The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-02
The Pacific Liner Sent TO the bottom
by a Huge Wave, Not by Striking
Reef, as First Reported.
HEROISM OF CAPT. TAYLOR
BRAvELY STOOD AT HIS POST AND
WENT DOWN WITH HIS SHIP.
Dramatically Badc Goodbye to the
World by blowing the Steamers
Whistle-A Top-Heavy Vessel

-ohS pdSSenSers, picked up on Tues
day from the wrecked Colima From them
the reporter has learned some of the par
ticulars of the dreadful disaster which
happened on Monday at noon, when the
Pacific Mail steamship Colima was about
twenty-eight miles out of Manzanilo and
ten miles from shore All the rescued are
badly bruised. They were all picked from
pieces of the wreckage and RATS with the
exception of A. j. Sutherland. who had
chung to the boat after it had capsized five
times and drowned all the other occupants.
AS all were afioat in the fercest gale of
the year and buffeted by the waves for
twenty-four hours they are hardly yet in
a condition to tell connected story of
the wreck and the experiences of their es-
cape, but many interesting particulars
have been obtained.
the steamer was heavily laden, and had
a large deckload of lumber When the
storm struck her she made bad weather of
IL. the captain having great difficulty in
keeping her head to the sea- The wind in
creased in fury until il is said to have
been the fiercest storm known along this
coast in twenty years. The sea rose randi
ly. waves washed the vessel and started
the deckload. AS the waves rose and the
storm increased the managing of the steam
er became impossible. About noon her
head could no longer be kept up Once in
the trough of the sea mighty wave struck
her and she was thrown on her
beam ends. This wave struck
her with such force that the steamer
trembled as il she had run upon a reef
and most of the passengers thought this
the cause of the shocks. This gave rise to
the first reports that the ship had struck
on a reef. Whether, because of the heavy
deckload. the shifting of the coal and car
CO. or the force Of tie storm, the steamer
would not right herself. The passengers
were pretty badly stunned by being pitched
about, but rushed up on deck in a panic.
Here they met another danger. The gale
tore part Of the deckload of lumber from
its fastenings and whirled the heavy
planks about with appalling violence.
Many people were struck and MANNED At
least one passenger was killed by having
his head crushed by one of the flying tim
bers. In their terror the passengers made
a few mental notes of their surroundings
at this juncture.
WENT DOWN WITH HIS SHIP.
The survivors say that the officers of the
steamer were brave and active. Captain
Taylor stood upon the bridge, his first
officer, De Grifiths with him. At an order
Griffiths rushed aft to superintend the
launching of a lifeboat. No. 5. Second
officer Langhorne was at the boat No. 2
and succeeded in getting it launched and
filled with passengers. Then down went
the ship and Langhorne's boat was cap
sized. All in the boat were supposed to
have been drowned. Captain Taylor went
down with the ship. sticking to his pos;
As the ship pitched downward he blew three
signal Of goodbye. Then he disappeared
beneath the waves. Down went the en-
gineers and firemen at their posts. Freight
Clerk Berry was in his room at the time
Third officer Hanson was saved. AS the
steamer sank he cut some of the lashings
was thrown overheard on the weather side
Of the vessel and reached the deck house.
This had been torn off and washed away
on her beam. There Hanson clung, buf-
feted for twenty-four hours. He saw men
o,. and women en- ;d sink t, aooqf rsdm hd but but Was
as the steamer foundered her boilers burst
Ten other men were thrown into the sea
with him. The bursting of the boilers
tore off the deck and threw part of it over
at least a dozen men who were struggling
in the water drowning them all Flying
fairly burst under his feet as he left the
ship. Two life RATS were seen to be afoat.
On one were three men and on another six,
D.
who seemed to have been a leader in
launching the raft. Those in a position to
note their surroundings saw many who
from the deck load. The gale caught this
wreckage from the crests OF the great waves
and beat the struggling unfortunates with
whiring plank as he about to Chamber
upon life raft. The dash of the sea made
So the fight for life began. There was no
hope for women and children and small
changes for men in such i, storm Many
remained in their cabins. The nude bodies
of the stewardess and two other women
came floating by the deck house some time
after the steamer sank. All were dead and
the sight was so distressing that officer
Hanson and the others on the deck house
pushed the bodies away with pieces OF
scantling.
FRIGHTFUL EXPERIENCES
Prof Harold Whiting, of the University
of California. made a heroic effort to save
his wife and four children and the nurse.
He got into a boat in which A. J. Suther-
land and others were. The boat was soon
swanped. Then it was righte6 after being
overturned The women were soon drowned
despite all efforts to save them. Some
were killed or stunned by the wreckage.
At last only Sutherland was left. He
climbed upon the seats while the lifeboat
was overturned. and so fioated with the
hoat serving protecting shield. Air
came to him through the broken sides of
the boat. Sutherland says he was on the
weather side of the steamer when she
went on her beam ends. but slid over 10
the lee side and fell into boat As the
steamer went down a mast or part of the
rigging took the boat under water. When
n came to the surface Sutherland crawled
into II again. Then he picked up Prof
Whiting. Mrs. c. Irving and another lady
s,,nnosed to be Mrs. Whiting. Almost i'm
mediateIy the boat capsized. and. as has
heen reported, went over no less than five
times drowning Prof. Whiting and the
two women Then 1t was that Sutherland
came up under the boat and remained there
protected, as he tells, from the floating
wreckage.
four hours in what Captain Pitts. of the
san Juan. says was the hardest storm ex-
nerienced on the coast In twenty years
81 course. ncne but the stoutest could sur
yiye The weaker ones succumbed from
hour TO hour. Many of those saved were
hsdly hurt by the wreckage and lumber
Among the worst injured was young c. s.
Cutting. jr, of Oakland. He and another
man fioated about on an improyised raft
but his brother was drowned. His injuries
were severe. Some of the others are in "a
pitjable condition. The appearance OF the
San Juan kept up the spirits OF those
who were ready 10 give up the unequal