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RE YOU GOING' AWAY? Have
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jive you all the news Irom home
Yesterday
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Th WeatherFair tonight and
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VOL. VI. NO."120. ;
PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 24, 1907. SIXTEEN PAGES.
PRICE TWO CENTS. ,75,553
ON
BLAME
FOR
Exhausted and Nerve Wrecked Passen
gers Rescued From Ill-Fated Craft
Arrive' at Astoria and Tell Story of
Their Horrible Experiences Women
Perform Heroic
(By Don F. Steffa. Staff Correspondent
of The journal.)
Astoria. July 14. Carelessness gross
eareleaaneaa.
It rang, from one-end of the steamer
George W. Elder to the other thla morn
ing: among. the. exhausted, nerve-wrecked
survivors of the frightful disaster off
Shelter Cove. .
Somebody blundered. Somebody's
criminal Incompetency sent the Co
lumbia to the . bottom with its load of
human freight. There Is no other opin
ion expressed among: those who passed
through the1 fearful experience,, saw yie
waters engulf their friends, and rel
atives, heard the scream for help, the
prayers and curses of the unfortunates
and themselves stared death In the face.
Tew Signals Blow.
The San' Pedro was sighted more than
. minutes before the fatal collision.
But prior to the time when the lumber
Scnooner nunmta mo toiuiuuia moiw
had been but few signals blown as Is
customary when the weatner is mica.
And when the whistles that spoke dan
ger were finally sounded there was con
fusion, hesitancy and an awful mistake.
The San Pedro loomed up out of the
thin fog. She whistled, but the answer,
according- to those who heard and suf
fered by the blunder, was not right. The
" response was not as It should have been
to make things clear and prevent the
awful consequence.
Mrs. Eastman's Story.
Walking on the deck where she could
ate the movements of both vessels, Mrs.
Charles A. Eastman, of Portland,
watched the San Pedro as It bore down
upon the Columbia. She stood on the
deck until the collision had occurred,
then rushed to her sister's stateroom
and dragged her bodily from her berth.
"I saw the nan rearo ruiiy live min
utes before the two boats struck." she
said this morning. "It must have been
longer than that, but there was plenty
f time to avoid the tsolllslon if a mis
take had not been made.
"I cannot tell why it was. It hap-
rened: that's all. The San Pedro whla
led three times while approaching our
boat, but the UOlumDia answered oniy
twice. Then the Ban t-earo wnisuea
again, but another mistake was made in
the answer, and a few seconds after
wards there was a crash as the two
cam together.
Colombia fwerved Quickly.
AH this time the Columbia held to
v.rJwourse, until the very last minute,
whftatahe swerved quickly In response to
the ruoder and stuck her bow out direct
ly In the path of the on-rushlng vessel.
"Prior to the, time when I first saw
the lights of the San Pedro there had
been but few blasts blown from the fog
horn and these were infrequent. But
the night was not heavy. How could it
be, when I saw the boat that rammed
MB, coming head on a couple jot miles
away 7
The sentiment of the entire boat Is
in accord with the opinion expressed.
Someone blundered, not once, but sev
eral times, and the penalty was nearly
five score of human lives and Injury to
half a many more.
On?' Deck at Time.
"I was walking on the deck for more
than one hour before the disaster," said
SAVED FROM SEA
r;JX)Ul8.-.CULIOroN.t
aiiHuwia qaaMMaaaaaHaiaaia) iui'.ms,
1
fa
f J it
1 All
on 1 '
LT "lv II I
1 If J f III
J
. i
1
ELDER
OFFICERS
Deeds
Mrs. J. M. Thompson who is on her
way to visit her daughter, Mrs. Marlon
Sanford, at Arleta.
"I was restless, had been seasick, and
couia not steep, I looked out over too
water several times and wondered why
with the darkness and fog the fog horn
was not blown, as it always has been
on other steamers I've been on. I went
to my stateroom, and soon after arriv
ing there I heard a boat In the distance
whistle. The answer from the Colum
bia was slow In coming and somehow
it didn't seem to be right.
