The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-10
COL|MA UNSEANORTHY,
An Expert Opinion of an Old
Time Fireman of the
Sunken Ship.
HER HULL BADLY DECAYED
Steward w. Harry Tointon Ex-
pressed Fears of the Vessel
Before He Sailed.

The Federal inquiry into the causes OF
the Colima disaster will be continued this
afternoon before the United States Inspec-
tors of Hulls and Boilers, at the Apprais-
ers' building. The inquiry was held open
for this length of time to give those who
cared to come forward and testify an OPP
portunity to be heard. Only the en-
ployes Of the Pacific Mail Company have
thus far been summoned by the Govern
ment officials conducting the inquiry, and
they have declared themselves satisfied on
the score of expert testimony. And the
presiding inspector has declared that if
of the Mail Company, want to
come in and testify, no one will hinder
them from doing So but they will not be
asked.
From the evidence at hand, of course,
the Inspectors can return but one verdict
that the Colima was in splendid condition,
that her cargo did not shift, that she was
not top-heavy from the deck load that
there was no explosion on board, that
everything possible was done to save life,
that no one suspected there was the least
danger until five minutes before the ship
sank, that the best of order prevailed, and
blame for the catastrophe. If the In
SpectorS be logical men they must return
such verdict to their superiOrS at Wash
ington-for this is the only kind of expert
testimony they have heard or will hear in
their official capacity, unless something
not on the programme should happen this
afternoon.
Possibly some of the survivors may go
down to the Appraisers building and tell
their versions. They will be brave men if
they do, and will doubtless be roundly
crOss-examined-a legitimate inquisitorial
procedure to which the employees of the
Mail Company were not subjected.
There are not few expert witnesses who
could testify to quite different state of
affairs from that presented by the evidence
of the cOmpany's employees. There are the
four Mexican sailors who We're rescued and
the two United States bluejackets And
there are many of the passengers who
could tell the inspectors whether they
rneard an explosion and whether they felt
the cargo shift-as they have already
stated in the newspapers. But they will
not be called upon for testimony.
( An employe of the company who could
}have told a tale Of the seaworthiness of the
{Colima is W. Harry Tointon, second stew
lard of the COlima, but he was drowned
with the ship. He knew the ship was
rotten, knew she was unsafe and unsea-
worthy before he sailed in her. He told
his brother-in-law, G. F. Moore of 313
Tenth avenue all his fears on this score
before he sailed. At first he intended not
to make this trip, fearing what actually did
happen. Mr.. Moore urged him not to go
out in the ship and he was on the point of
declining the job. Then he thought how
few the jobs were and how long he might
be out OF work, and that decided him to
go. He leaves widow and two children
to mourn him.
Another man who knew the rottenness
OF the Colima and her crankiness in a
heavy swell is Thomas Reynolds, a fireman
in the employ OF the oregon Railroad and
Navigation Company. In various capa-
cities he served in the Coiima off and on
for about twelve years.
MY last trip in the Colima was nearly
year ago said Mr.. Reynolds, wnen ques-
toned last evening. They talk about
her not being top-heavy-she was always
toD-heaYy most of the voyage, and never
anything but cranky all the time 1 was in
her. | was sailor, acting quartermaster,
and then a fireman in the Colima at diff
ferent times. / have good reason to know
the condition of her hull thoroughly. 1t
was rotten. Not only myself, but several
others on the ship, knew that the first
severe storm that struck her, would send
her to the bottom. We used to talk about
it on shipboard among ourselves. I have
been through her bilges twice every trip /
made in her, and l know that you could
drive the handle of hammer, say, through
her. On her trip last February she worked
off forty feet of her iron molding. Any
body at the Mail dock Will tell you that.
Now, a ship that will do such a thing in
ordinary weather, or in any weather, is no
better than tub to go to sea in.
II believe her engines dropped right
through her hull when she listed So I
know the hull was weak enough for that.
She was the kind of a ship that would go
to pieces all of a sudden when the strain
came. She was about twenty-three years
old, believe, and never had any care. The
Pacific Mail steamers are not cared for.
They are neglected from one end of the
year to the other. have seen the Colima
come in on Thursday, unload hurriedly,
go to the drydock for scraping and then
sail on Saturday. All the vessels of the
company are treated in the same way.
Think of ship twenty-three years old and
never repaired or examined. l am on the
years old and the Oregon company is
spending $150,000 repairing her. But
it's chiefly the care the Mail Company's
ships lack. If the vessel comes in Thurs
day the crew will be discharged and hired
over again on Saturday. This leaves the
ship, while in port, with only enough men
aboard of her to take her down to the dry
dock and back. No other company does
that They keep the crew with the ship,
and, though it costs them q few dollars
more. the ship always has a good over
hauling while in port and is kept in
sound condition. AS soon as a rotten bolt
is found a sound one is put in its place,
and so on all through the ship. Nothing
ike that is ever done TO the Mail ships
Everything is painted over, and they look
trim enough to the landsmaD, but let bad
streak OF weather attack them and it is all
up in a few minutes.
The weather is usually very mild and
pleasant between here and Panama, and
the company takes big risks on that &C
count. They put the Mexican freights,
heavy mining machinery and such, on the
saloon deck, so it can be got at easily at
Mazatlan. And when that is unloaded the
ship is sure to be top and bottom heavy.
A man takes big chances in going to sea
in one of those ships. And the deck loads
they carry are always unsafe. They make
the ship cranky. Ihave been on the Coli
ma when she was so cranky that twenty
sacks OF coffee shifted on either side would
give her decided list. If these men would
only speak what they know a very differ
ent story would come out from what was