The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-04
TWO STEAMSHIPS ARRIVE.
A Fatal Delay That Sent Mrs.
Robert Irwin on Board
the Colima.
The Manzanillo Port Captain Re-
ported That the Colima Was
Not SeaWorthy.

The Oceanic steamship Alameda, Cap
tain II. G. Morse, arrived yesterday TWEEN
ty-three days from Sydney and six days
from Honolulu with forty-four cabin pas
sengers and sixty-six steerage passengers.
Among the former was Graham Balfour
of Apia, cousin of Robert Louis Steven
son. He comes up on business and will
not return to Samoa for several months.
Mrs. Winslow, wife of Fleet Surgeon Wins
low of the flagship Philadelphia. and her
two children came I'D from Honolulu.
The Pacific Mail steamship Acapulco,
Captain Searles, arrived yesterday twenty
four days from Panama. Among her cabin
passengers was Robert Irwin whose wife
was lost in the Inflated Colima 1t was
Mrs. Twins intention to take passage on
the steamer Colon, but an unfortunate de-
cision at the last moment sent her aboard
of the vessel that foundered with such a
wholesale waste of precious lives.
Mr.. Irwin, to make sure that his wife
would hurry south on the Colon, that
sailed the 18th of April, telegraphed to her
April from Tapachula, State of Chiapas
Mexico, to be sure and start ON that date
and to further hurry her away attempted
a little deception by stating that he was
sick. Mrs. Irwin received the telegram
April II, it having been mislaid some
where. The 'sick" report frightened her,
and instead of hurrying aboard the Colon
she used the precious day of grace ques-
tioning her husband by wire regarding his
health. She took the next boat, the
Colima, and her desperate fight for life
amid the floating lum Der was the last of
the unfortunate lady.
When the steamer disappeared she man
aged to get in the boat with Professor
Whiting, Miss Phelps and Mr.. Suther-
land. The frail craft upset several times
but Mrs. Irwin nobly fought her way
through the dashing wreckage and man
aged to get back in or on the boat. Suther-
land says she was the quickest little
woman" he ever saw and made a desper-
ate fight for life before she was finally
swallowed up by the awful sea that heaved
over and around them.
Mrs. Irwin was taking down a large
stock of jewelry for her husband, all of
which was lost with her, and Irwin has
returned to San Francisco to see whether
the company will indemnify him for his
loss.
Mr.. Irwin says that his wife was a splen-
did swimmer and able to remain on the
surface of the water a long time, and that
she was provided with life preserver. He
learned that she succeeded in getting
ashore and died some distance inland from
exposure and privation. Persons now in
MEXICO, VINO were with ner on the
steamer, and people who knew her in Mex
leo, informed him positively that her body
was found and buried on shore.
Irwin states that just before the Colima
left Manzanillo on her fatal trip the cap
tain of the port telegraphed the Secretary
of War in the City of Mexico that the Pa
citic Mail steamship Colima was unsea-
worthy by reason of the bad condition of
her cargo, and that she appeared to be
topheavy. The official was apprehensive
of some disaster, and wired the Mexican
capital for authority to retain the vessel
He gave Captain Taylor a copy of the tele-
gram, which only hurried that COM
mander to sea. No answer came to the
dispatch and the Colima went out to
founder in the wild storm.
Mr.. Irwin is emphatic in his statement
that these facts are true, and copies of the
official telegram have been seen.