"Then there was another aeries of
blasts from the other boat and aa-aln
I noticed that something was amiss
with the answer. Af few moments
afterwards' there, was a lurch, a grind
ing ot timoerr, ana l Knew that we had
cojiiaea wiuj anotner vessel."
Carelessness Kespomslble.
O the 10.7 survivors brought to As
toria by U Elder not one was found
this morning . who did hot express a
decided conviction that criminal care
lessness was alone responsible for the
terrible -catastrophe at midnight. Dosens
could be- quoted. Details- they could
not give except that the San Pedro was
seen far enough away and In abundance
of time to prevent the fatal disaster.
But that someone blundered, that some
one hesitated when death rushed with
awful speed toward the ill-fated stal
er, that someone was confused anu did
the wrong thing at the wrong time, on
all this they are firm, of one and the
same mind. y
TWO NARROW ESCAPES
Bliss Giiese Overboard Twice and
Finally Saved br Woman.
Astoria, July 14. Miss Emma Grlese.
a school teacher of Cleveland, Ohio, is
the woman whose life, twice despaired
of, was saved through the heroism and
unrelenting efforts of Miss Maybelle
Watson, sister of E. A. Watson, of
Portland.
Miss Grlese occupied a stateroom with
Mrs. J. M. Thompson and when the
porters pounded on the door and called
roi
or all passengers to get on deck. Mrs
Thompson, assisted both Miss Grlese
and another woman to strap on their
life-preservers. Then the three became
separated. Miss Grlese was saved, the
other woman plunged from , the deck to
her deatn.
Carried Down by Clothes.
Miss Grlese made her way to the rail
In on the UDDer deck where dozens of
persons were lumping overboard. She
had put on all her clothes and the In
stant she struck the water was carried
beneath the surface.
"It seemed as if I never would come
to the surface, she said. "I breathed
water into mv lungs several times and
was nearly exhausted when I came to
trie surrace again and was nauiea inio
one or the coiumDia's iireDoaia.
Boat Tips Over.
"I had seated myself comfortably
when something happened, someone had
stood up. l tninic. too rar to one siae,
in an effort to drag a poor drowning
woman on board. In an instant the life
boat was CADslsed and we were all
pitched headlong again Into the icy wa
ters. Oh. the horror of It all. I cannot
describe. I heard, it seemed to me,
ten thousand shrieks of agony as the
water covered my ears and I went down,
down again, this time I thought to
death.
'With all my clothes on I had Mule
chance for life in that sea of struggling
human beings. No call from me would
be heard If I ever reached the surface
where a hundred more were battling for
their lives and those of their relatives.
, 8 truck by Ways.
"I came ud finally, but a huge wave
struck me just as I caught my breath
and I sank for the third time. When I
reached the surface the last time an
arm was thrown about my neck. It was
Mlsa Watson. I was numb. All the
strength in my body, had left me and
my lungs stung from the swallows of
water I had taken. 1 remember hearing
Miss Watson say: 'Let's swim towards
the raft but keep free of it and don t
get your clothes caucht'
"i ne next l rememoer was on ooara
the Elder. I had been there In a berth
for two hours, unconscious. For six
hours prior to that time I had lain
without regaining my senses on the raft
from which we had finally been rescued.
They had told Miss Watson I was dead
and that her heroism had counted for
naught
ure zs saveo.
"But without outside assistance t be-
came conscious again. Miss Watson
and I had been together on the boat
since leavlna San Francisco. When she
found me in the water she grabbedme
uy me unvft u& ine jirttu wim una fia.ua
and kept both of us above the surface
with the other hand. She paddled
around in - this way for two hours. I
think, before we finally reached one of
the rafts and were pulled on hoard.
"When the officer called to her to
reach out her hand, she refused, tel-
jCCwvftnuea oa Pag Xwal
NEGLIGENCE
On the right is Captain P. A. Doran,
REMAINED WITH
MOTHER TO LAST
Son and Daughter of Mrs. R
D. Cannon Stayed by
x Her Side.
