The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-05-31

Reef and Began to Pound Herself TO
Pieoes-AppauIng Scenes as the Vessel
Began to Sink.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 81.-As further
particulars are being received concerning
the Colima disaster the outlook for the
passengers and crew not already reported
saved is very poor. The Pacific Mail last
night received dispatch from its agent at
Mnnzanillo, saying that the Colima found
cred, going down astern, sinking entirely
In ten minutes. A still later dispatch
reads "Colima sunk in 1870 fathoms.
Steamer we sent last night found nobody
alive. Three cabin passengers and two
sailors got ashore at Coahuayana alive.
Until now twenty-six persons saved"
The Pacific Mail officers now admit that
there is hardly ,.ly chance of other passen-
gers being saved. The fact that the
steamer sank in ten minutes would indi.
cate that only a few of the people on board
got away.
A dispatch from Colima, Mexico says
that a special messenger has arrived there
with official inform alton for the governor
of Colima regarding the Colina disaster.
According to this statement a hurricane
was encountered seventy-five miles below
San Bias, and it was debated as to whether
or not the ship should attempt to gain
partial shelter in the shallow and treach-
erous Bandias bay, which has reefs near
its entrance, or whether it were better to
push out to sea.
One Mexican passenger, Don Matias Mo
reno, says the report was about on the
deck, and he testifes that while cautiously
steering for what to all appearances was
-1f 10
felt to go through the ship. 1t was SO
faint that it was hardly apparent to the
/ trained senses of the pilots and captains.
The captain ordered a slight change in the
| course, and gave other directions which
| were obeyed by the officers and crew.
In a very few seconds after the keel
| grounded on a rock lightly, and there was
at once great excitement among the off.
GERS and crew, and fear on the part of the
| few passengers on deck Following the
danger signal the great ship crunched on
| an unknown reef, and a shudder ran
| through the hull from bow to stern.
The passengers sprang from their berth;
| in terror and ran out on the decks
screaming and praying in 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 by the surges and began to pounC
herself to pieces on the rocks. She rosC
and fell three times, and then crash was
| heard. This was followed by silence fol
the space of quarter of minute, during
| which time only low sobbing was heart
and muflled prayers.
"Man the boats" trumpeted the cap
tain, after a short interval, in which an
other crash was heard from beneath tn,
water. The boats had previously beer
made ready, with all the life savers PLACED
at convenient places although covered
from the view of nervous passengers
Within three minutes of the first crash il
the hull the ship began to reel from it
upright balance, to settle, and to sink il
its free hinder part The scenes about thu
lifeboats were indescribable According
to all the testimony obtainable the panic
stricken passengers and the ships crew
struggled for first place, although to tht
credit of the crew be it said only few o
the sailors or ships people lost their pres
ence of mind, but gave their main atten
tions to saving the passengers.
There were a number of children on thC
passenger list, and one of these wai
pitched overheard into the frothing sea by
a fren2ied father who aimed for one o.
the lifeboats while still upon the davits
A woman of evident wealth and refine
ment among the passengers, whose namt
is thought to be Broslyn, or Crosslyn dis
played remarkable presence of mind, ant
in the most trying moments passed among
the frenzied throng exhorting the people
to keep quiet and taking particular care
Of the women and children.
I Some of the passengers, not willing t.
await the chance of place in the boats
seized the life belts and boldly cast them
selves into the sea, to their almost univer
sal fate, as they We're tossed lifelessly upor
the waves or dashed against the rocks
which were easily observed from the fas
sinking ship. The first boat to be lowered
with its heavy burden of humanity sue
ceeded in clearing the ships sides, but wa
swept away by the mighty force and swal
lowed by the night fog. OF this load onl,
one of the sailors is known to have escape,
the engulfing flood which swept over tn
boat within five minutes after it wa
launched A similar fate befell all tn
other boats, with one exception.
Partner and Assets Missing.