The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-07
BINDING HAILSTONES.
Sheets of Ice That Prevented
the Rescue of a Young
Woman.

Almost at the same instant that Merel
leaped into the sea from the sinking ship
his companions and countrymen, Juan
Antonio Ramos and Bruna Cedro, also
sprang from the steerage deck. Jose
Antonio Goliz was also on deck with the
other three. He, too, would have made
the same leap had not some of the timbers
that we're flying about struck him in the
chest and rendered him helpless, almost
unconscious for an instant. His escape
from death was marvellous indeed. A
piece of flying timber struck him with such
force as to throw him into the waves Just
as the ship sank. The cold water gave him
back his wits long enough to enable him to
grasp some piece of floating wood, to which
he chung, more nearly dead than alive, till
he ioated by the hurricane deck and was
hauled aboard it by his companions
Ramos was the second of the quartet
OF Spanish sailors to tell his story through
the Interpretation of Attorney de las Casas
yesterday.
81 saw the danger the ship was in," he
said. 81 was below deck at the time. Al
though l can swim well, 1 knew that
swimming alone would save nobody in
such sea SIS was raging.
From the way the ship rolled we could
all see that she was top-heavy, and when
she began to list and not right again, then
the water began to pour into her. At this
time the water did not come into the
steerage, but we could hear it washing
down into the hold. Well, when got the
life-preserver l fastened it about me the
best could, and started for the deck. Be
fore L got to the companion-way the
watch came up and demanded that ]
should take off the ife-preserver. He said
there was no danger. He swore and
cursed at me fearfully, and tried to snatch
the life-preserver from me. l got away
from him. If had not would have gone
down to the bottom with him. How
strange it was he could not see the shin
was going to sink in minute more,
reached the companion-way and was going
up on deck, when the baker ran out and
tried to hold me. He got in front of the
door, and said should not go up.
"But I went up; or how could L be tell.
ing you this now2 He never got up. But
had to fight my way up. He tried to
force me, and kicked him. What else
could 1 do? Yes; kicked him on the
hand and on the arm. had to. Then
got up. If had staid down half a minute
longer it would have been all over.
"When got up the waves were washine
all over the ship. She careened over still
deeper. Just then the captain blew his
whistle. at the same instant a great wave
came. 1 sprang overheard. When !
came up to the surface the Colima had dis.
appeared. 1t was like the sea opening ur
and she disappearing in the vortex; she
sank SO suddenly. Things were fying in
the air, and the waves were covered with
floating timbers and wreckage. I don't
know how it was, but remember of cling.
ing to something big that foated. When
did catch it2 don't know that. Things
happened faster than I could think.
said prayer when l went down and
never expected to live to tell about it
Then found myself clinging fast to this
big thing. I wondered what it was. My
face was Just above its surface. 1t was
fat and the waves tossed it about so that ]
did not know how 1 should hold fast.
looked across it and saw seven other men
hanging on, just like was. If they could
hang fast, so could 1, thought to myself
zone minute we were way down in val
ley between two waves and could see moth
ing but huge walls of water all around us
Then up we went, up, way up, till we were
on the crest of high wave, and / shut my
eyes to hide the sight that met them