By Don F. Steffa, Staff Correspondent
or The Journal.
Astoria, Or.. July 24. Eye-witnesses
who saw the tragedy enacted on the
deck of the Columbia, In which the
mother of R. D. Cannon, city editor of
the Evening Telegram, lost her life.
marvel that either Miss Stella Cannon
or Lewis Cannon, the brother, are alive
today.
The sister and brother stayed with
their mother until the explosion of the
boilers on the Columbia separated them.
All three rushed to the upper deck soon
after the collision, one on each side of
the aged mother. As they stood on
deck they urged their parent to jump
overboard with them, but It is probable
that in her feebleness and the terrible
excitement she did not understand and
there was considerable delay. Nearly
all the passengers and crew had left
the vessel when the terrific explosion
of the boilers occurred.
Both Mr. Cannon and his sister and
Mrs. Cannon were blown clear of the
railing, high into the air like skyrock
ets, and descended Into the water. The
three became separated and it is be
lleved that Mrs. Cannon never rose to
the surface.
Brother and sister were picked up by
different lifeboats snd were reunited
in Eureka, where Miss Cannon was
taken in charge by Dr. T. J. Oraffls
and placed in 'the hospital.
Two of her ribs were broken, her left
shoulder dislocated and she sustained
Internal injuries. Mr. Cannon was also
injured, but he bravely refused to have
nis own injuries attended to until
others less fortunate than himself were
cared for.
PIPE SMOKER CAUSES
EXPLOSION IN MINE
(Journal Rpeel! Brrle.)
Grafton, W. Va,, July 24. Three men
were killed and six badly Injured today
In an explosion a A the Two Lick mine.
A man with a pipe caused the explo
sion. The loss of property was heavy.
Brave Child Saves Her Little
Girl Friend From Drown
ing in Ocean.
By Spencer B. Best, Staff Correspond
ent or xne Journal.
Astoria, Or., July 24. There was only
one family on board the doomed Colum
bia that escaped the great sea tragedy
without the loss of a single member.
It was the family of Mrs. J. A. John
son, 61 Broadway, San Francisco. With
her son Raymond, 18 years of age, and
daughter Ethel, 12 years old, she ar
rived in Astoria on the George W. Elder
this morning.
Mrs. Johnson and her family are en
route to Portland to visit her brother,
R. R. Dingle, 106 East Fifteenth street
The story of her escape and that of her
children is one of wonderful heroism
on the part of her son and daughter
and frightful suffering by her.
She was asleep, as were the children,
when the great prow of the San Pedro
tore into the side of the Columbia. 8he
did not awaken at the shock, but was
aroused -from slumber by her children.
Almost as soon as sne awoice sne and
tha children were hurled high in the
airV There was an explosion, she says.
and she- was struck on the bead, ren
dering her unconscious.
When the explosion occurred they
were all thrown quite a distance from
the sinking shin - into- -the sea.- Near
them was a little girl, Ef fie Gordon...
II years of aa-a. She was floundering
h,allMl la tit jrt&. jCa Jahaaoa
Ml
DECLARES
WENT DOW WITH SHIP
master of tha Columbia. On the left
C. Burpee.
EIGHT SURVIVORS
REACH PORTLAND
Crowd at Depot Welcomes
Few of Columbia's Passen
gers Who Came by Train
There were tears of sympathy In the
eyes of bystanders when the train from
Astoria arrived at noon today, bringing
half a dozen of the survivors of the Co
lumbia wreck. They came up from
Eureka on the George W. Elder, but left
the steamer at Astoria, coming on to
Portland by train. Among the throng
which met the train were anxious rel
atives of missing passengers on the Co
lumbia, still faintly hoping for news of
their loved ones.
One man stood at the gate eagerly
scanning the faces of each arrival and
saying over and over one name, but as
the last one came through ttie grate ne
turned away with tears of disappoint
ment In his eyes.
A family stood by waiting ror two
women whom they expected and three
(Continued on Page Four.)
