Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-06-06
STORIES OF SURVIVORS.
Rescued Passengers from the Pan
anna Sh Tell Their Experiences.

anna Sh p Tell Their Experiences.
San francisco, CAL. June Ian Elk
aminer's special from Mazatlan says that
the steamer San Juan has arrived there
with the twenty-one passengers picked up
on tuesday from the wreck of the Colima.
All the rescued are badly bruised. They
We're all picked up from pieces of wreck
age and RATS, with the exception of A. j.
Sutherland, who had chung to a boat aft
er it had capsized five times and drowned
all the other occupants
The steamer was heavily laden and had
a large deckload of lumber. When the
storm struck her she made bad weather
of 1T. the captain having great difficulty
In keeping her head to the sea. The wind
increased in fury until it is said to have
been the hercest storm known along this
~, waves washed the vessel and started
the deckload. AS the waves rose and the
storm increased the managing of the
steamer became impossible. At last. her
head could no longer be kept up, and she
preached to.
Wave Strikes Her.
Once in the trough of the sea mighty
wave struck her and she was thrown on
her beam ends. This wave struck her
with such force that the steamer trem-
bled as if she had run upon a reef and
most of the passengers thought this the
cause of the shock. This gave rise to
the first report that the ship had struck
on reef Whether because of the heavy
deckload, the shifting Of the coal and
cargo. or the force of the storm, the
steamer would not right herself. The
passengers We're pretty badly stunned by
being pitched about but rushed upon deck
in panic. Here they met another dan
ger. The gale tore part of the deckload
of lumber from its fastenings and whirled
ha Nv r1lI W.T. Il, xrso1o
Many were struck and MANNED At least
one passenger was killed by having his
head crushed by one of the flying timbers.
In their terror the passengers made few
mental notes of their surroundings at this
juncture. The survivors say, however,
that the officers of the steamer were
brave and active. Capt. Taylor stood
upon the bridge. his first officer, D. E.
Griffiths. with him. At an order Grit
fiths rushed aft to superintend the launch
ing of lifeboat No. 5. Second Officer
IN.nghorn was at lifeboat No. 5 and sue
ceeled in getting it launched and filled
with passengers.
Captain Dies at His Post.
Then down went the ship and Lang
horns boat was capsized. All in the
boats We're supposed to have been drowned
Capt. Taylor went down with the ship.
sticking to his post AS the ship pitched
downward he blew three blasts on the
whistle, supposedly as a signal of good
bye. Then he disappeared beneath the
waves Down went the engineers and
tlremen at their posts. Freight Clerk
Berry was in his room at the time of the
final plunge.
Third Officer Henson was saved. AS
the steamer sank, he cut some of the
lashings OF the deck lumber. Then he
jumped or was thrown overheard on the
weather side of the vessel and reached
fIo <ox> &c T.
been torn off and washed away by the
great wave which threw the Colima on
her beam. Thomas Henson was tossed
about for twenty-four hours. Henson
says that as the steamer foundered her
boilers burst Ten other men were thrown
into the sea with him. The bursting of
the boilers tore off the deck and threw
part of it over at least dozen men who
were struggling in the water. drowning
them all. Flying debris hit others. Hen
son says the deck fairly burst under his
feet as he left the ship.
Two life RATS were seen to be af1oat.
On one were three men and ON another
Wash, who seemed to have been leader
in the work of launching the raft. Those
in position to take notice of their sur
roundings saw many who chung to bits
of wreckage and the lumber from the
deckload The gale caught this wreckage
from the crests of the great waves and
beat the struggling unfortunates with it.
Prof. Writings Heroic Effort.
Prof. Harold Whiting of the California
university made a heroic effort to save
his wife and four children and the nurse
He got into boat in which were A. j.
Sutherland and others. The boat was
soon swamped. Five times she was right.
ed after being overturned. The women
were soon drowned despite all efforts to
III >l
by the flying debris. At last only Suther-
land was left. He climbed upon the seats
while the lifehoat was overturned and so
hoated with the bottom of the boat serv.
ing him as a protecting shield. He says
he was on the weather side Of the steam
er when she went on her beam ends, but
slid over to the side and fell into boat
AS the steamer went down mast or
part Of the rigging took the boat under
water. When it came to the surface
Sutherland craWled in again. Then he
picked up Prof Whiting, Mrs. Irving and
ing. Almost Immediately the boat cap,
sized again and, as has been reported went
over no less than five times, drowning
Prof. Whiting and the two women. Then
it was that Sutherland came UP under the
boat and remained there protected as he
tells from the flying timbers and dashing
debris. Many of those saved were badly
hurt by the wreckage and lumber. The
survivors drifted about for twentyfour
hours in what Capt Pitts of the San
Juan says was the hardest storm ex.
perienced on the coast in twenty years
OF course none but the stoutest could
survive. The weaker ones succumbed
from hour to hour. Among those most
injured was young Gushing of Oakland.
He and another man ffoated about on an
improvised raft His brother was
drowned. His injuries are severe. Some
of the others are in pitiable condition