The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-05-07
LINER REsCUEs IS
FROM BURNING SHIP
Steamer Columbian Wrecked by
Blasts and Fire.
EoRTY-SEvEN ARE MISSING
FranconIa Picks Up Boat Containing
SurViVors--Wireisss Torn Away
BY Explosion After Call for
Help is Sent.

4
after an explosion and fire drove then
TO the lifeboats for safety, 13 member,
OF the crew of the Leyland liner Co
lumbar were rescued by the Cunardel
tranconia late in the afternoon abou
six hundred miles off Halifax. 1
All were terribly exhausted from
their frightful experience. The ordea
proved too much for one OF them
Chief Steward Mathews, who died il
the boat from exposure.
Nineteen in Boat Missing.
From latest advices, at least one
more boat containing 10 men, is still
missing and the Franconia is continu
ing her search for It, There is some
mystery as to the remainder OF the
crew, for none OF the messages re
cetved here accounted for Captain
Macdonald, the third and fourth OH
GERS, any OF the engineers and eight OF
ten more members of the Columbia
company.
The first official report of the dis.
aster, which was clouded In mystery
by smoke and flames even after the
seydlitz found the burning ship, was
received in the following wireless from
the FrancoEia: D."
Ship which burned of Sable island
was the Columbian. from Antwerp to
Boston
A series of explosions occurred
aboard the Columbian on Sunday
night, following the outbreak of the
fire. ~" '"."@f
Wireless Apparatus Destroyed.
Explosions SO terrific they carried
away the funnel and the foremost. La
ter the wireless apparatus was de-
stroyed.
Only part of the call for assistance
had been sent when the radio was car
ried away. The wireless operator was
thereafter helpless to summon aid.
Hurry up, we are on fire. was the
extent of the message that the opera
tor was able to send.
When 1t was seen ii would be i'm
possible TO check the fire boats we're
launched. The first and second Off
GERS, with II men, went in one boat
Thirteen more men took to another
boat
Latter boat was picked up by the
FrancOnia. In this boat was the chief
steward Of the Columbian, who died
after he had been taken aboard the
FrancOnia. 80
List Of Survivors.
A wireless dispatch from the Fran
coma gave the following list of sur,
vivors from the Columbian on board:
Quartermaster Jens Jansen. A. Bel
nick and Jens Jens.
Wireless Operator James Broham
Carpenter Antonine Fias.
Boatswain's Mate Carl Iverson and
Able Seamen Arthur Branlick. Thomas
Croconnina, Gustave Schrinson and
Juri Liei.
Messroom Steward Frank Wedekind.
Firemen Antoni Cardeone and Ben
nett Bother.
Dead.
Chief Steward Mathews.
Steamer seydIItz Sights Wreck.
There was an explosion in the Co
lumbian's cargo on Sunday night, an
explosion which must have wrecked
the ship and set her so ablaze that she
was abandoned very shortly afterward
One despairing call for help was sent
cut by her wireless. Sable island
caught q message from her: We are
afire, hurry help" Then, before the
name OF the ship or her position could
be given, the wireless was disabled
and communication ceased
The blazing wreck was sighted by
the steamer Seydlitz, which sent out
a general call for assistance, and one
Of the ships which responded to it was
the Franconia, which cruised east Of
Sable island searching for boats.
The search had nearly been aban-
doned when the Franconia sighted one
craft. The 1900 passengers on board
The Cunarder crowded to the rails as
heir ship bore down to the boat and
the exhausted men were lifted on
board