STEAMSHIP ELDER
DUE AT SIX O'CLOCK
The steamship Geo. W. Elder
will be In the harbor at about 6
o'clock this evening from Eureka
with those survivors of the
steamship Columbia who decided
to 'come to Portland. She left
Astoria at 10 o'clock and the run
up the river usually consumes
from eight to nine hours. This
should bring her to Martin's
dock, at the foot of Seventeenth
street, at about 6 o'clock.
In order to accommodate the
large number of people who will
likely go to meet the steamer,
the street car company has ar
ranged to provide extra cars on
the "8' and "Sixteenth street
lines about the time mentioned)
when traffic is unusually heavy.
!(- .J '-. JjZ i
v f
v w
l h '
Mrs. J. A. Johnson.
girl, though younger by year, la much
larger and stronger than Effl Gordon,
but they had become fast friends on
the1, voyafe. Both lire In Saa Fran-
VlgnnV
BOILERS
'AM
WW
r
i " 1
v -1
- " . " I
is his first assistant engineer, M.
SUPERSTITION
ADDS TO GRIEF
Brave Whitney of Columbia
Married on Unlucky
Thirteenth.
One week from the day of his mar
riage, William F. Whitney, first officer
of the steamer Columbia, was drowned
when his ship went to the bottom after
being rammed by the San Pedro off
Shelter Cove on the California coast.
His young bride, who waited for him in
Portland, awoke Monday with a sense of
joy, realizing that It was the day for
thj return of her husband's ship, and
before the day had passed learned that
the ship had gone down.
Grief stricken, her misery heightened
by superstitious fears, little Mrs. Whit
ney wanders about her home, seeking
comfort from the sorrow that threatens
to overwhelm her.
Mrs. Whitney was Miss May Grenier.
On Saturday, July 13, she and First Of
ficer Whitney went to the court house,
secured a marriage license, and were
married by Judge Webster. They left
the Judge's office in happy content. Yes
terday afternoon a sad woman., bowed
with grief, entered the judge's office
again. It was Mrs. Whitney.
Turning In her misery to the old su
perstition, Mrs. Whitney railed at the
thirteenth of the month, blamed herself
for her sorrow for having been married
on the thirteenth, and said she had a
presentment of impending trouble.
"Oh why was I married on the thir
teenth of the month T" she cried as she
struggled to keep back the tears. "I
knew It was unlucky; I felt at the time
that something awful would happen:
something told me to tear up the license
and wait tin some otner day. Why was
our wedding day on the thirteenth?"
Mrs. Whitney Is staying with friends
In a suburb of the city.
YANKEES MEET JAPS
AT GARDEN PARTY
Brest, France, July 24. Japanese and
American naval ofTioerH today are ming
ling with the greatest cordiality, but
the American tars are kept aboard as a
precaution against a clash.
Admiral Uuln, the Japanese comman
der, and Admiral Stockton visited each
other at a garden party this afternoon.
Bands of both squadrons played the na
tional anthem of the other nation.
Johnson Family Ilscapes
From Wreck Without Loss
of Single Member.
Bravely the Johnson girl went to the
aid of her weaker friend. Fastening
ner arms aoout her she managed to
keep afloat until rescued by a lifeboat.
Both children were almost exhausted,
but uninjured.
Of all the 25 or SO children on board
vounti uiey aione escaped.
Meanwhile Raymond Johnson was ald-
iil. unconscious mother. 8eeln,
that she was nnnnnrlnii ha ni.n.
himself beneath her and succeeded in
Kitng aer neaa aoov water for more
than an hour before the lifeboat
reacnea mem. it was late the next
morning before Mrs. Johnson regained
vwii.u.ui. inougn inorougnly ex
hausted the son was uninjured. He has
the honor of having saved the life of
his mother, -while his little sister be
came a heroine by saving the life of
her friend.
"There must hav been an explo
sion, said Mrs. Johnson, this morning.
