Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-03
THE CRUEL AND HUNGRY SEA Was Loth to Give Up Its Human
 Prey. ASQUALL STRIKES THE RAFTS And Those Not Drowned Were Killed b1 Blows
 From Timbers. SUTHERLAND SAW A PITE0US SIGHT The Wind Would Catch Up Planks and Hurl Them Upon the wretches in the Water-Capta Taylor's Fate
 After Gallant Struggle.
SUTHERLAND SAW A PlTEOUS SIGHT

. San Francisco. June 2.-Capt. II. L. Reed. the well-known marine surveyor of this city, in a dispatch from Mazatlan. gives some additional particulars of the Colima wreck obtained from Third Ofi- eer Hansen, who escaped on the deck house. and A J. Sutherland, who clung to the seats of an overturned life boat.
 The heaviest squall of all those ex- perienced came after the steamer had foundered and while passengers and crew were struggling in the water. The force of the gale at this time was dread= full. Many were washed from the wreck age to which they clung. Some were killed or rendered unconscious by being struck by the timbers, which were dashed about with resistless fury. Rafts and boats were overturned. Had 1t not been for this squall many more -un- doubtedly would have been saved
 The gale drove rafts and Wreckage be- fore it with great rapidity.
 MT. Hansen saw a raft pass at 6:30 D. m on the day of the disaster On 1t were three men. They drifted very fast, and were soon lost to view He also saw a raft on which were MT. Chilberg and six others. These men had two oars. and seemed to be making for the shore MT. Hansen also saw boat in which was First Officer Griffiths and four or five other men. When last seen this boat was trying to pick up the purser, but it was not seen again, and is supposed to have been swamped in the heavy sea.
 Every one of the survivors except Sutherland is badly bruised by being struck by the wreckage. He was pro tected by being under the lifeboat after it had overturned five times with him. : He says he saw two ladies alive and then saw them drown without being rLble to render them any assistance. Sutherland and Hansen say the wind would catch up blanks and lumber from the deck load, hurl them In the air with furious force and dash them down upon those in the water.
 It is reported that just as the steamer went down Captain Taylor was washed from the bridge into the sea, and that there he was struck by piece of wreolz age and killed or so stunned that he was unable to make further effort to save himself. He had attempted to heave to under the slow bell, but could not get the vessels head up to the sea. Then he tried going ahead at full speed two or three times, but the wind threw her off, and she fell into the trough of the sea. Some of the survivors say that the en- zines could not drive the steamer into the teeth of the gale. or else they were disabled. Sutherland and Hansen both tell narrowing stories of the misery they witnessed while keeping themselves af1oat. Many of the bodies which hoated past them were entirely nude.
 Either the clothing had been torn off by the fury of the wind and waves or the victims had been too i'll or too terror stricken to leave their beds until the last, and had then, rushed upon deck clad only in their chamber robes Ap- parently the children were all drowned in the cabins It was the 129th trip of the Colma. She had on board $160oO3 of treasure shipped to Mazatlan from the house of Mclchers and Echegueven & Co. It is insured in London and Ger many.
 Until the depth of water in which the steamer wena down was positively known two diving plants and two steam CTS belonging to Hidalgo & Go. and the Cornego company of LaPaZ were kept waiting to attempt the recovery of this treasure. l have myself been held here waiting for full particulars before acting further
 According to the passenger list when the steamer left Manzanillo there were thirty-seven cabin and forty-eight steer age passengers from San Francisco Ave from Manzatlan and a crew of eighty, making a total of 206 souls on board.
 Other passengers n y have been taken on at San Bias and Manzanillo, and some may have left the steamer, so the exact number on the ship when she foundered is not know here.
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