The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-02
HOW THE CoLIMA WENT DOWN.
sunk by the Waves a Little Before
Noon Last Monday.

Noon Last Monday
Mazatlan. Mexico. June 1.-The steamer
San Juan has arrived here with the twen-
ty-one passengers picked up on Tuesday
from the wreck Of the Colima From them
has been learned some OF the particulars
OF the dreadful disaster. which they say
happened on Monday at noon. when the
Colima was about twenty-eight miles out
Og ManZanillo and ten miles from shore.
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. of Seattle who had cIung
10 a boat after ii had capsized five times
and drowned all the other occupants. As
all We're ahoat lashed by the fiercest gale
Of years and bufeted by the angry seas.
for about twenty-four hours they are
hardly Yet in condition To tell a con-
nected story of the wreck and the ex-
periences of their escape but many inter-
esting particulars have been obtained.
The steamer was heavily laden and had
a large deck load OF lumber. When the
storm struck her she made bad weather
OF ~. the captain having great difficulty
in keeping her head TO the sea The wind
increased in fury until II is said to have
been the fierccst storm known along this
coast in twenty years. The. sea rose rap
idly. Waves dashed over the vessel and
started tho deck load. AS the waves rose
and the storm increased managing the
steamer became impossible At last about
noon. her head could no longer be kept
up. and she preached 10. Once in the
trough OF the sea, a mighty wave struck
her and she was thrown on her beam
ends. This wave struck her with such
force that the steamer trembled as If she
had run upon reef. and most OF the
passengers thought this the cause Of tho
shock. This gave rise to the first report
that tho ship had struck on a reef
Whether because Of the heavy deck load
the shifting of the coal and cargo. or the
force OF the storm, the steamer would not
right herself.
The passengers were pretty badly
stunned by being pitched about hut rush
ed upon deck in a panic. Here they met
another danger. The gale tore parts Of
the deck load Of lumber from its fasten-
ings and whirIed the heavy planks about
with appalling violence. Many were
struck and manned. At least one pass
enger was killed by having his head
crushed ny a flying timber. In their ter
ror the passengers made few mental
notes Of their surroundings al this innr-
ture. The survivors say however. that
the officers of the steamer we're brave and
active. Capt. Taylor stood upOn tho
bridge his first ofitr. u. + Griflths
with him. Al an order Grifiths rushed
aft 10 superintend the launching Of ufe
boat No :. Second Officer George Lang
horne was At lifchoat No 3 and succeed t.
ed in getting II launched and filed vim
passengers. Then down went the shin
and Langhorne'S boat was capSized Al
IN the boat are supposed 10 have hoeD
drowned. Capt. Taylor went down with
the ship. sticking TO his post. As tho
ship pitched downward he blew tbrao
blasts on the whistle. supposedly as a sig
nal of goodhy. Then he disappeared he
gineers and fremen at their rosts
Freight Clerk Berry was in his room AZ
the time OF the final plunge.
IhlTa oticer Hansen as saved As +ha
steamer sank he cut some Of The lash
3ngs Of TIE deck lumber Then -
Jum1ed or vas thrown overheard on tbo
weather side oS the vessel and raaohnd
the top of the deckhouse. This had b@.1
torn OF and washed away nv a s-ra. ;
wa ~ which threw the Celfrna 80, -
beam. There Hansen clurg washed ana
hu0oted. for tweuty-f0ur hours He sa~-
men and women sink about him. b,It vas
powerleSs to aid Them Hansen saws +rat
as he steamer fcundered her boilers
burst The dF~.k burs. under his fec, az
he left the ship. Ten other u7an W..
thrown IN - the sea with him The brre--
iuc 81 the boilers -o~a of tho da.k ant
threw part ~ over a I least "a dozna
men VINO were struggling in ,ho va,e~
drowning them all Flying debris htt
,hers
Two Iserafts were seen to no ae,7.
on ore were thrNe -uen and on a-,+h.-
SIX. including ! p. C,hhberg ~ S+att7a
VINO seemed 20 have been a leader fg .bs
work ot launching the raf Tr,se IN
any position 20 take notice os iheir e.t--
rouudtuGs saw many Who clurE 70 sf-S
~ wveckaSe and The lumber from he
deck had. The gale caught his v.~.,.l -
age croVn tl3e crests ot the great v-.s-as
and heat she struEgli 1g unfortuna-as v-f+h
it One mans skull was crushed -,- q,
wh.rling plank a. he vas about n lam
her on a llferaft The dash % che sa~a
made each timber a monaco as yvcI ss !,
slope
- 5hs FISH: for life began. There vas
10 hope for women OF ChA3re-1. and S-,a II
chance Tor n1en. IN sueh a storm Many
~ the women and children c,us. nave
remained i1 1Eeir -aatDS. TAe -rv--ls..s-
~ nude bodies 80 ,he stewards and an
other won7en same floating RS the deck
hau~e some tinle after fhe So amer sank
All were dead, and fhe s.Eht was SO dis
t-,asysiny that Th,r1 Ottice~ Hansen ard
the Others or the G@-khouss pushed ne
bodies away wlth p.~~eS o. s-sallcr.
Pror Harold " 5s-.r-. ot the In.ver-
sity 90 California Ira<4e a hercc tfTo-t
~ save hls Rlfe. fcLr ,L5-5rer ami me
nurse fie En* in-a asss- t0 Nrt-'7 we're
A. j. Sutherland ars o-GerS The host