I did not awaken immediately, and
almost as soon a I did w were thrown
into the- air. The whole top of the
boat seemed to rise with us. I was
struck on the head by something and
am not unow anytmng until it was an
over. When we reached the lifeboat
I learned that my son had saved my
life and that my daughter and little
Effl Gordon had uJ themaelvea bv
clinging to each other. I was badly
braised , and It was necessary for the
Surgeon to Utl It mtitahu in my
EXPLODED
PASSENGER WATCHED
SAI PEDRO COMING
FOR FIVE MINUTES
Portland Woman on
Deck and Watched Schooner Bearing
Down Upon Them Only Two Chil
dren Saved of More Than Twenty
Five Aboard the Ill-Fated Boat.
By Spencer B. Best, Staff Correpsondent
of The Journal.
Astoria, Or., July 24. Laden with
humanity, but with grief as well, the
heroic old steamer George W. Elder rode
slowly across the bar and steamed up
to the Callender dock at 7 o'clock this
morning, bearing scores of survivors of
the eteamer Columbia which, after a
collision with the steam schooner San
Pedro off the coast of California Satur
day night, lies at the bottom of the sea,
the sepulchre of many of her passengers
and orew, the exact number of whom
Is still Incomplete, so officers of the
Elder declare.
There were nearly 200 souls aboard.
6 of whom had been saved from the
deep by the rescue work of the Elder
and her crew. in ima wwiu uu
grateful list were twe little 'rl. on
of whom naa savea wo uinar, mm u
of 25 or more children on board the
Ill-fated vessel they were the only ones
"Itdwas 6 o'clock this .-morning when
the steamer was sighted off Fort Ste
vens. Even at tnai eany nour mo
of her coming spread quickly thnugh
the city and the dock was lined with
people straining their eyes to catoh a
glimpse or me ion um.- ..
rose rrom aer luunew.
large Crowd Oreet Bteamer.
Relatives and anxious friends were
In the crowd waning 10 mm wiir
ones or to confirm fears of frightful
Import. Men were there and women
and children, and as the big Jfteamer
puffed slowly towards the docks the
crowd grew oomnnu
Th.n a. ptionous sun iuiu a. y
feet calm. The broad estuary here was
as placid as a lake ana mere w ..m
"en a breeze as the big steamer slowly
glided toward the docks. There were
no flying banners, no cneers from the
deck or dock only an occasional flut
tering handkerchief as an eager watcher
caught a glimpse "" " "
he looked. . . A . .
Finally tne Dig sieamoi uu.mh-"
gainst the piers, lines were deftly flung
a
and the steamer whlcn nas prooainy
achieved a world record for rescuing
human lives was fast to the dock, it
was with dlixlculty that officers fought
back the crowds in order to cast out the
officVrs'of the Elder delare that the
death list as a result of the disaster
will not reach a higher ftgure than 68.
Purser Smith declarea that the Elder
rescued 144 persons Including 107 pas
sengers r-d 37 members of the crews of
the San Pedro and OolumDia. tie esu
mates that 69 will be a ugh total for
the list of lost.
Saw Ban Fedro Coming.
Survivors of the disaster freely de
i.iir that it was caused by a confusion
of signals on both vessels and by care
lessness, or perhaps worse on the
schooner San Pedro. Mrs. C. A. East
man of Poruand. one of the survivors,
declares that she was standing on tne
deck of the Columbia for fully Ave min
utes before .e collision and during that
entire time she saw the great prow
of the schooner bearing down upon
them.
There was a fog but not unusually
dense she says, but even In the fog
she could not believe that the vessels
would colllue. Though for five minutes
she stood staring at the dreaded object
looming threateningly Derore ner me
crash came almost before she knew it.
Other passengers declare that the San
Pedro made no effort whatever to rescue
the victims of her destruction. Backing
away from the floundering ship which
she hau fatally crippled she stood off
circling around the passenger boat as
a vulture about a carrion, while the
Columbia sank, until she also began Jo
sink. Finally she ws aDanaonea oy ner
crew. There Is a difference of opinion
among the survivors as to whether or
not there was an explosion, ine ma
jority, however. Insist that the boilers
exploded, tearing off the upper part of
the snlD. l ne riaer leu. i
o'clock for Portland. Ten hours are
neoessary for the trip.
