Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-07-13

The Local Inspectors Report on the
Fatal Disaster.

The Local Inspectors Report ON the
Fatal Disaster.
Washington, July S.-General Du-
mount, supervising inspector OF steam
vessels, has received from the nspec-
tors of the San Francisco district the
following report of the loss Oh the IA
cific Mail steamship Colima:
1--WE have to report the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company's steamship COL
ina, J. f. Taylor commander, Tor
Panama and way ports IN Mexico ana
Central America, with IL cabin and 81
steerage passengers and a crew OF 90
persons all told, and 1870 tons OF cargo,
foundered i'll violent gale about lO:40
A. Nj. on May 81, about 40 miles south
from Manzanillo, taking down with
her all who were on board excepting,
so far as known, p passengers and Is
of the crew who were fortunate enough
to have been able to struggle and save
themselves by swimming ana cllhSlhg
to floating ewreckage. Some OF these
were picked up by that company
steamer San Juan, and others drltted
the nature of this deplofable disaster,
taking the testimony OF numbers OF the
surviving passengers and crew, lnclud-
ing that OF the third officer, .. Z, Han
sen, who is the only officer saved, and
also of others who were competent TO
speak of the vessel herself. We find
from the testimony that nothing UNI
usual occurred on the voyage from San
Francisco to the way ports Mazatlan,
San Bias and ManzanIllo, and she gave
10 evidence or indication whatever OF
being cranky OF tender from the time
she left San Francisco and crossed the
bar, which was rough, until the morn
ing she was lost.
AT the way ports above named,
several passengers left the ship and
others boarded her for south ports, ana
at the same time about 100 tons OF
cargo were discharged and an equal
amount received Oh board. The CO.
lima left Manzanillo at 4 o'clock A.
M, May 26. A strong breeze sprung
up at 2. NJ, from the east-southeast,
with southeast swell, and continued
throughout the night till the morning
of Nav 81, when 1t blew gale, which
at about 1920 the same morning SUD
denly increased to what is described as
hurricane by some of the survivors,
and in which the steamer was knocked
on her beamends and filled and sank.
From the evidence there appears to
have been no danger anticipated until
five or ten minutes before the ship
went down. 1t appears there was "a
good discipline maintained on board III
deck and engine departments. All or
ders were obeyed, and we, therefore,
can attach no blame TO the third OF
ticer, Mr.. Hansen. Captain Taylor
was in charge on the bridge all morn
! ing May 81 until she foundered, and 1t
may be he was attempting to keep her
OFT before the sea or wear her around
on the other tack when she was caught
in the trough of the sea and thrown on
her beam ends. But without his testl-
mony, or that of his first officer and
the chief engineer OF the steamer, 1t Is
impossible to decide the true cause OF
the disaster.
with regard to the steamer Col
lima, there can be no doubt she was a
staunch and seaworthy vessel. She was
inspected March 10, 1895, and hull,
boilers and equipment found to be IN
/ good order. She was examined Ill dry
docks May IA, 1895, and her bottom
found i'll good condition, and new
| blades put on her propeller. She was
classed 33, L. IL, III Bureau Verltas,
which is the highest class which that
society awards steam vessels Inc ex-
act number OF lives lost is not obtain
able at present, for the reason that the
number of way passengers received Is
not yet reported by the agents to the
company's Office in San Francisco. The
number so far known with any degree
of certainty to be lost is SO passengers
and IS crew.