The record-union., 1895-05-30
Particulars of the Ocean Tragedy
as Yet Very Meager.
ONLY NINETEEN PEOPLE KNOWN
TO HAVE BEEN SAVED.
The Fate of the Other Hundred ana
Sixty or More Persons on Board the
Steamship When She Went Down.
and the Cause Which Led Up TO the
Disaster, as Yet in Doubt.
snecial to the REcoRD-UxroS.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 29.-Twenty-four
hours have passed since the news of the
loss of the steamship Colima off the
Mexican coast was received In this CITY,
and the officials of the Pacific Mail Com
pany are as much in the dark as ever
with regard to the loss of life. With the
exception of brief dispatch from Man
zanillo, giving the names OF fourteen
passengers and five members OF the crew
who were picked up by the steamer san
Juan, not word has been received about
the disaster, and the fate of the other l6l
persons on the ship is IN doubt.
Meager as is the information about the
loss of the Colima. the officers of the
company do not believe the loss OF Lie
was as heavy as reported. This hopeful
view OF the case is not shared, however.
by the friends and relatives OF the pas
eengers and crew III this city. The ship
was lost Monday night, and the fact that
only one small boatload has been picked
up leads many to believe that the vessel
went down so rapidly that the others dld
not have an opportunity to save them
selves.
In support of their optimistic view OF
the situation, the officers of the company
assert that the COlima was so well
equipped with small boats that she could
hardly have gone to the bottom quickly
enough to prevent everybody on board
getting away in safety.
General Passenger Agent Avery, Who
has traversed the route many times, says
the ocean in the vicinity OF Manzanillo Is
as calm as q mill pond at this time OF the
year, and the deep water along the coast
enables steamers to make the entire trip
10 Panama in sight of land. At night he
says they usually go out mile or TWO
farther for safety, but even then are
within seven miles OF land. He argues,
therefore, that if the Colima went down
Monday night, as reported, the accident
could hardly have been severe enough 10
prevent the small boats being lowered
aud every body getting away i'll safety.
lie believes the passengers ana crew got
safely away from the Collma before she
sank, and are now floating about in a be-
calmed sea. ii indeed they have hot al
ready reached shore.
lie says that after the boats had reached
shore i'll safety the news OF the event
would probably not be received here for
day or two, from the fact that teIe-
graph offices on that part Of the Mexican
coast are few and the facilities poor. The
wires are strung on trees, he says, and
messages are often delayed for days. In
support OF this assertion, be cites the fact
that the company his been unable TO COM
lnunicaie with lis agent at Manzanlllo
since the news of the accident was re-
ceived.
But hopeful as are the officials of the
steamship company. each hour lntensi-
hes the feeling OF those who had friends
or relatives on the ship that ali except
the nineteen who reached MauzanIilo on
the san Juan were lost. Ali day long the
Office of the company has been beSleged
by an anxious crowd OF watcnOr5 await
ing some tidlngs from the lll-fated snip.
While the company has had absolutely
no news to give out, il has continued 10
extend the hope that the next hour per-
haps would bring the coveted news.
Clnging to this shred of comfort, the
crowd waited until dark, and then IL was
announced that the office would be kept
open until midnight To receive any news
that might come. But when the hour for
closing came, no additional information
had been received, and the crowd de-
parted To return Tomorrow morning al
s o'clock.
PARTICULARS VERY MEAGER.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 29.-Only meager
and unsatisfactory advices have been re-
ceiVed here to-day regarding the founder
ing OF the Pacific Mail Company's steam
ship Colima near Manzanillo, Mexico,
Monday night The officials of tie Pa
citic NJ all persisted in the statement that
they have received no notification of the
wreck OF the steamship. and they have
tried TO discredit entirely the statement
OF the disaster.
Several dispatches have been received
by the Merchants Exchange and by
private shipping firms, all confirming
the tale OF the ocean tragedy, and varying
only III the minuteness OF the Informal
ton conveyed. Captain Pitts of the
- toll aCrr
morning that he had picked up Il boat
containing nineteen persons, fourteen o
whom were passengers and i've mem
bers of the crew of the CoIlma. The res
cued boat load was taken to Manzanlllo
and then the steamship San Juan started
out again in search of other boats from
the Colima, the presumption being thai
the balance OF the passengers and crew
were aiioat in the other seven boats OF the
Colima.
The occupants of the boat picked uI
were as follows: Cabin passengers
1ningo Albano. = Cushing, = Thornton
y. }. Sutherland, = Sarabla, RuIz
Steerage passengers-John w. Crew, ii.
W. Boyd, Antonio Rouliz, G. ID. Ross, 3
j. Oriel. u. Rowan, Jose A. Sadiz. l.. L.
Zangerie. Crew-O. Hansen, third OH.
Ger; a. Carpenter, y. j. richardson
storekeeper; Raymond Aviles and John
Morel.
The names Sarabia and Ruiz do not ap-
pear in the list of passengers sailing IRON
this port, the presumption being tna
they Joined the steamship at Mazatlan
There were two Cushings on board
brothers, and lady and gentleman each
named Thornton. No Initials OF survIv'
ors were given i'll the brief telegram.
The latest intelligence regarding the
disaster received here was in cipher
message to a local shipping firm, CON
corning the statement OF Third Ofllcel
Hansen, who was in charge of the boat
picked up. Hansen stated that about
1l:lo o'clock last night. as the Colima was
about fifty miles from ManZanillo anu
between that port and Punta san Telmo
an accident occurred to her machinery
Hansen had not time to investigate the
trouble, but believed boiler had burst.
The Colima was put about, but began to
sink rapidly. y scene of confusion anG
wild disorder followed. One boat was
lowered and tive others swung out, bul
so far as Hansen knows, the boat he
commanded was the only one which go
clear OF the sinking ship. She quickIy y
foundered, and To avoid suction Hansen's
boat quickly pulled clear, and. the nigh
being dark, it was impossible to lei
whether the other boats pulled away
from the wreck or not.
If these boats once got clear away the
calmness of the sea and the low sandy
beach twenty miles distant should enable
them to effect a safe landing in a few
hours. AS the passengers were al
asleep, however, Hansen fears that few
escaped from the rapidly filling steamer
One hundred and sixty passengers ane
crew are still unaccounted for.
The following passengers from Sar
Francisco landed safely at Mazatlan be
fore the Colima proceeded to Manzaniilo