The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-26
4 TRAGEDY OF THE SEA.
TheSteamer CoIima Wrecked, and Pas
sengers Perish by the Score.
STRUCK A REEF OFF MEXICO.

The Vessel Containing 213 Souls Was
Seeking Shelter From Storm When
the Disaster Occurred Six Miles From
Land---Terrible Scenes Before the Hap
less Victims Were Engulfed.
The Pacific Mail steamer Colims was
wrecked between Manzanillo and Acapulco.
off the west coast of Mexico. and, according
to the latest report. 1877 Of the passengers aud
crew were drowned. She was bound for
Panama, and left San Francisco, CAL, with
1s1 persons on board-thirty-nine cabin pas
sengers, thirty-seven steerage, forty-three
Chinese. eleven officers 1ad crew Of sixty
one men.
or the passengers five cabin and three
steerage were bound for ports at which the
steamer stopped before the accident hap
pened.
A lifeboat containing twenty-one men, Of
which nine were cabin passengers, seven
were steerage passengers and five were
members of the crew reached Manzanillo the
day after the disaster. The next day three
passengers and two members OF the crew ap-
peared off the coast below Manzanillo and
they were rescued. The accident was the
most frightful In its loss of life which has
ever occurred In Mexican waters, and the
Colima is a complete loss unless some OF Its
cargo can be recovered by divers, which Will
probably be attempted.
Sevanty-fve miles below San Bias, Mexico,
where the vessel had stopped for passengers,
who br ought the number OF people on board
up to 213, hurricane was encountered, and
It was debated whether the ship should at
tempt to gain partial shelter In the shallow
and treacherous Banderas Bay, which has
rocks near the entrance, or whether It were
better to push out to sea.
One Mexican passenger, Don Martias Nor
emo, says that while cautiously steering for
what, to all appearance, was the usual en-
trance, slight tremble was felt to 60 through
the ship. It was so faint that it was hardly
apparent, except to the trained senses Of the
pilot and Captain. The Captain ordered
slight change in the course, and gave other
directions which were obeyed by the officers
and crew.
A very few seconds later the keel ground
on a rock, lightly, and there was at once
great excitement among the officers and
crew and fear on the part ofthe few passengers
on deck. In less than ten seconds after, the
ship struck on an unknown reef and shud-
der ran through the hull from bow to stern.
The passengers sprang from their berths
IN terror and ran out on to the decks, scream
ing and praying In a paroxysm OF fear, for
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 pound herself to pieces
on the rocks. She rose and fell three times.
"Man the boats" trumpeted the Captain.
The boats had previously been made ready
with all the life preservers placed at con-
venient places. although covered from the
view Of nervous passengers. Within three
minutes Of the first crash in the hull the ship
began to reel from its upright balance, to
settle and to sink in its free hinder part.
The scenes about the lifeboats were indie
scribable. According to all the testimony
obtsinable, the panic-stricken passengers
and the ships crew struggled for first place,
although, to the credit of the crew, few OF
the sailors or ships people lost their pres
ence OF mind, but gave their main attention
to saving the passengers.
There were number of children on the
passenger list, and one OF these was pitched
overheard into the frothing sea by a frenzied
mother, who meant to throw the child into
one Of the lifeboats while it was still upon
the davits. woman Of evident wealth and
refinement among the passengers, whose
name Is thought to be Broslin or Crosslyn,
displayed remarkable presence of mind, and
in the most trying moments passed among
the frenxied throng exhorting the people to
keep quiet and taking particular care OF the
women and children.
Some Of the passengers, not willing to
await the chance Of a place in the boats,
seized the life belts and cast themselves into
the seas. They were dashed against the
rocks. The first boat to be lowered, with its
heavy burden Of humanity. succeeded In
clearing the ships sides, but was swept away
and swallowed by the night Of fog.
OF this load only one Of the sailors is
known to have escaped the eqgulfng food
which swept over the boat within five min
utes after it was launched. A similar fate
and this is the boat with twenty-one persons
aboard, which was picked up by the steamer
San Juan.
special train bearing rescue party. in
Guiding four physicians, was sent out from Co.
lima to Manzanillo. They were badly needed
IN Manzanillo, as most Of the people there
were panic stricken, and the few skilled work.
ers were almost exhausted in caring for the
saved. 1t was said that flfty-four bodies had
been brought into Manzanillo by several
searching parties patrolling the coast on
foot and In boats.
The weather was hot, and no means for
embalming were at hand and as 1t was impos-
sible to dig separate graves the bodies un-
claimed by survivors were Of necessity in
TERED In long trenches.
The Jefe Politico OF Manzanlllo summoned
Ill the mounted rural forces in the district
to duty at Manzanillo and garrison Of SOL
diers was placed on guard to prevent rob-
berry Of the dead and to dig graves and
trenches. 1t Is known that some vandalism
has been committed, as several bodies have
been found short distance from the shore
stripped of all valuables and clothing. Por-
tions of the ship have reached shore, and it
Is apparent she will be total loss.
One OF the saddest incidents Of the wreck |
Is the death Of Professor Harold Whitney, Of
the University Of California, and his family.
He was formerly OF Harvard. He went down
with his wife and four children. He gained
much reputation while at Harvard by his
book on physics, and three years ago he went
to Berkeley, where he took the chair Of
physics.
Later details are contained in the follow
'aag despatch from Colima:
''Six survivors Of the steamer Colima have
reached here. They are John Thornton, ].
E. Chilbred, OF Seattle, and cabin passengers
Lewis Peters and >Vindor, Seamen Gonzales
and Fred johnson. They got ashore on a
raft from which three seamen were lost.
Another raft with five persons was seen near
San Talmo. Its fate Is unknown. The wo-
men aud children were all in the staterooms
and all went down with the steamer.
"The survivors saw Purser Wafer in a
well-manned boat pulling away from the
sinking steamer toward shore. It Is sup
posed that this boat is still afoat."