The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-20


The tolina Investigation
san Francisco June 1s-An s~a-s,--
PAPER say: When The sse,,ya~r,rr ,e.r.@ =
cation shall - held there ssfm -
80 "a or testimony 10 Shoszv thf .spl-.a
oiiIty OF the Pacific Man IN tha r,o1lr,.
wreck BeEides the Testimony pfven -
- me nun and boiler Inspectors A. u
- = nan ffas received z letter from his
proaner, who has coast ranch IN Naxt-
90 near the scene 81 the wreck. Ter ~
the wrecked passengers are bs.fne, .-s-.A
Tor by him. and their story Of TIE v-ra,,sg
"oFfohoFates all that has bs-.n said
a.salhsL the management Of the shtr,
W. iian writes that, from the story told
y the survivors AZ his place the wreck
was all due 20 Capt Taylor.
'eTl@ln II Is. adds the writer. that
II ILie1le no attempt whatever 20 save the
passengers. The rescued TSassenr@rs tell
me that the coverings were not ..ve., sak
eh OF the boats. and further that the
passengers were not notified OF the dang
sr until five minutes before the Colir1a
went down The freight ports could not
De closed on sss,o1nt Of the inlnense car
20 or lumber and other merchandise The
water rushed through these port holes.
ana In few moments put out the fires In
the engine room. Then the Coliua was
practically at the mercy OF the waves. /
learn that n feeble attempt was made 10
moist a sail, though there was such cpri-
fusion then that Il was praGt ically useless
TO attempt to do anything. The passen-
gers endeavOred 70 take down the life
preseryers. but the mates forced them to
put them back. One OF the men here
picked up a preserver and he was per
emptorily ordered 10 nut II back where
he had found It, All the women and
children were on deck just before the Co
lima went down. though many were
washed off by the rushing waters or
kicked or by the Aging sparts before the
end came
The government inquiry wiI be direct
ed to ascertain among other things how
II was that the officers OF the San Juan
failed 10 pick up the passengers who have
been drifting ashore near the scene Of
the wreck after the San Juan's depart
ure. There is abundant evidence that
they made nothing like "a thorough search
for the survivors. and II is thought that
many lost their lives through this ne
giecf.
c. II. Cushing of Oakland. a Colima
survivor picked up by the San Juan. was
before the steamboat inspectors this al
ternoon. He testified that before the
steamer sank there was no canvas out.
The lumber on the Colima's deck WAS
piled four and one-half feet high. In an
swer TO the question. Did the officers OF
the Colima do all In their po1Ser TO save
the lives OF the passcDger57" Gushing re-
piled:
The officers gave US no warning No
life preservers were furnished US, and
heard no order TO lower the boats"
Cushing's testimony in regard TO the
treatment he received on the San Juan
is in direct contradiction to that given
by other witnesses at the inquiry. who
testified that they we're most brutally
treated by the officers and crow of the
San Juan.
The investigation Will be brought TO a
close tomorrow afternoon. when Manager
Schwerin. OF the Pacific Mail Company.
viii testify as TO the condition OF the Co.
lima on leaving this port on her last
voyage.
San Francisco. June 19.-R. p. Schwer-
IN. vice president and general manager
of the Pacific Mail Company, was ex-
amined this afternoon by the United
States inspectors of hulls and boilers in
connection with the laundering Of the
steamer COiima off the coast Of Mexico
on May ~. Schwerin testified that de
was an officer OF the United States navy
for nineteen years. lie had inspected the
Colima before she left San Francisco and
found her in good condition. upon which
he had congra tula,ed Capt. Taylor and
admonished him 10 take good care Of the
ship and passengers lie stated that he
inspected all the Pacific Mail steamers
before they went TO sea. The lifeboats
were ready for service. and II they were
dashed he said Il would take only a min
nte 10 cut the ropes. Schwerin admitted
that the lumber was piled three feet high
on the Colima's deck. but said the lumber
was securely dashed for ordinary wealth
err lie was positive the lumber did not
mako the Cplirna Ton heavy