Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-15
BAY STATE MAN
CONTINUED from Pad onel

u r.
Jr.; Abraham, Otto, of Woodmere.
J.. L.. banker, 3S years old; McDon-
aid. Grace. governess of the Atkins
children; Miller, c. W., pilot, OF New
York City; Thompson, Harold, me-
chanc, Key West
Wireless reports reaching tere
told a vivid story Of the loss of the
Columbus, one of the regular daily
passenger ships of the Aeromarine
Always, Inc, which has -naintaine a
passenger service between here. The
big flying ship, equipped to cry IA
| passengers and fitted to the last word
IN luxury, had almost completed the
Dash TO the Cuba nshOre. She was
only 20 miles northwest of Havana,
lying at an avergc height, when sud-
denly some thing gave way.
Even as the pilot shut off his en-
| CINE, hoping to glide to the surface
or the bay, the stricken plane started
downward like lump of cad. Prob
| ably before the first warning cries
had died away she had pan, aked m
! the water with a smack that coln.lct-
ed her ruin.
Though exact details are lacking.
1t IS evident that her pontoons were
/ not entirely stripped off, for half
. aWash she fioated for 20 min ties be-
lore. with a sudden dead roll. she
! went completely over and disapDear-
cd.
meantime those aboard, flung about
! Us tne craft struck, were having a
: ,errlolc experience. 1t is evident that
t me Iusclage was smashed or twisted
IN such way that those in some OF
tne cabins could not get free to take
! me sim chance for life that seemed
an mat was open to them until the
| Terry boat hove in sight. When that
niue craft did appear out of the mist
1t is even possible that they could
see her making her best way toward
them, through the windows of Their
cabin. Meagre wireless MESA .es
I were silent as to details of the horror
they underwent, they only said that
! Tour who persisted died like rats in a
jtrar, prisoned in the luxurious slater
/ rooms.
The Columbus was very near her
and when the ferrybOat, the II NJ
h FlaElcr. manocuvred her way along
side and launched her boats. For a
moment those aboard her believed
that they had got there in time to
save all aboard. Her wireless opera :
tor even flashed message that all
were saved Eut even as those
foundering in the water. clinging to
the outrigGing of the scaplanc were
being hauled into the boats. some in
jured and all very nearly exhausted
] the Columbus sank like a stone II
was then that the f'laglers men
/ learned that four persons in her
I cabin had been carried to the bottom
/ Even had they known seconds earlier
| there would have been no time to
! batter their way into the cabins be-
! fore the Columbus sank.
! Information is lacking as to whether
water already had seeped into>>thc
cabins and drowned those trapped
there. or whether they went down
alive behind the stout walls that held
F; them captive.
/ soon after tho I'la2ler's message that
all were saved had reached Key West
where anxious watch was being kept,
| following the ferry ships first advice
| that she was stcamng toward the de-
relict. came another. telling that tho
survivors had told OF these who had
gone down. Those on board the Flag
4 Ter the message said. were injured and
! badly shaken up.
! TIL" fcrrybcat carried no doctor end
4 no attempt was made to diagnose the
f.! injuries. From the fact that. though
+ she WAS so near the Havana shore the
; ship at once put about for Key Wet,
it was dcduccd that those aboard were
not in extreme need of medical attcn-
/ ton.
! Because of lack of exact information
, as to tho condition Of the survivors ar.
! ranson,ents were made to have amb,i-
lanccs at the ferry slip and prcpara-
| tons were completed in a local hospi-
tai to care for the injured in the event
| that that should be necessary.
Key West. Fla. Jan. 14-With
| the exception of Mrs. Edwin i. At
kins. Jr.. the condition of the five
survivors of the seaplane Columbus
| which was wrecked and sunk in the
ocean II miles northwest of Havana
yesterday afternoon with the loss OF
four lives. was reported as not scri-
Gus tonight.
Mrs. Atkins. whose husband. a
New York capitalist and their two
children. Edward t., Ill. four years
old. and David. three. persisted in the
wreck, is suffering ftom exposure
and fears were expressed lest pncu-
monia might develop. However, il
was stated there was no immediate
danger. She is staying at the home
OF a friend here and apparently has
not yet realized the full extent of the
tragedy. it was said. Miss Grace
Mcdonald of New York, was the
! other victim of the accident.
Otto Abraham of New York: Miss
Julia Harerty, of New York: W. r.
Miller. pilot and Harold Thompson.
mechanician of the seaplane, were
all out of the hospital today.
a search lasting the entire day
was made today for the wreckage of
the seaplane aud the bodies of the
victims. but without avail Dark
ness tonight caused Il suspension OF
the search. which will be continued.
although since the sea in the vicinity
OF the wreck is infested with sharks.
little hope of recovering the bodies
is held.
The Columbus. which left Key
West at l o'clock Yesterday after
noon and was wrecked an hour later.
was making its regular daily trip
to Havana. -Four hundred pounds of
mail were lost with it.