Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-06
The Franconia Picks Up Boatload
From the Columbian Solving the
Mystery of Steamer on Fire
In WestbOund Course
STORY FROM
ON BOARD The
VESSEL WITH
IS SURVIVORS

On Board Steamer Franconia Via
Sable Island May Thirteen sur3
vivors of the British steamer Columl
bian, bound from Antwerp for New
York, which caught fire at sea suns
day night, were picked up today by
the Cunard liner Franconia, bound
from Liverpool for Boston. In the
boat with the survivors was the body
of Chief Steward Mathews.
Another boat containing the chief
and second officers and II men Isl
missing.
The Rescued
The rescued aboard the F'ranconia
are: James Drohan, wireless operators.
Antoni Alas, carpenter; Iver Iverson.
boatswain's mate; Unguse Prinz Jens
Jensen, A Abelnick, quartermaster;i
Gustav Schriborn, donkeyman; Thoss
Common, Juri Lei and Arthur Brantiks
able seamen; Antoni Cordens and
Bennett Rother. firemen, and Frank
Wedekind, messroom steward.
The survivors suffered terribly dur1
ing 40 hours exposure in an open boat,
Their exhaustion was so great that
it was impossible to obtain a coherent
story from them several hours after
their rescue. 4
Explosions Follow Fire
The Columbian, which is owned BY
F. Leyland & Co., Limited, of Liver
pool, caught fire Sunday night when
about 800 miles south of Cape Raced
A series of violent explosions follow
ed almost Immediately. Captain Me-
Donald gave orders to the wireless OPT
orator, James Drohan, to send out calls
for assistance, with the information
that the ship was af1re. Drohan was
flashing out one of these cries for aid.
when an explosion destroyed the wire
less apparatus, and the Columbian was
cut off from communication with near
by ocean liners which might have lent
succor.
Abandon Steamer
With their vessel belching flames
and wrecked by the intermittent ex-
plosions, the crew found themselves
helpless. Safety lay only in abandoning
the steamer, and this the captain or,
dered when the flames became almost
unbeara Bile.
The crew left the Columbian in two
boats. Chief Steward Matthews was
in charge of the first, which was
dropped over the windward side.
Drohan the wireless operator, went
with him, his apparatus wrecked BEL
yond possibility of being of any fur
Their help in obtaining aid. This boat
put away from the steamer and lay-to,
for a time, waiting to meet tire second
boat. It's occupants watched the burn
ing steamer. from which tongues of
flames darted through dense smoke
which shut out the view of the CO.
iumbian's sides. The second boat did
not appear and the first craft drifted|
away.
OF their sufferings during the 40 hours
in which they were tossed about and
of the death of Chief Steward Mat
thews during this time the men could
say little when they were brought on
to the decks of the F'ranconia.
Food and Sleep s
Food and sleep were matters ofsfirsti
consideration for the survivors and
both were given them. Sympathetic
passengers offered assistance to the
shipwrecked ones, but Capt. Miller of
the Franeonia saw TO it that they Were
first given the required rest.
Meanwhile, having learned that an
other boat with 10 men, probably in
Guiding Capt Mcdonald, was still
missing and supposedly adrift, Capt,
Miller ordered the Franconia turned
about and set to cruising IN search Of
the second boat. No trace of the sec-j
ond boat had been obtained late to-
night
Word OF the rescue and of the boat
adrift was flashed out to other ves-l
sells within call of the Franconia'sl
wireless, and it was hoped that this
notification would result in the discov-
cry and rescue of the missing men,
1.-THE legislative program OF peace" was
the topic chosen by Edwin D, Mead, chien
director Of the World Peace Foundation,
for his address as presiding officer at
Mondays session of the Massachusetts
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