The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-06-01
A PASSENGERS STORY.
He Says That the Ship Struck on a Reef
and was Sunk.

He Says That the Ship Struck on a Reef
and was Sunk.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 80. The Er-
an.iner this morning prints the follow
ing special:
"CoLIMA, Mexico, May 30-A special
messenger arrived from Manzanillo
this morning at o'clock with official
information for the governor of Colima
regarding the Coliaa steamship disas-
ter off Manzanillo.
1.-THE report is very obscure, and
laments the loss of the 100 people more
than it goes into the causes and details
of the wreck. Seventy-fve miles be-
low San Bias hurricane was encoun-
tered, and it was debated as to whether
or not the ship should attempt to gain
partial shelter in the shallow and
treacherous Banderas bay, which has
rocks near its entrance, or whether it
were better to push out to sea.
Zone local Mexican passenger, Don
Matias Moreno, says that while
cautiously steering for what, to all ap-
pearances, was the usual entrance,
slight tremble was felt to go through
the ship. 1t was so faint that it was
hardly apparent to the trained senses
of the pilots and captain. The captain
ordered slight change in the course,
and gave other quick directions, which
were promptly obeyed by the subordi-
nate officers and crew. In very few
seconds the keel grounded on rock
slightly, and there was at once great
excitement among the officers and crew
and fear on the part of the few passen-
gers on deck.
Following the danger signal, in less
than 10 seconds the great ship crunch
ed on an unknown reef and q shudder
ran through the hull from bow to
stern. The passengers sprang from
their berths in terror and run out up
on the decks screaming and praying in
q paroxysm of fear as the awful truth
began to burst upon them. The wind
howled and dense pail of fog hung
over the ship as she was tossed upon
the rocks. She rose and fell three
times and then crash was heard.
This was followed by silence for the
space of quarter of a minute, during
which time only low sobbing was
heard and muff1ed prayers.
"'Man the boats,' trumpeted the
captain after short interval, in which
another crash was heard from beneath
the water.
"The boats had previously been
made ready with all the ife-savers
placed at convenient places, although
covered from the view of nervous pas
sengers. Within three minutes from
the first crash in the hull the ship be-
gan to reel from its upright balance,
to settle and to sink in It's free hinder
part.
''The scene about the life-boats were
1o1 Al %4 oil
testimony obtainable the panic-mad
passengers struggled for the first place
although to the credit of the crew be
it said few of the sailors or officers lost
their presence OF mind, but gave their
attention to saving passengers. There
were number OF children, and one of
these was pitched overheard into the
sea by frienzied father, who aimed
for one of the ifeboats while still on
the davits. A woman of evident
wealth and refinement among the pas
sengers, whose name Is thought to be
Croslin, displayed marked composure,
and in the most trying moments passed
about among the frienzied throng ex-
horting the people to keep quiet and |
take particular care of the women and |
children.
"Some of the crazed passengers, not |
willing to wait the chance of place in |
the boats, seized the life-belts and |
boldly cast themselves into the sea.
Their almost universal fate, as they |
were tossed lifeless upon the waves or |
dashed against the rocks, was easily |
observed from the fast-sinking ship. |
The first boat to be lowered with its |
heavy burden of humanity succeeded |
in clearing the ships side, but was
swept away by the mighty force and
swallowed by the night of fog. OF
this load only one Of the sailors is
known to have escaped the engulfng
iood which swept over the boat within
Ave minutes after it was launched.
A similar fate befell the other boats,
with one exception, 30 far as known"