The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23
THREE DAYS ON A RAFT.
NouWiens, the Sailor Who Posed
as the Hero of the Colima
Disaster

James Altman was one of the crew O
the Colima, and was engaged on the deck
OF the vessel during that dreadful day O.
the disaster, and after drifting around with
three companions on the life-raft for three
and one-half days landed on the beach
Altman is a very intelligent man, and
what the Pacific Mail officials permit him
to tell is interesting notwithstanding the
remarks of censorship noticeable here anC
there. AT Manzanillo after the disaster
he stated that the Colima was overloaded
topheavy and badly managed. and when
asked yesterday what caused the wreck he
made In substance the same admission.
Nv hen the Collma was in her last S1rug.
gle,'' said he, II was on deck passing down
lumber to the saloon"
why were you passing down lumber ?''
he was quickly asked.
1--WE were trying to nail up the house
that was broken By the seas" he answered
This statement, in view of the fact that
the house and saloon are in different 10.
callties, and that the vessel was in extremis
and well-known to all except the com.
mander who held on to his fatal lum Der.
yard, and the steward. who cursed the
passengers for putting on -prescrvers, is
somewhat peculiar. However, the genius
that would fail 20 set sail aft, fail to try
the virtues OF storm anchor, fail to get
rid of his dangerous load of tons of loose
timbers, might attempt to make repairs in
the ruined cabin when the vessel was even
then settling to her long home.
"The steamer would fall off every sea,
roll on her beamends, and the great waves
would tear away some of the Lighthouses
before she came slowly back Presently
she dropped clear off in the trough of the
sea. and an awful wave swept down on us
Everybody on deck was dashed into the
al ho 1,,,,, ho-
thing that could be torn from the hull.
"Oh, the horror of this momentl The
water swirled and roared around me. and
the floating things crashed and ground
against each other. | first clutched one
thing and then another.
ut was impossible to hold on to any.
thing long. If a small object the waves
would dash 1T out OF your hand, and if a
large one the wind would assist the sea in
getting it away from you. 1 could see
men and some women struggling around
me. They would make frantic grabs al
the wreckage all around them, but thew
would make no noise. I never heard q
single cry. 1t was grit teeth and hold on
and nobody had any breath for voice.
would see several persons floating together
and big pile OF lumber or wreckage would
bear down upon them and they would be
gone.
II soon saw if / escaped | would have tr
keep clear of the stuff dashing around, SC
when saw anything on the wave above
me and coming my way 1 would dive
Often | got hit, but / escaped severa
blows
''The wind seemed to die down some
what for while and l saw boat near me
Climbing in | found it almost full of waite,
and containing Professor Whiting and ;
woman dressed in black His clothins
was torn almost off and he was bleedins
from deep cuts on his body. He sat in on
end of the boat with his head hangin,
| down and seemed to have lost his mind
The woman was lying in the water il
the boat almost lifeless. She moved occa
sionally, but Whiting never paid any at
tention to her. Two or three other person