"AS BLACK AS EGYPT."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 187, 12 September 1914, Page 5

"AS BLACK AS EGYPT."

GRAPHIC TALE OF BURNING

LINER.

"Everything forward seemed as black ' as Egypt —all smoke and flames."

This was one of the graphic statements made by Captain Macdonald of the Leyland liner Columbian, at the Board of T#ade enquiry at Caxton Hall (England). The Columbian caught fire at midnight on May 4, and within forty minutes the flames had gained such a hold that the captain decided to abandon her and the crew took to three of the boats. Two of the boats*were picked up two days lateiybut the third drifted for several days.

Its eleven occupants suffered such privations that only three were alive to tell the story of their terrible experiences when they were rescued. Captain Macdonald said that he saw one of the barrels of oil, which formed part of the cargo, was leaking. He could not tell whether it was creosite or tar oil.

When the fire broke out at midnight lie ordered the Marconi operator to send out a message, '' Winifredian, stand by, I am afire.'' He had sigthed the Winifredian that morning, and as he knew she was bound <£or Boston he calculated she could not be more than twenty or thirty miles away. Captain Macdonald was walking along the alley-way when the explosion occurred. He could not distinguish anyone, and could only recognise, people by their voices. The Empty Bridge. The Marconi operator sent out an "5.0.5." message, and the captain

went to the bridge, but there was nobody there. The roof was blown off the wheel, and he saw that a portion of the deck on the starboard side- had also: been blown up. , > Going aft, he met the chief office*and a group of men.- He was told that two ■of the, boats had gone. The third boat was lowered, and the remainder of the crew entered it. He himself did not get into the boat until he was satisfied there was no one living left on board. He saw the deal body of the second engineer on the deck. There were sixteen men in his boat, the captain continued, and, one of them, the donkeyman, was washed overboard just as they were getting clear. Th&. last he ssaw of the Columbian mass of flames. Yt : ''.--'■

, :< ' Siie was burning . all : over,'' he said, ''and oil balls:of fire were shooting up into the air from explosions occurring at intervals."

* His boat was v picked up by the Manhattan oh the Wednesday, the Franconia having previously rescued the survivors in. one of the other boats. 'A search was made for the third boat, but this proved fruitless. It was picked up fourteen days later by a United States revenue cruiser. ;

Captain Macdonald said of the three survivors on this boat only one, he was afraid, will be able to give evidence; The first officer was still in hospital and had lost both his feet.