New-York tribune., 1919-09-01
SIS. Columbia,
Once War Vessel.
Back as 'Civilian'
Only Surviving Ship of the
Anchor Lines Fleet of Z
Brings Mixed List of Mill
tary Men and Civilians

The steamship Columbia, about
whose exploits as an auxiliary cruiser
in the North Sea there has gathered
host of romantic tales, arrived in port
yesterday on her first voyage in "civ-
ilian' service.
She is the only surviving vessel of
the seven Anchor line ships that piled
from here before the war. She brought
with her. .203 military passengers. virtu-
ally every man among them with a
decoration. They were all Canadians
of the 3lst Albert Battalion, under
command of Colonel 7. William Piper
There were also aboard 30S first class.
400 second class passengers, and thirty
nursing sisters, whom the vessel took
on at Glasgow, Scotland, from whence
she sailed via Moville and londonderry
on August 21.
During the war the Columbia was
armed with three six-inch guns and
two three Founders. She stalked her
way safely through mine fields and
submarine einfested waters as a cruiser
and transport escort for twenty-one
months. Many of the crew that
brought her over were with the ship
( uuII IIiiS HcI Ndl SeIVlCe
Passenger Jumps Overheard
When two days out on her present
trip a steerage passenger, Mrs. Mary
Campbell. Of Grecnock, Scotland, who
was coming with her three bows to
meet her husband in Jersey City,
leaped into the sea and was drowned,
Friends volunteered to look after the
welfare of the three boys, collecting
$3.50 for them.
Captain James Blaikie, present COM
mander of the Columbia, related for
the first time the particulars of the
sinking of the liner Caledonia in the
Mediterranean Sea on December A,
1918. by d German submarine. Captain
Blaikic was in charge of the Caledonia
at the time. He was held in various
| German prisons after the sinking of
| the vessel and got home to Grecnock
Scotland on December 25 last
I'VE We're returning from Salonica,"
he said, "where we had just landed
1900 troops, when we sighted peri
scope about 120 miles east of Malta.
| decided to run the submarine down.
The German captain, seeing what
was about, sent a torpedo at my bow.
The Hoopah luck, which attends
Chinese pirates, helped him. The tor
pedo was coming along parallel with
VIC NcSSciy Dut NuSu aDOuJ dIulUSnlpS
it took a slight angle and exploded.
We smashed the Germans periscope
and twisted his bow, however, before
he could submerge.
UBoat Had Hoopah Luck
at went down and ought to have
stayed down, but the Hoopah luck was
still with the German and he came up.
The captain of the sub told me that
he was submerged for ffty-four min
utes and that he had barely reached
the surface when al the compressed
air escaped. Five seconds more and
he would have stayed down for keeps
Sergeant Robert Rankin and Private
Lachlan McDougal. Of the 1st Platoon
of the 51st Division of Seaforth High
landers, who Yere pals in the steward s
department Of the Columbia when she
was still in the passenger service, met
three weeks ago on the Columbia s
gangplank. They had not seen one
another since April 9, 1917, when Ran
kin was decorated for saving his chum S
life at Vimy Ridge. They have agreed
to go into business together in the
West.