davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

Smith, first-class naval apprentice; John
w. Crew. coal-passer. They were all
homeward bound, after three years
cruise, for discharge.
II have. put in long service in the
Many" said he, land have rode out storms
OF wind and storms of shell. OF course, 1
have passed through all the perils almost
that beset man on the sea, but all my
past experience is forgotten when / re-
call those awful days of the Co.
lima disaster. Not only was the dan
ger from one source dragging our lives
from US. but peril from another cause
was driving at us. Those heavy, loose
planks flung by the great waves, and
thrown end over end by the hurricane fall
ing down upon the poor fellows struggling
in the water, was the most terrible sight
that ever sailor saw. And then the big
pieces of Lighthouses upon which we took
refuge capsizing on the top of the high
mountains of water and rolling us under
some to be crushed down into their graves
and others to arise on the surface and try
to drag themselves on to the timbers.
"You want a sailors story of the wreck,
do you? All right. If you had asked me
few hours or even few days after the
event, could not have given you a straight
yarn, was so muddled. But things are
coming back to me now, and remember
little details better. 1 remember that
after we left Manzanillo about in the
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

Floating bodies all around! Oh, how ter
ribie it is to see so many dead and drown
ing men and women all around you.
"By and by one of the men who had hold
of the big thing-it proved to be the hur-
ricane deck-was washed off. A big wave
caught him and fairly forced him loose
and tossed him far away. Then another
was washed off. tried to scramble up
on top. knew l could not hold on much
longer. Some of the others got on top
first. Then big wave came and fairly
lifted me on top. That same wave washed
off two more of the men on the other side
of the raft. Then another wave came and
washed off the fifth man.
"By and by there were only the three of
US on the raft-all on top of it and safe for
the present. These were Hansen, Raymon
and myself. We were tired out and cold
and could hardly breathe. We lay down
and would not have struggled very much
more to save ourselves-we were so tired.
l saw the roof of the pilot-house drifting
by and the storekeeper was on top of it, al
most naked.
Then young woman came by. She
was naked and alive. She had fast hold OF
piece of wood, and Hansen and / tried
to save her. We might have done it, too,
for just then the sea was quite tranquil.
But just as she got abreast of US terrible
hailstorm came on. The wind blew a hur-
ricane again and washed the poor girl far
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
afternoon and began to get some of the

afternoon and began to get some of the
gale, the steamer was very cranky. I
once made trip on the old Moses Taylor
Rolling Moses they called her. Well,
the Colima soon got to doing pretty good
work in that line herself, but she went at
it differently. She would begin to swing
over and would suddenly go with jerk,
as though she intended to make good
start and go clear around in a circle. But
OF course she would come up again and go
the other way. The wind kept getting
stronger and stronger and she labored
awfully. But Captain Taylor kept her
headed well up to the sea, and-and 1
want to say right here, before forget it,
that poor Captain Taylor staid at his post
and died there like man. I believe he
did everything that mortal power could
do to save his ship and all hands on board.
81 and the rest of my shipmates were in
and out of our berths during the night, but
being accustomed to the sea we had no
thought of possible danger. Morning found
us with the Southwestern pouring into the
plunging boat harder than ever. Very few
if any passengers showed themselves on
deck, and don't believe single lady or
child turned out of their berths. In fact,
they were all seasick. That accounts in a
measure for their toUal loss-those who
happened to be on the upper deck when
she went on her beam ends were swept with
the wrecked houses into the sea, and those
below were drowned like rats.
Gas the day wore on the seas got higher,
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
TIED HIS TONGUE.
Pacific Mail Officials Afraid That
Second Officer Hansen
VIII Talk.

