Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1914-05-07
OVER 80 VICTIMS
Of BLAZE AT SEA
ADR|F 7 IN BOATS
Steamer Columbian is Believed
to Have Gone Down-CreW
Cast Off, Following
an Explosion.
.l3 RESCUED BY FRANcoNlA
Other Steamers Securing Wa
ters in Search of Survivors
Terrible Hardships
Suffered by Men.

Boston. MAY Thirteen men adrift
In . boat were picked up at sea by
the liner l'ranconia. They We're sur
Nivors of the steamer Columbian.
which was burned at sea Sunday night.
Two and possibly three other boats
filled with Officers and seamen of tho
crew have not been found The Co
lumhian carried n crew estimated at
between ~ ami 80 men. Captain Nc
Donald is among The missing.
The cunard line today received Il re-
port from Captain Miller of the
Franconia. regarding the rescue of Il
part of the crew of The steamer Co
liimhinn which was burned ak sea.
The wireless message dated today was
as follows:
Received wireless from steamer
Georsic. l1::24 a m, May 4
Seidlitz passed in Il.I north, o?.07
west. a large steamer burning all
over. Hull high out of water. foremast
and flinnell gone. no people on board
Al the same time came a wireless
from Sable island requesting me to
endcavor to Identify steamer at l;15
y. m. received from the Associated
Press, Boston. Great alarm over Seid-
litz report of big ocean liner alire. Res
cue by f'raneonia.. Please send dis
patch.
.At $50 p M sighted 81 boat on
starhoard bow The boat contained 13
men and a corpse lying awash in the
bottom of the boat. The survivors had
used trousers leg from corpse on end
of boat hook for distress signal. Sur
Nivors were In Il state of extreme ex-
haustion and mental collapse Some
had been burned by fire.
Adrift 40 Hours.
They Mere adrift 40 hours. Six We're
put under doctors care in hospital and
others We're given brandy and soup.
bathed I'm hot water and put to bed.
They Immediately fell asleep. Little
information Was obtained from them.
The carpenter SAYS the ship was the
Columbian. sailing from Antwerp. 12.-
000 tons register He was asleep and
heard the alarm of fire and WAS COM
Ing along the deck when an explosion
occurred amidship under his feet. hurl-
ing him overheard. He was picked UP
by boat.
All agree the fire started at mid
night Sunday from cause unknown.
In half an hour the whole ship forward
and amidshps Was In flames. with CON
stant violent explosions. The wire
less apparatus was wrecked
We are carrying to Boston body Of
chief steward. who was frightrully in
tured by an explosion and died on
Tuesday. mid day.
After picking np the boat we made
another detour. searching for other
boats and deeply regret could not find
them, but many other steamers are
Fastening to scene of disaster who. we
trust. Will rescue them.
Have Marconied all ships to look
out for two missing boats"
After rescuins the occupants of the
iirst boat. the Franconia searched uatiI
niShtfall for the rest of the crew. but
without result. Captain Miller. of the
Cunarder. sent word thar he had given
up the search and would proceed for
Boston With the survivors and his /. 1913
passengers. He said he expected to ar
rive at midnight. Wednesday,
Search for the missing men of tho
Columbian has not been given up. how
ever as the steamers. Manhattan and
lIaNerfurd both eastbound, are heading
toward the burning steamer