SS Columbia (1880)
Encyclopedia
The SS Columbia was a cargo/passenger steamship that was owned by the San Francisco and Portland Steamship Company. The Columbia was lost on July 20, 1907 after a collision
with the lumber
schooner
San Pedro off of Shelter Cove
.
shipyard
in Chester, Pennsylvania
for the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. Columbia was one of the first ships to carry a dynamo
to power electric lights instead of oil lamps. The success of Columbias experimental dynamo system led to the system being retrofitted on to other vessels. Columbia finished its sea trials and sailed around Cape Horn
to San Francisco, California. In 1895, one observer stated:
The Oregon Railway and Navigation Company was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad
, and renamed the San Francisco and Portland Steamship Company in 1904. By this time, the Columbia was becoming outdated. The Columbia was undergoing a refit at the Union Iron Works dock, when the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
happened. The quake caused Columbia to roll on her side and hit the dock. The ship's large iron hull was damaged filling it partially full of water. It took two months to make the temporary repairs to the vessel. Columbia was sent to Hunter's Point for permanent repairs. Along the way, the crew abandoned ship after a steampipe exploded. Columbia eventually made it to dry dock
and repairs were finally done. Columbia was returned to service in January 1907.
. Columbia was under the leadership of Captain Peter Doran. When it became evening, the Columbia became shrouded in fog off Shelter Cove
. Captain Doran refused to slow the ship's speed. The whistle of the San Pedro could be heard nearby. Doran still did not slow down Columbia. First Officer
Hendricksen of the San Pedro also refused to reduce the speed of his vessel. Fifteen minutes later, the San Pedro was seen coming straight for the Columbia. At 12:22 A.M. on July 21, 1907, the San Pedro hit the starboard side of the Columbia. Doran shouted at the San Pedro, "What are you doing man?" and then ordered reverse thrust, which set the Columbia free. The impact ripped the bow off the wooden hull of the San Pedro. Columbia started to list to starboard and sink by the bow
. Captain Doran ordered the passengers to go to the lifeboats. As the ship was sinking, passenger Otilla Liedelt noted that Captain Doran had tied the whistle cord down on the bridge, and waved his hands in a final salute. After the bridge went underwater, the whistle died as well. Not all the lifeboats were launched when the ship made its final plunge. The Columbia took with it, 88 passengers and crew. After the sinking, the lifeboats of the Columbia and San Pedro launched a rescue effort. In 1929, the disaster would repeat itself when the passenger ship San Juan collided with the oil tanker
SCT Dodd, and sank.
Collision
A collision is an isolated event which two or more moving bodies exert forces on each other for a relatively short time.Although the most common colloquial use of the word "collision" refers to accidents in which two or more objects collide, the scientific use of the word "collision" implies...
with the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
San Pedro off of Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove is a small coastal indentation on the north shore of Prince Gustav Channel, between Chapel Hill and Church Point, Trinity Peninsula. The name, given by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee , is descriptive of the only part of this coast which is sufficiently sheltered from...
.
History
The Columbia was constructed in 1880 by the John Roach & SonsJohn Roach & Sons
John Roach & Sons was a major 19th-century American shipbuilding and manufacturing firm founded in 1864 by Irish-American immigrant John Roach. Between 1871 and 1885, the company was the largest shipbuilding firm in the United States, building more iron ships than its next two major competitors...
shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
in Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
for the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. Columbia was one of the first ships to carry a dynamo
Dynamo
- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
to power electric lights instead of oil lamps. The success of Columbias experimental dynamo system led to the system being retrofitted on to other vessels. Columbia finished its sea trials and sailed around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
to San Francisco, California. In 1895, one observer stated:
"The Columbias record on the PortlandPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and San Francisco route is remarkable, as only once in fifteen years has she been longer than one night at sea on the down trip between two cities."
The Oregon Railway and Navigation Company was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, and renamed the San Francisco and Portland Steamship Company in 1904. By this time, the Columbia was becoming outdated. The Columbia was undergoing a refit at the Union Iron Works dock, when the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
happened. The quake caused Columbia to roll on her side and hit the dock. The ship's large iron hull was damaged filling it partially full of water. It took two months to make the temporary repairs to the vessel. Columbia was sent to Hunter's Point for permanent repairs. Along the way, the crew abandoned ship after a steampipe exploded. Columbia eventually made it to dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
and repairs were finally done. Columbia was returned to service in January 1907.
Sinking
On July 20, 1907, the Columbia departed San Francisco, California, with 251 passengers and crew for Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Columbia was under the leadership of Captain Peter Doran. When it became evening, the Columbia became shrouded in fog off Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove is a small coastal indentation on the north shore of Prince Gustav Channel, between Chapel Hill and Church Point, Trinity Peninsula. The name, given by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee , is descriptive of the only part of this coast which is sufficiently sheltered from...
. Captain Doran refused to slow the ship's speed. The whistle of the San Pedro could be heard nearby. Doran still did not slow down Columbia. First Officer
Chief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
Hendricksen of the San Pedro also refused to reduce the speed of his vessel. Fifteen minutes later, the San Pedro was seen coming straight for the Columbia. At 12:22 A.M. on July 21, 1907, the San Pedro hit the starboard side of the Columbia. Doran shouted at the San Pedro, "What are you doing man?" and then ordered reverse thrust, which set the Columbia free. The impact ripped the bow off the wooden hull of the San Pedro. Columbia started to list to starboard and sink by the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
. Captain Doran ordered the passengers to go to the lifeboats. As the ship was sinking, passenger Otilla Liedelt noted that Captain Doran had tied the whistle cord down on the bridge, and waved his hands in a final salute. After the bridge went underwater, the whistle died as well. Not all the lifeboats were launched when the ship made its final plunge. The Columbia took with it, 88 passengers and crew. After the sinking, the lifeboats of the Columbia and San Pedro launched a rescue effort. In 1929, the disaster would repeat itself when the passenger ship San Juan collided with the oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
SCT Dodd, and sank.