South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-06
CAP TAIN AND 26
MEN Of BURNING
SHIP ARE RESCUED
Second Life Boat With ID More
of Crew is Picked Up BY
Steamer Manhattan-Fran-
coma ReSCueS Thirteen.

HALIFAX. y. :. May captain
John Mcdonald. Of the British freight
steamer Columbia. which was burned
Al sea Sunday night and thirteen mem
hers Of the crew have been picked up
by the steamer Manhattan.
These. with the thirteen survivors
saved by the Cunard liner FrancOnia,
brought the total number of rescued
mp TO p. There is one body on the
FrancOnia.
News OF the saving Of Captain Nc
Donald and his men by the Manhattan
was received here today in a wireless
message by way OF Sable island.
The following is the message:
Manhattan picked up one boat OF
Columbian. captain and thirteen 9TH
crs. one engineer killed in explosion
and one man drowned leaving ship.
Manhattan still searching for other
boat"
When this message was received
there had still been no word Of the
ufeboat containing 9 men mentioned
by survivors on the FrancOnia.
The Manhattan made her rescue in
41:19 north latitude and 80: - west
longitude.
The Manhattan is bound from New
York To Antwerp, consequently she
will land her quota of survivors on the
other side.
The FrancOnia was due in Boston to-
day but she was expected to be delay
ed because of her search for other Co
lumbar survivors after picking up
the first boatful
The COlumb ian was bound from
Antwerp for New York with a heavy
cargo OF freight. and was about 800
miles south Of Cape Race when fire
was discovered in her hold. Consider
able Of her cargo was infammable and
he flames spread rapidly through the
hull.
There was an explosion in the Co
lumb bans cargo on Sunday night an
explosion which must have completely
wrecked the ship and set her so COM
pletely ahre that she was abandoned
very shortly afterward one despair
ing call for help was sent out by her
wireless. Sable island caught a mes
sag from her:
Calls For Help.
1--WE are afire. hurry help"
Then before the name of the ship
or her position could be given, the
wireless was disabled and communica-
ton ceased.
The blazing wreck was sighted by
the steamer SeydlitZ Monday, which
sent out a general call for assistance
and one OF the ships which respond
I'd TO il was the FrancOnia which
cruised east Of Sable island search
ing for boats
The search had nearly been aban-
doned Tuesday when the FrancOnia
sighted one craft. The 1,S00 passen-
gers on board the Cunarder crowded
TO the rails as their ship bore down
on the boat and the exhausted men
were lifted on board
One of those who had put off in
the boat was a corpse and many OF
the others were scarcely in a better
condition from the benumbing effects
of cold and wet.
The. chief and second officers and
Z men were reported as still missing
I'm a brief dispatch the FrancOnia sent
through here. but seamen are utterly
unable To understand where the bal
ance OF the Leyland liners crew are.
May Have Been Upset.
The possibilities were discussed
Tuesday afternoon. that Capt. Nc
Donald and the unaCCounted men had
been picked up by some other ship;
that their boat had upset alongside or
after leaving the ship; or that they
had persisted on board the steamer
in the fire.
The Columbian, which is well
known in Halifax. carries a crew OF
45 10 so men and the Franconia' 5
message accounted for only 33 per
sons.
The meager dispatches received
here from the Franconia. coupled
with the information sent out by the
Seydlitz Monday, gives but faint
outline OF what must have been one
Of the most thrilling and terrible
stories in all the annals OF the sea
The fire breaking out in the dead
OF night. followed by a series Of eXplo-
sions from the cargo that wrecked
the steamer the hurried call for help
and the failure OF the wireless before
its mission could be completed and
the name OF the steamer or her loca-
ton given; the long hours spent IN
the life boats with all the consequent
suffering and the uncertainty as e
the fate OF the major part OF the
crew: these broad outlines were al
established by the Franconia's mes
sage The intimate details OF the
hurried fight for safety. the violent
effects OF the explosion and the per
sonal incidents that must have ariser
can only he guessed at now.
Wrecked BY Explosion.
From the description sent out b!