COLUMBIA SANK RAPIDLY
Vessel Went to Bottom In Eleven
Minutes After Collision.
Astoria. Or., July 24. It was eleven
minutes from the time the prow Of th
steam schooner San Pedro pierced the
side of the Columbia that th waters of
the sea had completely covered th spot
where floated the ill-fated vessel. Ther
was only a faint rlppl of the
water, scarcely discernible In th dark
ness, to mark the spot where th mag
nificent steamer sunk. . , -.
But about the SBOt vwr ,s-trua--ilaa
human beings, lifeboat crowded, to th
water's edge and raft which carried
scores of almost '- naked anl fnrlnrn
pnple. "The time ef th sinking of the
ship was recorded by members of the
San Pedro's crew. It was exactly 11
minuto according to officers of -the
George W. Elder, who rescued a large
number of the San Pedro's crew.
aemjer ot tue jtiuar s crr rezuse j
Columbia Stood on
to assign a cause for the disaster. Ths
also refuse to condemn the crws ef
either of the vessels. Passengers, how
ever, declare that there waa a confusion,
of orders and that th Pedro seemed,
either to have Ignored or failed to un
derstand the signals from th doomed
vessel.
Ulder Xoud gurvivors.
"We were not there and did not se
the accident," said Purser W. M. Smith.)
of the Elder. "We were on our way t
Portland from San Francisco and wer
emlng up the coast when we found
the life boats and rafts with th sur
vivors. We rescued most of th San
Pedro's crew and from thenl learned
ma,?7 of the 'atalltles of the wreck.
11 wa" actly 11 minutes from th
time the 8an Pedro rammed the Col urn
bia before the latter was completely
submerged. Wearrived on ' the seen
nve hours later and began the work nf
rescue. Ther wer many individual
..vi.. ui nsmins na,-inaeea, mere was)
heroism on the part of alU
"We towed the San Pedro away after
her crew had abandoned her. Twice th
hawser broke and then we used th
anchor chain.
"The Elder and her crew rescued 144
persons 87 members of the Pedro'
and the Columbia's crews and 107 pas
sengers of the Columbia out of 19.
Fourteen got ashore at Shelter Cove
leaving only 69 passengers lost" "
The George W. Elder Is In command
o'Captain G. M. Jessen, & veteran
sailor, whose modesty surpasses even. -the
heroism displayed by him and hi
crew. CaDtaln Jeaaen nave than .Ki
and crew did nothing but their duty.
"Saved All W Could."
inn. jij . . . . ...
.. iiduBm uui wnai w naa lav,
do and what w ought to hav done.''
he said today. "I, can't tell much about
. u t "augni out wnat w had to .
much bout
now it happened or how we rescued th
people, for I am not much nn thi ii.'
gam. I am a mariner, and hav spent
50 year in the service. Just say, if
you must sav something, that wa, -o .
all the people we could and did our beat'
to save the others. I don't se any-f '
thing remarkable about It. They wer
simply in the water trvinr tn hT m.t
and we were in a steamer trying to unl '
Captain Jessen resides In Pnrtian
Is known on the entire coast as an abl
seaman. , - -
J. S. Hughes is chief engineer on thai '
steamer. .
LOST WIFE AND BABIES , 1'
" 1 I .
Olaf Peterson Straggled In Vain tah
Save Their lives.
Astoria, July 24. Olaf Peterson la
the name of a survivor of the Columbia,
disaster whose grief may be even great
er than that of others of the unfort
nates. H lost his wife, two children and
barely escaped with his own life.
In a broken foreign dialect h be.
moaned his rscue this morninar. trvina .
to tell in his sobbing un-Amerioaa
tongue how he wished that he mla-h -
have died that those he loved might
live.
Peterson was accompanied on th vov -
age from San Francisco by his wife "
and two children. The oldest child wa
2 years of age. the other IS months. Th -youngest
was a girL
When the collision cam he seised
the boy In his arms and the wlf ,
(Continued on Pag Three.)-,
LOST IS WRECK X-
A
x
It
r. (