Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-07
Two Life Boats Loaded With
Members of Crew May Be
Saved From Death
STEAMER PICKS UP
PART OF SURVIVORS
Story of Terrible Event Is
Flashed Ashore By Aid
of Wireless Waves

Boston, Mass, May 6.-The Cunard
line today received report from Cap
tain Miller of the Franconia regarding
the rescue Of part of the crew of the
steamer, Columbian, which burned at
sea- The wireless message dated to-
day was as follows:
Received wireless from steamer
Georgia 11:24 a. m. May 4 Seydlitz
passed in 41.27 N, 59.07, W., a large
steamer burning all over Hull high
out of water, foremast and funnel gone,
no people on board
At the same time came wireless
from Sable Island requesting me to
endeavor to identify steamer. At 1:15
p. NJ I received from The Associated
Press, Boston: Great alarm over Seyd-
litz report of big ocean liner afire. Res
cues by Franconia. Please send dis
patch
"At that time rumor of rescue was
not true.
al
changed my course to cross position OF
burning steamer, arriving there at 3
p. m. Gould discern no trace of wreck
but decided to encircle position at six
miles, and at $3.50 D. m. sighted boat
on starboard bow. Being already pre-,
pared, the occupants thereof were TAX
en- on board in few minutes. The
boat contained thirteen men and
11,s,, oh TO-, 10 H@t@ -
the boat.
''The survivors had used trousers leg
from corpse on end of hook for distress
signal. Survivors were in state OF
extreme exhaustion and mental col
lapse Some had been burned by fire.
They had been adrift forty hours.
Six were put under doctors care in
hospital and others were given brandy
and soup, bathed in hot water and put
to bed. They Immediately fell asleep
Little information obtained from them.
THE carpenter says the ship was
the Columbian, sailing from Antwerp,
10000 tons register He was asleep
and heard the alarm of fire, and was
coming along the deck when an explo
sion occurred, amidship under his feet,
which blew him overheard He was
picked up by boat.
"A lamp trimmer's son states that
his father was coming forward calling
for him when the deck blew up and the
lamp trimmer fell into the burning
hold. quartermaster says that Cap
tain Mcdonald and several others were
getting third boat out when big
explosion took place. He does not
know whether he and his boat were
saved. The second officer got away
with about twenty-four men ten min
utes before the boat that was picked
UP.
"All agree the fire started at mid
night Sunday, from cause unknown.
In half an hour the whole ship, for
ward and amidships was in flames with
constantly violent explosions. The
wireless apparatus was wrecked.
I'VE are carrying to Boston the body
Of Chief Steward, who was frightfully
injured by explosion and died on Tues
day midday. Our doctor certified that
death was due to shock and exposure.
after picking up boat we made an
other detour, searching for other
boats and deeply regret could not find
them, but many other steamers hasten
Ing to scene of disaster trust will res
cue them. Have Marconi tell all ships
to look out for two missing boats"
Part Of Crew Saved.
Sable Island, N. S., May Captain
Mcdonald and thirty members Of the
crew of the British steamer Columbian
burned at sea were saved by the
steamer Manhattan. A wireless dis
patch to this effect was received from
the Manhattan by the Marconi station
here today.
The rescue was made early this
morning in 41.19 north latitude, and
80 .35 west longitude.
Yesterday the Cunard liner Fran
coma picked up one of the Columbian's
boats containing thirteen men and the
body Of Chief Steward Matthews so
that 81 in all have been rescued alive.
The other missing boats for which
the Man ttan and other steamers are
still searching contains the first and
second officers and seventeen men.
The steamer Columbian bound from
Antwerp for New York caught fire Sun
day night. According to wireless ad-
vices from the Franconi which rescued
the first boat of survivors the flames
spread quickly and were followed by
explosions which necessitated the
hasty abandoning Of the steamer by
thA craw.