Columbia was constructed in 1880 by the John Roach & Sons shipyard in Chester, Pennsylvania for the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.

[7][11][12] Due to this, a detailed article and composite illustration of Columbia was featured in the May 1880 issue of Scientific American magazine.

[13] Columbia was lost on 21 July 1907 after a collision with the lumber schooner San Pedro off Shelter Cove, California, with the loss of 88 lives.

Villard subsequently ordered an Edison Lighting System to be installed on his company's new passenger steamer, Columbia.

193 at the John Roach & Sons Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works in Chester, Pennsylvania originally by the Oregon Steamship Company.

[7][18][19] Roach himself refused to install the incandescent light bulbs on board Columbia in fear of a possible fire breaking out.

[7] Columbia made a stop in Rio de Janeiro to replenish her coal supply and was exhibited to Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, who had a fascination with electricity.

[13] While passing through the Straits of Magellan, the propeller shaft and rudder were checked using light bulbs attached to a tallow covered cable.

The Columbia's record on the Portland 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.~E.W.

Wright – Lewis and Dryden's Marine History of the Pacific Northwest – 1895[22]During a major overhaul in July 1895, the original Edison generators were removed in favor of modern counterparts.

Under the leadership of Captain Conway, she left her San Francisco dock at 10:09 am on January 28 and began travelling on a relatively calm ocean at a fast pace.

[24] On October 3, 1900, the Columbia was steaming slowly towards its dock in San Francisco, while the ferryboat Berkeley was preparing to leave her slip.

Another screw steamer owned by the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, the George W. Elder, temporarily took over the Columbia's route.

[27] In 1904, the Columbia and the George W. Elder transferred to a new Union Pacific subsidiary called the San Francisco and Portland Steamship Company.

[32] Columbia was undergoing a refit at the Union Iron Works dock, when the 1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred.

The main dining room boasted French walnut, Hungarian ash, mahogany and maple wooden paneling.

[8] The passenger accommodations and luxuries aboard Columbia were designed to greatly surpass anything seen on previous liners along the Pacific coastline.

[12] On 20 July 1907, Columbia departed San Francisco, California, with 251 passengers and crew for Portland, Oregon, under the leadership of Captain Peter Doran.

[14] When it became evening, Columbia became shrouded in fog about 12 miles (19 km) off Shelter Cove, but Captain Doran refused to slow the ship's speed.

[14] Columbia at this point had developed a very noticeable list to starboard, allowing Lifeboat Number Four to be launched without being lowered.

Once the ship was completely underwater, a large explosion occurred, sending many people dragged under by the Columbia back to the surface.

Thinking quickly, Maybelle managed to force the woman upright again, continuing to hold her head above water until the lifeboat commanded by Officer Hawse pulled the two women onboard.

[14] Although badly damaged and partially sunk with a noticeable list, the 390,000 ft (118,872 m) of redwood being carried in the San Pedro's hull kept the steam schooner afloat.

[43] After the sinking, the San Francisco and Portland Steamship Company leased the vessel City of Panama to fill the void left by Columbia.

On August 8, 1907, the City of Panama was involved in a collision with the grounded steam schooner Alliance near the junction of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.

The sinking of Columbia, combined with the earlier losses of the Valencia, the Clallam and the City of Rio de Janeiro helped to extinguish public confidence in shipping lines and steamboat inspectors.

[43] On August 29, 1929, over 22 years after the Columbia sank, the passenger steamer San Juan collided with the oil tanker S.C.T.

[44] The San Pedro was repaired following the sinking and continued serving along the California coastline until being sold to foreign owners in 1920.

Rusting debris from Columbia including a boiler and bulkhead are still visible near the northern section of the Lost Coast Hiking Trail.

[47] Between 1899 and 1907, at least eight other ships had met their end in the area, including the St. Paul, whose rusted boilers can still be seen in the surf at Punta Gorda.