The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-06-01

came floating by the deck house some
time after the steamer sank. All were
dead and the sight was SO distressing
that Officer Hanson and the others on
the deck house pushed the bodies away
with pieces of scantling.
Professor Harold Whiting of the Cali
fornia university made heroic effort to
save his wife and four children and the
nurse. He got into a boat in which were
A. J. Sutherland and others The boat
was soon swampsd. Then it was righted,
but went over again. Five times she
was righted after being overturned. The
women were soon drowned, despite all
efforts to save them. Some were killed
or stunned by the flying debris
At last only Sutherland was left To
avoid the swirling wreckage, he climbed
upon the seats while the life boat was
overturned and so foated with the bot
tom of the boat serving him as a protect
ing shield. Air came to him through
the broken sides of the boat
Sutherland says he was on the weather
side of the steamer when she went on
her beam ends, but slid over to the lee
side and fell into the boat AS the
steamer went down a mast or part of the
rigging took the boat under water.
When it came to the surface Sutherland
crawIed into it again. Then he picked
up Prof. Whiting, Mrs. e. Irving and
another lady, supposed to be Mrs. Whit
ing.
Flying Timbers and Dashing Debris.
Almost Immediately the boat capsized
again. and as has been stated, went over
no less than five times, drowning Prof
Whiting and the two women. Then it
was that Sutherland came up under the
boat and remained there protected, as
he tells, from the flying timbers and
dashing debris
The survivors drifted about for "a
hours in what Captain Pitts of the San
Juan says was the hardest storm expert
enced on the coast in twenty years OF
course none but the stoutest could sur
vive The weaker ones succumbed
from hour to hour.
Many of those saved were badly hurt
by the wreckage and lumber Among
those injured is young c. II. Gushing, jr,
of Oakland. He and another man fiaated
about on an improvised raft, but his
brother was drowned. His injuries are
severe. Some of the others are in a pitt
able condition.
The appearance of the San Juan kept
up the spirits of those who were ready
to give up the unequal struggle as hope
less.
The notice of the trouble came to the
first officer of the San Juan, who noticed
a great quantity of the wreckage and
reported the probability of a disaster
during the storm. Captain Pitts imme-
diately sent men aloft and soon some of
the survivors were sighted All the
twenty one picked up were found with
in radius of two or three miles
In 600 FathOms of Water.
The Colima is in 600 fathoms of water.
The location where she went down is
given at IS deg. min. latitude; longi-
tude 104 deg. IA min. west Though
the direct cause of the disaster was the
tremendous sea and the fearful south
east gale, it is generally believed that
the Colima was overloaded. She refused
three lighters of freight here having al
ready all she could carry.
1t is supposed that at ManzanillO she
| discharged some of her freight, but that
she transferred some to the deck from
the hold, making her top heavy and un-
able to Withstand the heavy head wind
and cross sea. Then too it is thought
the cargo was badly slowed and that it
| shifted as soon as the steamer began to
heel over. 1t is estimated that within
three minutes of the time Captain Tay-
lor gave his farewell blasts of the
whistle the steamer had entirely disap-
| peared.
All the passengers praise the captain
for his GOODNESS and heroism. The last
they saw of him he stood at his post, the
waves and winds dashing debris all
about him and the wall of that whistle
| will sound through the dreams of many
for years to come.
Survivors Drift Ashore.
Captain Pitts of the San Juan put
lookouts in the mastheads and cruised
through and around the floating debris
/ for hOnro
trip, calling here and leaving four of
the passengers from the wreck.
Five more survivors drifted ashore
at Coapuayana sixty miles south
from here They are ]. E
| Chilberg, Louis Fl. Peters and Enrique
Wider, cabin passengers; Fred Johnson,
seaman, and Robert Gonzales, mess boy.
They were 33 hours on a life raft with :
out food or water. They saw the San
Juan, but were not seen by the lookouts.
Captain Pitts was first attracted by
seeing the sea covered with wreckage,
in which were found the survivors, all of
whom were nearly naked. Their ac-
counts were heart rending. Every atten-
ton was given them.
Made His Will Before Starting.
A peculiar circumstance in connection
with the disaster is the fact that Prof.
Whiting, before starting with his family
on the Colima drew up two wills. In
one he provided that in case the steamer
went down and he was drowned his es-
tate should revert to the sur
viving members of his family.
In the other he provided
that in the death of his entire family his
property should revert to his surviving
relations in the east.
After executing the two wills, and but
q few days before starting on his sea
voyage, the professor mailed the two tes-
taments to Attorney Brewster of Cam
bridge. who was a cIassmate at Harvard
with both Professors Whiting and String
ham.
NOW OPERATIVE.