VIII Talk.
The Pacific Mail officials were so anx-
ious to get Third Officer Hansen off the
San Juan and into the office where he
would havelo opportunity of conversing
with people that they sent special tug
out to meet the steamer and took him off
before she docked. A. F. Richardson was
also taken off the steamer by the tug.
Upon reaching shore Hansen was whisked
into hack and taken to the Market-street
Office of the Pacific Mail Company, where
he was kept at work upon a statement
until $3.50 O'Clock, when he was allowed to
go home to his wife, who had anxiously
watched in the doorway of the house at
1917 West Mission street all the afternoon
Mrs. Hansen could not understand why
her husband did not come home, or at
least send word of his safe arrival in port,
and when it began to grow dark she sent
out her two brothers to look him UP.
While they were away Hansen made his
appearance, having been released ten
minutes before from the Pacific Mail kim
dergarten for the suppression of news.
81 have no statement to make" said
Hansen in reply to request for some ex-
PLANTATION relative to the disaster at
would not do for me to talk. | have Just
finished report to Mr.. Schwerin and to-
morrow 1 shall make another to the Gov
eminent inspectors. Mr.. Schwerin will
use his own Judgment as to giving this out
for publication. If he chooses to do So,
that is his business, not mine, but not a
word from me. That is strictly pro-
hibited'i
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

upon her just as she heeIed over till her
deck was almost perpendicular and the
great weight of water held her there. The
houses were ripped from their fastenings
and broken into kindling wood and went
washing away to leeward. 1 saw several
persons, among them the bluejackets from
Mare Island, suddenly swept down into
the boiling water and disappear. Then the
lumber began to go. The planks would up
end, big lot of them together, and fly out
on the water. 1t seemed if the whole for
ward part of the vessel was breaking up.
II then felt myself hurled from my hold
of the weather-rigging, and was moved so
quickly under the water that don't know
just what did happen. After long, long
time, came up in the open air in the mid
die of mass of boards and broken tim
bers and grabbed plank for support. I
looked around and the poor old Colima
had entirely disappeared. 1 had been
washed quite distance to leeward of her,
so I escaped the suction when she went
down into her grave 600 fathoms below.
Then began my fight. 1 would hug the
plank with strong grip, but the plunge of
the water would wrench it from me. 1
would swim around some time, get back
to my old board or bump against
another one-they were so thick one was
as handy as any. 1 got some awful ticks
from the big bits of wreckage jumping
around. Those on my head hurt the
worst, and thought several times that
would let go and sink out of that wild
drift that was beating around in all direc-
tions. I am a fair swimmer and had no
from h1o IN, Ropninu m tho rfo oh
it was, but who had a chance for life in
that place? / saw here and there head
bob up and man would grab something
floating near him and hang on. Then
sea would dash us all down into a deep
valley. and when got aboard my plank
they would be gone and their support
would be whirling over and over
empty. 1 saw Apprenticeship Smith
and Coxswain Walske near me, clinging to
piece of the wreckage. I tried to work
myself over to them, when we were rushed
wide apart by sea that broke between us,
and when the water smoothed down again
couldn't see them. Two persons came
close to me, lying over a large plank, and
seemed to have good hold. We all
mounted upon the crest of a sea, the wind
caught the end of the board which was in
the air and just whirled it out of the water
with those men clinging to it. When we,
or /, settled down on quieter place the
other board had no body on it.
"I saw dead woman float past me the
skirt of her white nightdress spread out
about her. I think she had Just been
knocked from, something she had been
ciinging to, as she soon disappeared.
81 kept working around on my little raft
and whenever I saw anybody would try
to paddle up to them as it was getting
dark, and somehow / was afraid to be
alone or wanted company. I finally found
another struggler and we became ship
mates on one raft which we made out of
our two RATS. We were rescued next day,
and so escaped the fate of the poor over
loaded Colima that lies under the Mexican
seas"
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

boat, unless finely handled, could live in
that tumble of water.
II now saw that it was with difficulty she
could keep up to the wind, and / knew II
she preached to we were gone, as nothing
could live in the trough of those seas.
Then she needed canvas. A close-reefed
foresall, or maintopsail, or even storm
staysail amidships, would have helped her
up, and there is where the sailless vessels
are at disadvantage. The Coiima began
to tremble, and when the sea struck her
she would shake all over. That wobbling
began to scare me. I looked at the boats
securely slowed along the weather rail,
and wondered if we could ever manage to
get them in the water. I could feel a
sort OF movement when she trembled
down on her side, and I now know that
the cargo was moving every swing. The
gale would scoop up tons of water and fling
1t through the air. When the steamer
rolled to leeward the sea would strike her
exposed side and pitch over on deck, slap
ping at the houses on the upper deck with
sound like thunder. The wind seemed to
fairly boom over the ocean with noise
that was deafening. I saw the captain and
First Officer Grifiths together during all
that day, and the other officers at their
places around the decks, proving that they
were doing all they could to save the ship.
Presently she fell fairly off and the end
soon came. A monster sea came down
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

