The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-29
THE COL|NA DISASTER
The Steamer Was SeaWorthy
and Mate Hansen Was
ExOnerated
NO ONE FOUND BLAMEWoRTHY.
A Decision Gould Not Be Reached
Without Testimony of the
Chief Officers.

The Colima was thoroughly seaworthy
ship, at least so say Inspectors of HulIs
and Boilers Talbot and Phillips. The
cargo was properly slowed, the deckload
Of lumber did not endanger the ship, the
officers were not to blame and, in fact, ac-
cording to these authorities, the loss of the
vessel and 100 odd of her passengers and
crew was due to an unavoidable accident,
This decision is arrived attn the absence
of the evidence of the captain and chief
officer and the chief engineer.
The report of the inspectors is made to
Captain John Birmingham, supervising
inspector of the first district, and is as fol-
lows:
We have investigated the matter ofthis most
deplorable disaster, taking the testimony OF
number of the surviving passengers and crew
including that of the third officer, Ole Hansen,
who is the only officer saved and also others
who were competent to speak OF the vessel her.
self.
We find from the testimony that nothing unA
usual occurred on the voyage of the Colima
from San Francisco TO the way ports of Mazat-
Ian, San Bias and ManZan1lIo, in Mexico, and
that she gave no evidence nor any indication
whatever of being crank or tender from the
time she left San Francisco and crossed the
bar, which was rough, until the morning she
was lost
At the way ports above named several OF the
passengers leII tne snip, anu ABOUT in6 same
time about 100 tons OF cargo were there dis
charged and an equal amount received on
board.
The Colima left Manzanillo at A. NJ, May
26. strong breeze sprang up ct P. NJ, and
continued throughout the night till the morn
ing of May 81, when it blew gale, which at
about 1880 o'clock the same morning sud-
denly increased 10 what is described as hurrL-
cane by some of the survivors, and in which
the steamer was knocked down on her beam
ends and filled and sank
From the evidence there appears to have
been no danger anticipated until five or ten
minutes before the ship went down. II appears
also that there was good discipline maintained
on board i'll the deck and engine departments,
all orders having been obeyed, and we there
fore can attach no blame to the third officer,
Mr.. Hansen.
Captain Taylor was in charge OF the bridge of
his steamer all the morning of May y until
she foundered, and it may have been that he
was attempting to keep her off before the seas
or to wear her around on the other tack when
she was caught in the trough of the sea and
thrown on her beams ends. But, without his
testimony or that OF his first officer and the
chief engineer OF the steamer 1t is impossible
to decide the true cause OF the disaster.
With regard to the steamer Colima there can
be no doubt that she was staunch and sea-
worthy vessel. She was inspected March Is,
1895, and her hull, boiler and equipments
found in good order. She examined on
the drydoek March IA, 1895, and her bottom
fonnd to be in good condition, and new blades
put on her propeller.
She was classed 33 L IL in Bureau yeritas,''
which is the highest that society awards to
steam vessels.
The Colima was an iron vessel, built in 1878,
at Chester, Pa; new boilers in 1887 at San
Francisco, CAL; OF 2905, "a tons gross, 2143.S5
tons net, and was valued at 1926, 900.
The exact number OF lives lost is not btain-
able at present, for the reason that the number
OF way passengers received is not yet reported
by agents to the companys Office at San Fran
CISCO The number so far known, with any de-
gree OF certainty, 10 be lost, is eighty-fve pas
sengers and sixty-eight crew.