New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-07
Ia MORE SAVED
FROM COLUMBIAN
One Boat from Burned
Liner with 10 Aboard
Still Adrift.
THREE KNOWN DEAD,
CAPTAIN REPORTS
Steamer Manhattan Picks Up Sec
Ond Boatload After FrancOnia
Had Rescued Thirteen.

Had Rescued Thirteen.
Sable Island, n. s.. May captain
crew of the British steamer Columbian
burned at sea. were saved by the
from Antwerp. The Manhattan had been
near the scene of the burning of the
Colum oian for some hours. and was
known TO be searching for boats contain
ing members Of the Columbian's crew
Her success was announced in the fol-
lowing message
Manhattan picked up one boat Of
Columbian. captain and thirteen others
One engineer killed in explosion and one
man drowned leaving ship. Manhattan
still searching for other boat"
further message from the Manhat-
tan stated the boat picked up contained,
I'm addition to the captain. the chief en-
gineer. two officers and the Marconi OPP
orator.
The rescue. il was added. was made
early this morning in 41.19 north lati-
tude and 1886 west longitude.
Search for Missing Boat.
Yesterday the Cunard liner Franconia
picked up one OF the Columbian's boats
containing thirteen men and the body Of
Chief Steward Matthews. so that TWEEN
ty-seven in all have been rescued alive
The other missing boat. for which the
Manhattan 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 at
sea Sunday night The men got away
In three boats. but in their haste were
ill prepared for battle with the seas
In open boats The first survivors when
picked up had been adrift for thirty
six hours and had suffered severely.
Captain McDonald's boat. picked up
early to-day by the Manhattan. was
adrift for more than fifty hours before
help reach them.
Captain Mcdonald gave this account
of the disaster:
The fire broke out at midnight on
Sunday in No ! hatch. The alarm was
Immediately given and the hose was
rife explosion occurred a few minutes
afterward. which burst all the matches
and the skylight wrecked the engine
room and destroyed the Marconi equip
ment
Two Fatalities Aboard.
The crew left the Columbian at 1880
o'clock in the three small boats. The
ship was then mass Of flames fore
and aft. The fifth engineer died on the
boat and the second engineer was killed
in the FIRST explosion. while one donkey
man was drowned in taking one of the
boats"
Boston. May s.-The local Office Of the
Cunard Line to-day received a report
from Captain Miller. of the Franconia.
telling of the rescue OF a part OF the
crew of the Columbian. The wireless
message was dated to-day, and is as
follows:
Received wireless from steamer
George II "a a. m. May 4: 'Seydlitz pass
ed in H27 n, 500 w, a large steamer
burning all over. Hull high out of water,
foremost and funnel gone, no people on
board
at the same time a wireless from
Sable Island requesting me 10 endeavor
TO identify steamer should | pass close
vas received. At lis p. m. ! received
from The Associated Press. Boston:
Great alarm over SeydlitZ report Of a
big ocean liner anre. Rescues by Fran
COMA Please send brief despatch
First Reports Inaccurate.
AT that time rumor OF rescue was not
true
ION receipt OF Georges message |
changed my course TO cross given posi-
ton of burning steamer, arriving there
at p m Could discern no trace OF
wreck but decided. owing to false repor.
and fearing influence on other possible
rescuing steamers, 10 encircle position
at six miles. and at $50 p. m. sighted
a boat on starboard bow. Being already
prepared, the occupants thereof were
taken on board in few minutes. A
heavy swell was running al the time. 50
took precautions of putting out my sea-
boat TO cover their embarkation. The
boat contained thirteen men and body
king awash in the bottom of the boat
THE survivors had used trousers leg
from corpse on end of boathook for dis
tress signal. Survivors we're in a state
Ct extreme exhaustion and mental col
lspse Some had been burned by fire.
They state 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
nut TO bed. They Immediately fell asleep.
Little information can be obtained from
them.
The carpenter says the ship was the
Columbian. sailing from Antwerp. and
about l2.OoO tons register. He was asleep
when he heard the alarm OF fire. He was
coming along the deck and had arrived
about amidships when an explosion oc-
Cured. under his feet, which blew him
overheard. He was picked up by
small boat.
Falls Into Hold.
"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 in the hold. quarter