The Sentinel=record., 1914-05-06
MYSTERY OF SEA DISASTER IS SOLVED BY PICKING UP BOAT
 WITH SURVIVORS.
COLUMBIAN IS DESTROYED
By Fire on Northern Steamer Route. One 5oatload Saved; Second Boat load Has Not Been Found by the Searching Steamers.

Boston, May 5,-The mystery sur rounding the identity of the steamer on fire in the westbound trans-At- lantic steamer lane south of Sable Island for AS hours was solved to. night when wireless messages from the Cunard liner Franconia tod of the burning of the freighter Colum- bian and the rescue of thirteen of her crew from a small boat. The death of Chief Steward Matthews, whose body the survivors had in charge, and the disappearance of a second boat fin which were nineteen men, including the first and second officers, also were reported.
 Whether the number of missing was represented by those said to be in the second boat was uncertain to night. Estimates by officials of the Iceland and Phoenix lines placed the number of the crew at between 4s
 and 50. The messages from the Franconia tod of only 33 men, rep
 resented by the occupants of the two
 boats. It was thought possible there
 was third boat, commanded by Cap
 tain Mcdonald of the Columbian.
 The survivors were so exhausted
 by their experience that they conld tell little of what had happened, and
 steamship officials expressed the opinion that the omission in the wire | less messages of mention of the cap tain might be laid to this fact The Franconia searched until night | fall for the second boat but without | result. Then Captain Miller of the Cunarder sent word ashore that he had given up the search and would proceed for Boston with the survivors and his 1,733 passengers. He said he expected to arrive atF Boston light ship at midnight Wednesday.
 Before turning for his destination Captain Miller had notified the steamers Manhattan and Haverford, both eastbound of the missing boat and they sent word that they had changed their courses and were heading toward the burning steamer.
 The Columbian was owned by the Leyland line but was chartered to the Phoenix line for voyage from Ant. werp to New York. She carried no passengers.
 The latest word of her came today from the North German Lloyd liner Seydlitz, which had stood by for 24 hours, saying that the vessel was aflame throughout and that the fun. oI nd gt koa rd
 Survivors Terrible Suffering.
 On Board Steamer Franconia, Via Sable Island, N. S., May 5.--The sur vivors suffered terribly during forty hours exposure il an open boat. Their exhaustion was so great 1t was impossible to obtain coherent story from them several hours after they were picked up. The Columbian caught fire Sunday night when 300 miles south of Cape Race. Captain Mcdonald ordered the wireless op- erator James Drohan, to send out calls for assistance, but series of explosions put the wireless apparatus evident that the crew could not con trol the fire and the order to abandon the ship was given. The men left the Columbian in two boats. Chief Steward Matthews was in charge of the first boat. This boat put away from the steamer and lay to for a time, but in the dense smoke that surrounded the burning vessel the other boat was not visible and the stewards boat finally drifted far from the scene.
 Of their sufferings and of the death of Chief Steward Matthews the men could say little when they were brought onto the decks of the Fran conia.
 Food and sleep were matters of first consideration and although sympathetic passengers were ready with officers of assistance to the ship wrecked ones, Captain Miller of the Franconia saw to it that they were first given the required rest. Having learned that another boat
 with 19 men, probably including Cap
 tain Mcdonald. still was missing and supposedly adrift. Captain Miller or dered the Franconia turned about on
 a searching cruise. No trace of the | second boat had been obtained late l tonight.