New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-31
WENT ON THE REEFS.
HOW THE COLIMA WAS LOST ON THE
MEXICAN COAST
HER CAPTAIN WAS TRYING TO GET INTO
HARBOR pJT LITTLE KNOWN TO ESCAPE
HuRRICANE-CoNFIICT STORIES

A rRRICANI,-CONFIICTlNG STORIES
OF THE LOSS OF LIFE
San Francisco. May 3o-A morning paper
prints the following:
Coma. Mexico May pa special messenger
came from Manzani.lo this morning at O'Clock
with official information for the Governor OF
Colima regarding the Colima steamship disaster
off ManZanillo
Seventy-five miles below San Bias n hurricane
encountered. and it 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 the en-
trance or whether IT would be better to push out
to sea one local Mexican passenger, Don Matias
Moreno. says that while cautiously steering for
what. to all appearances. was the usual en-
trance slight trembc felt to go through
the ship 1t was so faint that II was hardly APP
parent. except to the trained senses Of the pilot
and captain. The captain ordered a slight change
in the course. and gave ether directions which
were obeyed by the officers and crew.
In a very few seconds afterward the keel
ground on a rock lightly. and there was at once
great excitement among the officers and crew
and fear on the part of the few passengers on
deck. Following the danger signal in less than
ten seconds the great ship crunched on an un-
known reef and shudder ran through the hull
from bow to stern
The passengers sprang from their berths in
terror and out to the decks. screaming
and praying in a paroxysm Of fear for the awful
truth began to burst upon them The wind
howled and dense pail ~ fog hung over the
ship as she was tossed by the surges. and began
to pound herself to pieces On the rocks. She
rose and fell three times. and then a crash was
heard. This was followed by silence for the
space Of minute. during which time only loud
sobbing heard and muiled prayers
Man the boats trumpeted the captain after
short interval In which another crash was
heard from beneath the water The boats had
previously been made ready with all the life
preservers placed at convenicn, places. although
covered from the view # nervous passengers
Within three minutes Of the first crash in the
hull the ship began TO reel from its upright
balance. to settle and 10 sink in It's free hinder
part The scenes about the feboats We're in
describable. According to all the testimony OBJ
tainable the panic-stricken passengers and the
ships crew struggled for first place. although. to
the credit Of the crew few Of the sailors or ships
people lost their presence Of mind, hut gave their
main attention 10 saving the passengers.
There were number Of children on the pas
senger list. and one Of these was pitched over
| board into the frothing Sc by frcnzied mother.
who aimed for Of the lifeboa,s while si!l
upon the davlts. A woman Of evident wealth
and refinement among the passengers. wh'S"
name is thought to be Broslin or Crosslyn. dis
played remarkable presence Of mind and IN III"
most trying moments passed among the frenzied
throng exhortng the people TO keep quiet. and
taking particular of the women and chill
dren.
Some Of the passengers not willing TO await
| the chance Of a place in the boats. seized the
| febelts and boldly cast themselves into the seas
| 70 their almost universal fate They tossed
| lfeessly upon the waves or dashed against The
rocks. which were easily observed from the fast
sinking ship The first boat TO be lowered with
its heavy burden Of humanity succeeded in clear
| ing the ships sides. but was swept away by
the mighty force and swallowed by the night
| fog OF this load only one Of the sailors Is
| known to have escaped the engulfng Hood
| which swept over the boat five minutes after II
! was launched A similar fate befell all the other
boats. with one exception.
A dispatch from the City OF Mexico says only
| meagre telegram has been received mere from
| the Colna wreck. At 10 o'clock last night n
message was received from the Pacific Mall
agency at ManZanillo saying that the number Of
lost is 100 and the saved only twenty-six.
II is said that ffty-four bodies have been
brought into Manzanillo by several searching
parties patrolling the coast foot and In boats.
The weather is hot and no means for embalming
are at hand so these will be buried tomorrow.
and as IL is apparently impossible TO dig sepa-
rate graves, the bodies unclaimed by survivors
will of necessity be inferred In long trenches.
"The Jefe Politico Of Manzanillo has already
summoned all the mounted rural forces in the
district to duty AZ Manzanillo and garrison Of
soldiers has been placed on guard TO prevent
robbery Of the dead and to dig graves and
trenches II IL known that some vandalism has
been committed. several bodies have been
found a short distance from the shore stripped
| Of all valuables and clothing. Severe punish
ment will be inflicted upon any offenders who
| NAV be discovered at this work. The dead are
| laid out as well as the means Of Vognl Il Co. the
| Manzanillo agency Of the Pacific Mail will per
| nit Portions & the ship have reached shore,
and II Is apparent she will be total loss
| At II o'clock this morning Louis r. Brewer. a
| coffee planter who with his friends has been
| striving 10 learn something Of the fate OF HIS
| wife and three children who were aboard the
| ColIma received a telegram from a friend In
| Manzanillo which. although containing no def
mite information Of Mrs. Brewer and her chill
| dren is most assuring. particularly In view or
| this mornings reports to the effect that bodies
were coming ashore near the scene OF the wreck
| The message read as follows:
| Manzanillo. May 3o-9:55 a. m-Ta Galveston.
| l.. II. Brewer. San Francisco
| Your wife and children have not yet appeared
but the shpwreckcd passengers are being continn-
| ally picked up from RATS and boats.
| No signature Is attached to the message. but II
| is not customary to sign cable messages In view
| Of the expense.
Yesterdav's telegram the or
eighteen men who had beel rescued but later
| dispatches say there were twenty-six picked up.
1T Is my opinion that one Of the three men
| whose names were not mentioned Is my son.
| said Mr. Cushing father OF the two boys who
| were passengers. 1T Is possible that the original
| message OF the rescued sent ashore by the san
| Juan read the Cushings meaning both boys.
| and that in the transmission the message was
| made to read Cushing thus leading us to think
| that only boy was safe.
| In the morning dispatches bodies were re-