peak as through a seive and
pumps had to be kept going night
and day since the collision happened.
| Nine Feet OF Water.
When the liner reached her pier
| there was nine feet OF water in the
FOREHEAD and the bulkheads had been
reinforced by cement and timbers and
| old mattresses. Until the liner 10
/ put In dry dock no estimate of the
damage can be made, but it is said
/ tonight that new bow will have to
| be fitted before the liner Is fit for
/ the sea.
| All day Wednesday the weather had
been clear and bright until fElf past
5 O'Clock when the Columbia ran into
fog bank. Speed was reduced from
! sixteen to eight knots an hour, the
! liners fog whistles being sounded AZ
| she proceeded.
| AT a liteie after seven o'clock the
! dining saloon was filed with passen-
gers who had come down to supper.
/ With crash that shook the liner
/ from stem To stern. the Columbia
| buried her nose into the iceberg.
! Passengers were thrown violently
| from their chairs. A second later
| one or two made rush for the deck,
| but the calm voice of Surgeon David
| McCurde telling them to keep still
reassureg them and they stayed be-
| low
| List OF Injured.
| Samuel McAliister buyer for a
| Belfast lace house, was thrown from
the top Of the eompanionway TO the
bottom, dislocatiNg his right Shout.
der.
| Mrs. Elizabeth Oclvie. sixty years
old. on her way to Pittsburg was
thrown against the companionway
leading from the main deck and sus-
tainaA broken ankle.
Ele@enr yean~o4d Sarah Tsseks was
Knocked down and her left cheek cut
and bruised
| A steward in the dining saloon was
hurled against a post and nine stitches
had to be put in his eyelid
Murray. the lookout man. after he
had been dug out of his icy tomb,
was removed to the hospital with 4
| broken arm.
A sailor who was looking out Of
| portfolio was struck on the head by
some flying ice and received bad
scalp wound
Three steerage passengers who were
thrown to the deck by the shock es-
capped with minor cuts and bruises
| Doctor Tells Story.
DIR. r. M. Elliott, of Wiliards. N.
| 1" VINO nelpeu the ships doctor. gave
a graphic description of the collision.
we had had beautiful weather un-
til we ran into the fog bank at 5:30,s
said the doctor. Captain Mitchell then
reduced speed. and we were running
about eight knots an hour, II not
slower. As we CROPPED our way through
the densest fog l have ever seen we
| heard the report or our own fog horn.
This led the captain to believe that
| he was nearing a vessel, and he Inn
mediately signaled for full speed
astern.
| The propeller had just begun 10
I grip the water and the liner was al
ready moving astern when she struck
the iceberg, wedgirg her bow into the
| ice. Captain Mitchell showed won-
derful GOODNESS and courage, and the
| thanks of us all belong to him"
| After the Columbia had backed
away from the iceberg big tarpau-
/ Inns were slung over tfies ioi~s in her
/ bow to keep out the sea, and the
crew were set to work snoring up the
bulkhead. shutting off the forepeak
from the rest OF the vessel. Four
ships unequipped with wireless were
passed a few hours later, and one
was headed straight for the berg. The
Columbia signaled with lights, warn.
| ing the steamer to keep out of the
way, but the signal was unanswered.
| Mr.. and Mrs. McKinnon, OF st.
Louis. said that they never wished to
meet similar experience. They said
| that every one remarked how cold the
atmosphere was before the iceberg
was struck.