The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-07
CAPTAIN AND 1S OF
BURNED SHIP SAFE
Missing Boat Of the Columbian.
Destroyed OFF Sable ISL
and, Rescued.
SEVERAL STILL MISSING
Vivid story of Fire and Explo.
sions Told by Sur
vivOrs.

SABLE ISLAND. n. s.. May s.--The Sec
ori boat which put out from the burning
steamship Columbian before daybreak on
Monday has been found. The steamship
Manhattan reports that she picked II up
to-day, after 1t had been adrift for sixty
hours II contained Capt. Mcdonald OF
the lost steamer and thirteen members of
Die crew.
with the thirteen men and body
picked up by che Franconia yesterday
twenty-eight men have been accounted
for. The steamships are still searching
for another small boat which put out from
the burnig steamer with eight or ten more
men. Capt. Mcdonald reports that three
men were killed before he left the ship,
boatload OF men. from nineteen ia
twenty-five in number. consisting of the
chief and second officers and seamen OF
the burned Columbian. has not been re-
ported here as yet as having been picked
up by any of the steamers which are
searching for survivors.
Wireless messages from the steamer
Haverford from Liverpool for Philadel-
phia and the steamer Marengo from
New York for Hull, both OF which took
up the search when the Franconia left
off, say that neither have been able to
md the missing lifeboat Capt. Mendus
OF the Haverford. says he searched thor
eughly until dark to-day In the vicinity
where the first two lifeboats were found
and where the Columbian was burned
but discovered nothing.
Several steamers are still looking FOR
the lifeboat. among them the Marengo
whose commander. Capt. Patten. says he
has not discovered any survivors. There
is a possibility that the missing men
may have been saved by some sailing
craft. or possibly the White Star liner
Georgia The George, which Is bound
east was the nearest vesstl to the scene
OF the disaster when the Franconia sent
word OF the burning OF the Columbian and
proceeded to her assistance.
According to the Marconi message re.
ceved at the station here from the Man
haitian the rescued boat contained, bes dies
captain and chief engineer. two officers
and the Marconi operator. The rest were
sailors. No details of the rescue of the
boatload to-day have been sent. but Capt
Mcdonald sent by wireless short &C.
count of the fire. which Is as follows:
The fire broke out at midnight Sun.
day in No. l hatch. The alarm was
Immediately given and the hose turned
into the burning hatch. 4 terrific explo.
sion occurred few minutes afterward
which burst all the matches and skylight
wrecked the engine room and destroyed
the Marconi OUTFIT
The crew left the Columbian at ~ :3C
o'clock in the small boats The ship wa.
then mass of flames, fore and aft. Tn.
iifth engineer died ON the boat and III,
second engiuee-' was killed in the first sx.
plt~on, while one donkeyman wa,
dl'wret In taking one OF the boats
Capt. Miilcr's story Of Rescue.
Boston. May 6.--Capt. Miller of tn,
Frlnconia sent a long wireless messag,
10 .he local office ~ III. CNnarl I'm,
to-day. telling In detail OF his res. ue .'es
t-ldaN Of TOR cen men AMI n body of IA,
Columbian. The Franconia is loaded TO,
Boston and should arriy. early tomorrow
morning
After telling of the receipt of wireless
messages from the steamship George tn
despatch says:
II changed my course TO cross tn
given position of burning steamship ar
rlvng there at y. NJ (Monday). Coul.
discern no trace OF wreck, but decided, ow
ias % false report AMI fearing iniiuenc
on other possibl rescung steamships Z
encrcle position at six miles. and a
80 p. NJ. sighted a b,a' on starboar,
DOW Being aireadF prepared the oc.u
pants thereof were taken on board in
Few minutes. y heavy swell was run
hing al the time, so took precautions o
pu't'e out my s-aboat to cover thei
einoarkation. The out. ccntalnel th!r
teen men and a body lying awash In II
bottom OF The boat.
The survivors had used trousers le
from the body on the end of a boathoo
Tor distress signal Survivors were 1
state OF extreme exhaustion and men
al collapse. Some had been burned b
ire
They state they had been adrift 70
Iorty hours. Six were put under doctor
care In hospital and others were give
brandy and soup, bathed in hot waite
ana put to bed. They Immediately fe
asleep Little information can be OF
tained from them.
Blown Overheard by Explosion.
The carpenter says the ship was I'll
columbian. sailing from Antwerp. an
ihout 1900 tons register. He wa
isleep and heard the alarm of fire an
was coming along the deck and had al
rived about midships when an eXplosio
occurred under his feet. which blew hi
pFcrboard. He was picked up by a sma
boat.
~ lamp trmmer's son states that h
'ather was coming forward calling Il
aim when the deck blew up and the lam
trimmer fell into the burning hold,
quirtcrmaster says that Capt. Mcdonald
chief engineer, chief officer and sewers
others were getting third boat out whe
biz explosion took place He does m
know If the captain and his boat wei
'avo1 The second officer got away vii
~ out twenty-four men ten minutes b.
Or" the boat that was picked up.
an agree that the fire started at nit
nl"ht Sunday from cause unknown
was FIRST reported by the lookout man, wi
"a" smoke coming up the fire hatch. Ha
~ hour later the whole ship forward al
aW.lshps was In flames, with consta
"iolrnt EXPLOSIONS The wireless app
atus was wrecked"
HARRODS, LTD, WILL ENLARGE