away from us. AS she was naked, I sup
pose she could swim and had disrobed, as
the men did, to save her life.
81 never saw such a terrific hailstorm,
and the most of US naked. We hid our
faces in our hands to protect ourselves
from the stones. They were quite large,
and were hurled at us almost horizontally.
They cut and stung like so much shot.
They came against US in great sheets Oh
ice, and the wind was so fierce that we
expected it would blow us of into the sea.
"If we could have saved the young
woman we would have done so She
looked at US imploringly. [ can see her
eyes looking up at us now. She said not a
word, but the last glimpse we caught of
her when the wind swept her past was
pitiful. We forgot our own misery for the
moment.
tAnd when the hailstorm went away
and the waves Quieted down we looked in
all directions for her, but she was gone.
She could not have lived through the
storm.
Presently another woman came floating
by. She was almost naked but was not
ciinging to anything. and her face was
turned straight up. We could see that one
of her arms was broken. Then another
woman came floating past the raft. Hel
face was turned upward also, and we knew
she was past all help.
"You don't know the horror of it all
and / can't tell you it. No one can tell il
| all. And the long night. How did we
live through it? If there had not been SC
| many dead floating all around US it would
not have been so horrible. Oh, it was
| cold-so cold.
"Hansen was dressed in all his clothe,
| when saw him clinging to the raft. Il
was miracle that saved him in that way
| Oh, it was miracle that any were saved.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
LOST HOMEWARD BOUND.
The Coiima WaIlowed In the Seas
on Her Trip to
Daaf1-

Louis L. Zangarre. ordinary seaman, q.
s. N, one of the rescued on raft, was on
deck when the Colima went over on her
final roll and was thrown into the sea with
the wreckage.
"The men who sent that steamer out top
heavy" said he yesterday. with hurri-
cane deck loaded up with lumber so that
you could not move forward, and her coal
bunkers almost empty and with light
freight between decks, did a horrible thing.
Why she was so cranky that she careened
from side to side even before we got into
the stiff blow and when the gale came
down upon us she fairly tottered. She
wallowed over the seas and her cargo
shifted at every twist of her hull.
Just before she went down the captain
ordered the third mate to cut away all the
spars and relieve the ship. IF he had
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
CAUGHT BY THE HEEL.
A Man Tried to Save Himself by
Clinging to Bruno


81 did not jump till the ship turned clear
over" said Cedio, through the Interpreter,
when it came his turn to tell about the
wreck.
81 tried to get life-preserver, but the
Waterman, or whoever it was, would not
let me have one. He said there was no
man put stick of wood in front of the
doorway and would let no one go up on
the deck. I fought and fought, knowing
that the ship could not live when she was
turned over on her side like that. I hardly
know how it was that got on deck, but
somehow I got there. I didn't wait for
the life-preserver.
"Just as jumped into the water felt
something on my heel. 1t frightened and
held fast, and made me strike the water
head first. 1t was the hand of man. He
was frantic. Evidently he could not swim,
and caught hold of me to save himself. If
had let him hold fast we would both have
gone down for good, for it was ten or IF
teen minutes before / caught hold of a
| piece of the deck and chung to it.
~ kicked and struggled and wriggled
my feet, while we were both under the
Wdtcl, GU tidt 1lldlly liz NY Sell VI Tie
man. / don't know who he was. / never
saw his face after we were in the water.
When got rid of him began to tear off
my clothes as fast as could. had taken
off my shoes and coat before jumped in.
Long before reached the raft was naked,
and could float on my back quite easily,
| though was in constant terror that some
| one else would catch hold of me and drag
| me down.
"All round me were dead bodies and
struggling people. Some were clinging to
| pieces of lumber. By and by the sea was
| little more quiet. saw ten men, one
| after the other, relinquish their holds on
their planks and go down. All of them
were wounded by the flying timbers and
the water was discolored with blood
around many of those that fioated past me.
"I was struck in the head and neck by
timbers and was bleeding little, but the
wounds were not severe enough to make
| me lose consciousness.
II saw lots of life-preservers floating
| around in the water. One man that had
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07


