The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-18
four STILL live
Third Boat Of Burned Steamer
Columbian Picked Up.
Eleven of the Is ON Board Died
of Exposure.


yesterday morning. The condition of
the men IL serious, but 1t II believed
they will live.
A wireless message from Captain
Johnston of the Seneca told concisely
of the rescue Little could be learned
their experience beyond the fact that
they had been tossed by the seas since
May 4, when fire on the Columbian
drove them into their small boat.
There were fifteen men In the craft
when they left the Columbian.
Eleven companions died of hunger
and exposure and the four emaciated
were almost unconscious.
The Columbian belonged to the Ley
land line and was en- route from Ant
werp to New York with q miscel-
laneous cargo. when the fire started
at midnight, on May 8. The Grew
had time only to launch their three
boats. One OF these. containing thir-
teen men and the body OF the chief
steward. was picked up by the Fran
ccnia of the Cunard line on May s.
Late the same day another boat car
rytng thirteen men was sighted by the
steamer Manhattan and her crew res
cued.
Had Been Given Up.
Hope for the third boat had been
abandoned when the message from
the Seneca was received. The reve-
nue. cutter was on her way to Hail.
fax for fuel and stores when a man
on the bridge made out q life boat
apparently empty. Drawing near.
Captain Johnston found it contained
four men more dead than alive
The men in the 1ifeboat had left
their ship 80 hurriedly that there was
no opportunity to supplement the life
boats usual store of water and bis
cult. A single cask of water, slowed
in the stern, was soon exhausted but
fortunately rain fell and the men suf-
fered less from thirst than from hum
ger. One hundred pounds Of hard
tack furnished their only food. This
was used up the first week. Day after
day the men made desperate efforts
to attract the attention of passing
ships.
Saw Three Steamers.
ers were sighted and for nearly a
week the boat remained directly in
the path of transatlantic traf1c, but
none saw them. At the end Of the
first week they had drifted about 120
miles to the north away from the vim
d1ate vicinity OF Sable Island is care
fully avoided by merchant ships and
apart from the ice patrol ships, prac-
tically no craft Is found in the vicin-
ity where they were picked up.
With hope Of rescue fast vanishing,
tho men lost courage. One week from
the day they left the ship the last
of the bread crumbs were eaten. On
that day one of the fifteen men died.
Some of the men drank salt water
and one Of them became insane and
soon afterward died The first to sue
cumb was George Hull. an oiler.
Chief Od1cer Teire ordered the bodies
thrown overheard. One by one the
men gave up until only four re-
manned. Peter Triel died as aid was
in sight. Chief officer Teire. a Brit
ieh officer 20 years old, said: IT had
just got on the Columbian's bridge at
midnight May 8, with no signs what
ever of fire on board when there came
q series of explosions One. I think,
was a bunker explosion, which al
most tore the ship in two.''
They Ate Boot Leather.
Boston, May 18.-Four survivors of
a boatload of fifteen who escaped in
the third boat Of the freight steamer
Columbian, burned at sea on May 3,
have been picked up by the United
States revenue cutter Seneca, forty
miles south Of Sable island, according
to a dispatch received here from the
cutter.
When their short allowance of bis
cult and water had failed, they main
tained life by chewing boot leather
and a few stray crumbs of nardtack.
Rain water was all they had to drink
after their water cask went dry.
The first two days after drifting
away from the flaming Columbian
they saw three steamers too far away
to be signalled. The dispatch from
Captain Johnston Of the Seneca fol-
lows:
''Ten a. M, forty miles south Sable
island, rescued lifeboat with Officer
Robert Teice, Sailors Oscar Kendall,
Peter Belanger, Fireman Michael Lud-
wigsen. survivors of fifteen. Oiler
George Hull died tenth. Peter Triel
today. Others burned. All died ex-
posure and hunger. Short allowance
| biscuit and water. Eating biscuit
Saw three steamers first two days
none since Much rain. Fine today,
! JOHNSTON"
Eleven others Of the boats crew
which left the Columbian when she
| was burned just south of Sable island
on May 3, had succumbed to injuries
and privations and their bodies had
been thrown overload. The death
| roll of the lost freighter now stands al
fifteen.
Twenty-seven other members of the
crew were saved by the Cunard linel
Franconia and the steamer Manhattan
after two days of exposure.
The men snatche0 from death by
| the Seneca were the first officer, Rob.
| ert Teice, Seamen Oscar Kendall and
Peter Belanger and Fireman Michae
Ludwigsen. The Seneca reported tina,
she was Fastening to Halifax.
where CHURCH IS LAY
Vice President Marshall Says It Shoull
D~- NGr-> attor.finr, tn S6s2HSSr,la