The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-03
Washed From the Raft Which
Carried Sutherland to
the Shore.
THE MAIL COMPANY CENSURED.
Seamen Declare That Top-H eavi-
ness Caused the Wreck OF
the Steamer.

MAZA1IAN, MEX, June (Vla Noga-
les).-Third Officer Hansen gives graphic
account of the wreck of the Colima. He
arrived here on the San Juan, and possibly
is the one surviving officer of the wrecked
steamship. This is the story which he re-
lated:
81 was standing on the weather side of
the pilot-house when the Colima shipped
heavy sea. She would not mind her rud-
der, and, though the engines were work
ing smoothly, got into the trough Of the
sea and could not get out.
Captain Taylor and Chief Officer Grit
fiths were on the bridge doing all that
was possible to head out to sea, first with
a slow bell and then with full speed, but
without success.
About 10 :45 o'clock we were struck by
terrific squall. The high seas careened
the steamship well over. She partly
righted, when a second squall struck her.
The sea broke entirely over the vessel.
She careened. never recovered and sank
almost Immediately.
THE last 1 saw of Captain Taylor he
was on the bridge blowing whistle as
warning. AS the steamship careened for a
the last time he was undoubtedly carried
away by the high sea which swept the
vessel.
81 jumped over the bow when the Colima
was on her side with masts and smoke
stack under water, and succeeded in get
tiDo on soroa u,roniyaoo - oop+ip,ad ubir5
Officer Hansen in relating his experience.
afterwards with six others who were on
bits of wreckage we made a raft and all
crowded on top of it. Three of the men
were washed off by the waves, but one of
them was afterward rescued, making five.
OF us on the raft when we were picked up"
Hansen says that Chief Officer Griffiths
was sent aft by the captain to clear number
five lfe-boat and is supposed to be out
with her at this writing with five or six
other men.
The last seen of the boat it was trying to
pick up Purser Waters. Whether it did or
not is not known, as they went out of
sight in the squall very quickly.
The second officer was amidships when
last seen. He may have gotten away on a
liferaft and is supposed to be still out.
Berry, the freight clerk, refused to come
from his room and undoubtedly went down
with the Colima.
Mr.. Sutherland, survivor picked up in
an open boat full of water, with no oars
SAID he was standing on the weather side
of the cabin aft when the steamship tipped
He went over the top of the cabin, holding
on to a piece of rope, and dropped right
into boat already launched.
One man was then there.
The mast came over, caught the boat
pushing it under water.
The other man jumped out and disap-
peared. Sutherland in some manner ex-
tricated the boat from beneath the mast
getting away about fifty feet, when the
steamer went down.
The boat was constructed with air-tight
compartments. The mast broke one of the
air chambers.
Afterward Sutherland pulled into the
boat Professor Whiting of Berkeley and
also Mrs. Irving and another woman, who
were all washed off several times and
finally, through exhaustion, disappeared
one by one, leaving Sutherland alone.
This boat capsized many times and was
continually swept by the seas. When
picked up the boat was full of water and
Sutherland was clinging to the rigging of
the gunwale.
The San Juan, Captain Pitts, bound
north, four days late, experienced the
same storm to the southwark but of less
violence and was hove to several hours.
About o'clock Chief Officer Grundle no.
ticed something waving on the water.
With his glass he made out two men. He
lowered boat and picked them up, with
nineteen others, within a radius of six or
eight miles.
The San Juan steamed about for eight
hours with men on the lookout at the
mastheads, then proceeded on her course
to Manzanillo, sending the coasting steam
ers MaZatlan and Romero Rubio to search
for No. lifeboat and liferaft, still sup
posed to be SAFE
Many OF the twenty-one saved had been
In the water twenty-six hours and were
nearly exhausted when rescued.
The survivors agree that the storm was
the widest ever experienced. The wind
and waves came in every direction and
with twisting force. Owing to the dark
ness due to the rain and flying water one
could see only few feet. The force of the
wind was terrific.
When the lashings were cut on the lum-
Der to tighten the ship the deckIoad was
picked up, going high in air and scattered
over several hundred yards.
Planks and wreckage would come to the
top of the waves and the wind would pick
them up, hurting them many yards.
Officer hansen before jumping felt the