and I-began to think that affairs were not
IN the best of condition. She would roll
deeply, and 1 noticed that she would go
down to the lowest notch and hold herself
there, as loath to come back. Then she
would roll to the other side and hang
suspended the same as before. I thought
it odd, as 1 never felt ship roll that
way.
During one OF her deep lee rolls big
wave seemed to sweep along the lee rail,
and remarkable thing occurred. The big
blllow cleaned all the boats off that side as
though they had been cut away with a
knife. Then those boats went drifting
away perfectly upright on the sea like big
white ducks, quickly disappearing over
the top of the wave. OF course, they were
capsized and probably foundered, as no
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
WERE MUM AT FIRST.
General Reluctance of the Rescued
Men to Talk of the
Wreck

At first when the representatives of the
CALL boarded the San Juan from the rev.
enue cutter Hartley the rescued men were
very reluctant to talk. Albert Carpenter
stated bluf1y that he didn't want to talk
until the official investigation was made,
and he somewhat candidly conveyed the
information that he had been told by the
officers of the ship TO stay aboard the San
Juan until further orders. He was a fair
indication of how the others of the crew of
the Colima felt. Mate Hansen and Store
keeper Richardson disembarked as fast as
they could, as if to avoid interviewers.
The three steerage passengers, however
T. J. Oriel, Stockton electrician; Gustav
Rowan of Client, Belgium, a violinist of
Scheel's orchestra, who was going to New
York when the accident occurred, and
Henry William Boyd of Birmingham,
England, jeweler, who had been on mis-
way home from Tahiti-became a little
more communicative after while.
They first excused their unwillingness to
say anything ON the ground that they ex-
pected the Pacific Mail Company would
give them more money to compensate
them for their sufferings and loss of cloth
ing and valuables if they kept their tongues
still. Mr.. Oriel was the first to break the
ice, and when he once got started he proved
communicative enough.
He made some startling statements
about Captain Pitts and informed his in
quisitors that all the fremen and crew of
the ship and the sailors of the Colima had
been gathered in kind OF meeting by the
officers OF the San Juan and carefully in
structed to say nothing to anybody about
the disaster, its possible cause, or the cir
cumstances attending the picking up of
the waits.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

of very ancient shoes and for hat he wore
on his head a soiled rag-the bandage
over several severe wounds received while
fighting for his life among the surge-tossed
planks that day of death off Boca de Apiza.
His baggage was his blue uniform shirt,
rolled up in wad and carried under his
arm.
"It's all I have to start q new cruise in"
said he, "but as am clear Of that terrible
day, with what's left of me, I'm not COM
planning"
Boatswain's Mate George D. Ross is a
very intelligent man and an old naval
sailor, having served in the cruisers of IN
Gle Sam upward of thirty-six years. His
five lost shipmates were: Gustave A..
Nevis, yeoman; C. Walske, coxswain T;
Johannes J. Nouwens, seaman; ]. II. w.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
ORIEL'S STATEMENT.
He Says Captain Pitts Left the Scene
Of the Wreck Altogether
Too Soon,

