The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
GUSTAV ROMANS STORY
The Steward Tried to Prevent Him
Giving Out PreserV-

erS.
Gustav Rowan, the Belgian musician,
whose residence since he disem barked is
at the Hotel de France, 61S California
street, had been warned he said, in COM
mon with the other rescued passengers, by
the officers of the San Juan, not to talk,
and it was with some difficulty that he was
induced TO say anything.
In his struggle for life after the sinking
of the steamer, Rowan was badly battered
and mad been twenty-seven hours in the
ocean clinging to a piece of the wreck.
This was not the worst of his troubles and
of his fearful fight for life. He fears
physical evidences which he will carry for
life.
Besides a lacerated wound of the scalp
and internal injuries from which he has
suffered greatly, he had three ribs hurt
and also received severe wounds about the
lower limbs that render locomotion ex-
tremely painful Some of these wounds
he received while trying to distribute life
preservers among the panic-stricken pas
sengers when it became evident that the
ship was doomed.
In this humane effort, he saws, he was
opposed and to a great extent thwarted by
the steward of the Colima, who COM
manded the passengers to let the life pre-
servers alone and then ordered Rowan for
ward. He does not remember the stew
ard S name and can only describe him as
"a German who wore eye glasses and who
talked like a bull" Rowan's story is cor
roborated by II. W. Boyd and T. J. Oriel
They both say they saw him giving out
life-preservers to the passengers, and heard
the steward order him away from that part
of the ship where the passengers had
gathered in terror.
Mr. Rowan was bound for New York.
He explained the ife-preserver incident in
the best English he could command, say
ing:
THE steward told me You don't take
anything at all. What are you taking
those things down for2 You'll have to put
them up again. I'll not put them up for
you"
Mr.. oriel interrupted to explain that the
steward was trying to allay the excitement.
Row an continued:
Then I jumped and took the life-pre-
servers and gave them to all l could, in
spite of what the steward said. 1 did not
stop, though he tried to stop me-
About that time the ship tipped COM
pletely over to an angle of forty de-
grees," remarked Mr.. Oriel. Concerning
the wreck Rowan said substantially:
'"Three causes contributed to the sinking
of the Colima, though by no means in equal
degree. First, there was the gale which
struck US Sunday evening about o'clock
Second, the cargo was badly loaded and
would not stay in place. Worst of all was
the way the ship was handled. There was
nobody to do anything. There was no dis
Cipline among the crew. Conflicting or
ders were being constantly given by the
officers, but this did not do much harm
for none of them were obeyed. Early in
the struggle the crew became unmanagea-
BILE and confusion reigned everywhere.
From the time the gale struck us until
Monday morning, we all lost hopes that
the ship would be saved. At O'Clock.
however, we commenced to realize that we
were going to be wrecked, and the panic
commenced.
at was about this time that I went
after the life-preservers. / took a great
many and carried them about among the
passengers, and showed them how thew
were to be worn. AS l said the steward
came up to me and demanded to know
what l was about. I told him, and he said
that must leave the life preservers alone
and attend to my own business. He then
told several of the passengers not to touch
the life-preservers, and ordered me to 20
forward. He said that there was no danger
and there would be plenty of time to get
away in the boats if there were.
"But even then the ship was sinking
and as she went down put on life-pre-
server and jumped. The water was full of
wreckage, and L struck on something and
then went down.
when came up was caught fast be-
tween two pieces of timber, and had my
ribs hurt. Then a wave washed me clear,
and l went down again. Three times
was washed away from the wreckage. The
last time L caught on to plank and man
aged to keep up. After drifting about for
twenty-seven hours or more was picked
up by boat from the San juan"
To bear out Mr.. Rowan's statement as to
the bad loading of the ship several of the
men said 1t was top-heavy. One thought
there was fully $4,000 feet of green lum Der
on the decks