The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-30
SCENES OF TERROR.
Frenzy Of Passengers on the
Lost Steamer CoIima.
Nearly Two Hundred Go Down
in the Sea.
ONLY TWENTY SAVED.
Thrilling Story of One Who
Was Saved.
ONLY TWENTY SAVED.

pCTSOnS Oh DOdE0s RoSooSAA7
gers and crew, foundered off the coast
of Mexico on Monday. Fourteen pas
sengers and five members of the crew
reached Manzanillo, Mex, yesterday,
and gave the first information of the
vessels fate Whether the remainder
of the passengers and crew escaped in
small boats or went down with the
ship is not known.
The first information of the loss of
the steamer reached this city in dis
patch received by II. E. Alfred Rail
ton, a bookkeeper in the office of the
Pacific Mail Steamship Co. The dis
patch contained the following brief
statement: ''Saved. Wire father.
Richardson Richardson was the
storekeeper of the Co1ima and is one
of the few at this time known
to have escaped from the sinking
vessel alive. When Ra1ton received
the dispatch he went to the Mer-
chants exchange to corroborate the
news of the vessels loss, but failed to
obtain any information there. A few
moments later telegram was re-
ceived from the company's agent at
Manzanillo that the ship had gone
down and that fourteen passengers
and five of the crew had reached the
shore in a small boat.
The Colima sailed from San Fran
cisco May 1s for Panama and way
ports with 112 passengers, forty in the
cabin and thirty-six whites and forty
six Chinese in the Storage. The Off
GERS and crew mum bered TO-
The officers of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Co. do not believe the vessel
struck a hidden ledge. They are more
inclined to think that the cause of the
disaster was an accident to the ma
chinery. They are sure that the Off
GERS and crew did their duty when the
trying moment came, and believe that
the loss of life will prove to be much
less than is at present feared. The
vessel had six 1ife-boat which hung
from davits ready to be launched at
moments notice, and it is thought
that all of these could have been
launched.
The Colima was a single screw pro-
peller with iron hull. She was built
in 1878 at Chester, Pa, by John Roach
& Sons. Her tonnage was 1900. "a
gross, 2,143.s IS net, her horse power
LOO and her speed III knots. This
was her 129th voyage to Panama. She
carried about 2, 900 tons of cargo and
was valued at SOB, 00O
The Merchants exchange has the
following dispatch from Manzanil
10: Steamer Colima total loss. One
hundred and sixty passengers and crew
lost. Twenty-one saved. Much bullion
LOST
All day long yesterday the Offices of
the Pacific Mail and of the telegraph
companies and newspapers were filed
with anxious friends of passengers and
crew, making fearful inquiries about
their friends. Many of the scenes
were pitifu1 in the extreme and the
most gloomy fore bodings prevailed,
| despite the assurances of the officials
that the Colima's machinery was in ex-
cellent condition, having been inspect
ed just previous to her leaving; that
her commanders and officers were
skilled seamen, and that the chances
were in favor of the safety of their
friends
The Examiner this morning prints the
following:
CoL1MA, Mex, May 8O.-A special
messenger arrived from Manzanillo this
morning at 10 o'clock with official infor-
nation for the governor of Colina re-
garding the Colima steamship disaster
off Manzanillo. The report is very OBJ
scure and lsments the loss of the 100
people more than it goes into the causes
and the details of the wreck.
Seventy-five miles below San Bias a
hurricane was encountered and it was
| debated as to whether or not the ship
should attempt to gain partial shelter in
the shallow and treacherous Banderas
bay, which has rocks near its entrance
or whether it were better to push out to
sea.
One local Mexican passenger, Don Mat
las Moreno, says the report, was on deck
and testifies that while cautiously steering
for what to all appearances was the
usual entrance a slight tremble was
felt to go through the ship. Il
was SO faint that it was hardly
apparent to the trained senses of the
pilots and captain. The captain ordered
a slight change in the course and gave
other directions which were obeyed by
| the officers and crew.
In very few seconds after the keel
| ground on a rock slightly and there was
at once great excitement among the
| officers and crew, fear on the part of tho
few passengers on deck. Following the
danger signal in less than ten seconds
the great ship crunched on an unknown
reef and shudder ran through the hull
from bow to stern.
The passengers sprang from theil
berths in terror and ran out onto the
decks, screaming and praying in a par
oxysm of fear as the awful truth begar
to burst upon them. The wind howlec
and dense pail of fog hung over the
ship as she was tossed by the surges anC
began to pound herself to pieces on the
rocks. She rose and fell three times
and then the crash was heard. This wa
followed by silence for the space of
quarter of minute, during which tim,
only low signing was heard and mufflet
groans
"Man the boats" trumpeted the cap
tain, after a short interval in whicl
! another crash was heard from beneat]