Mr.. Oriel told his story in an intelligent,
straightforward manner, with great de-
liberation, and with proper regard for the
sequence of events from the time the
Colima left Manzanillo. He said:
1T was about P. NJ. Sunday, May 26,
when we left Manzanillo. We hadn't been
out more than two hours when / was on
the hurricane deck and heard them give
orders to take in all the awnings, and the
wind began to blow pretty fresh. / was
going to Tapachuli, Mexico.
"The sea arose to a heavy swell. 1t
wasn't very bad during the night, although
the ship rolled and pitched considerably.
At sA. NJ. Monday it began to get worse.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

unable to see any improvement. 1 then
visited specialist, paid him $50, but he
did me no good. was then advised to take
Hoods Sarsaparilla. / did SO, and before
I stoned I had taken fifteen bottles, a
bottle lust lasting me one month, as took
il yery regularly, three times day at
meal times. Ever since I took Hoods
Sarsaparilla have been entirely free from
rheumatism"
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
Others Failed
Hoods Cured

Mr.. G. s. Groby
is a well = known
resident of Dayton,
Ohio, and q promi-
nent member of the
K. of P. He says:
al had two severe
attacks of inham-
m a tory rheuma-
tism. / tried three
of our home physi-
clans. but realized
scarcely any relief.
I took medicines
faithfully hut WAC
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07

This is why it cures even when all other
medicines fail. Insist upon Hoods.
Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-02-02

ave got 10 put Melinda aboard Of
the train, | tell ye. She's never travelled
before in her life, and is jest as apt To
git under or on top Of the car as into
IT,.
"Show your ticket, ma'am.' persisted
the gate tender, as he waved his ticket
punch around. II have 10 do as I'm
ordered, You know"
II tell we, A" replied the woman, as
she crowded closer. I'm bound to see
Melinda off. II won't hurt yer ole
railroad any TO let me through. Melin-
da, don't you cry, fur I'm a-comin'.
The idea that a mother can't see her
daughter Off"
Ticket, ma'am. You are OBTAINING
fifty passengers. Please show your
ticket or move back"
I've got TO put Melinda on that
carl" shouted the woman in n higher
key. I've got twelve eggs, a bottle of
skunk's lie, two lamp chimneys, a
pumpkin pie, a bottle of hair dye and a
pint of buttermilk in this basket, and !
either go through or burst the basket
right here and now"
She dropped the bundles aud began
swinging the basket around her head
but 1t had made only two circles, wher
the gate tender smilingly said:
Wish to see your daughter off? Pas:
right in, lady, and stay as long as you
want to-
"You bet wilt" muttered the ole
lady, as she joined Melinda, "but I'm
leetle sorry he give up SO quick. Good
lands, but | could hev made SIGH a
wreck 81 thi. depot that no trains
could hev gone out fur a week,n-N.
y, Recorder.
Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-02-02
Mems Secret Rulers.

Only in isolated instances when the
wisdom of Hypatia. the beauty of
Helen. tho infinite variety Of Cleopatra
made 1t impossible TO ignore them. the
mad rage of a Cyril. the jealousy of q
Menelaus and the fearful prudence of a
Caesar prove how much these men
feared their secret rulers. The sack
and the pow-string have been cited as
evidence of woman's oppression in the
harem; but when the truth Is known,
the death by bowstring was inflicted at
the instigation of the ruling favorite,
who demanded that her predecessor be
removed TO avoid complications. And
he who m~asqueraded as tyrant FASTENED
TO obey.
Determined to keep up the deception
the keepers OF the chronicles, the roets,
the story-tellers. have all represented
themselves ms rulers Of the soil and all
its occupants and have employed them
selves in writing their own praises.
what a piece of work Is man." ex-
claims Shakespeare. How noble in
reason! how infinite in faculty! in form
and moving how express and admira-
BILE! in action how like an angel! In APP
prehension how like a god! the beauty
OF the world! the paragon Of animals!'
lie was no doubt convinced Of the truth
OF what he wrote, but had she dropped
the reins and taken up the pen what
could not Anne Hathaway Shakespeare
have written concerning the "angel,"
the paragon Of animals" whom she
managed to render 10 uncomfortable!
True 70 their pretense, the female
characters In their plays and novels are
Of the helpless, clinging variety 90
highly priced by tho sons Of Adam, for.
exclaims one of them:
mans pride;
His highest. wcrthiest. n0blest boas43
The privilege he prizes most;
To stand oy helpless woman's side"