The herald., 1895-06-08
THE LOSS OF THE COL|MA
A Survivor Makes Charges
Against the Officers
BRUTAL AND INCOMPETENT
Damage Suits Will Follow ia Large
Number
The Steamer Colon NearIy Lost in Similar
Manner IecentIy-The Official
Investigation
Associated Press special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
SAN FRANCISCO June THE
| United States inspectors of hulls and
boilers commenced an official eXamna-
ton into the Colima disaster today. A.
| *. Richardon, storekeeper of the wrecked
steamer, told the story of the storm, OF
the sinking of the ship and of the rescue
OF the survivors by the steamer San Juan.
His testimony developed no new de tails
OF the shipwreck.
Ihlfd Officer Hansen was the next wit
| ness, stating that when the steamer left
Manzanilo on May 26th the weather was
fair, with heavy southwest swell lie
SAID that he had superintended the stow
ing OF the cargo, that the work had been
well done and that the cargo had not
shifted. If the Colima had not been a
good boat he thought she would hot have
Weathered the storm so long as she did.
lie heard no explosion. He was in charge
OF the bridge when the steamer went
down. lie believes the wreck was due
entirely to the violence of the storm. On
the morning of the 9th she fell off into
the trough OF the sea and listed to star
board. Three heavy seas broke over
her and after the third she listed over
on her beam ends with her masts in the
water, sinking five minutes later, before
the life boats could be launched.
Gustave Rowan, one of the survivors of
the Colima, has sent communication to
the Call, in which he says:
81 want to make a statement now if
you VIII allow me to do so. You can
find out what | say IS true if you will see
the other men picked up. Some of them
will not dare tell the truth, as they have
been promised money to keep still.
The Colima was lost because she was
badly handled by officers without ca
and lnI Iva IL
us. When | saw that the sn.p was going
to sink | went after the life presewers
and commenced to give them out to
passengers. The steward told me to let
them alone. ana ordered me forward. |
was saved because ! got a life preserver,
and If the Others had been allowed to get
them, too, m any would have been saved
with me.
The passengers were kept penned up
till the last moment, and then made to
60 down in the ocean like pack of dogs.
If some of the passengers had killed
the steward, who kept them from getting
out, it would have been mercy to the
others. In spite of what he told me, |
kept on giving out life preservers, and by
this saved some of the people from
death. -
Rowan. who was badly injured in the
wreck, also says that he did not receive
proper care on the San Juan. and charges
the surgeon of that ship with gross
negligence.
The Chronicle will say this morning
that as a result of the testimony given at
the federal inquiry as to the cause OF tn,
Collma disaster. number of suits will be
brought against the Pacific Mail COM
pany. 1t is alleged that the company
was crimlnally negligent in the manner
in which 1t loaded the ship.
Among those who propose to make the
Pacific Mail defend itself against a suit
for damages is l.. r. Brewer the wealthy
planter, whose wife and three little ones
destroyed, his happiness is gone and he
is inspired by a bitterness which words
can hardly express.
He knows much of the methods Of the
Pacific Mail. and told the story of how
the Colon only few months ago, mar
rowly escaped disaster because her decks
were pied with lumber until she became
top heavy. Even a slight swell threw
her from her position, and the captain
did not dare to stop at the way ports
which were marked as stopping places on
his journey.
Brewer was a passenger on the Colon.
and gives with great clearness his de-
scription of the Inconvenience and dan
ger created by overlooking of the decks.
lie is not alone in his charge, every ac-
cusation being corroborated by another
passenger on the same ship.
The representatives of the Pacific Mail
know that an attempt will be made to
hold them responsible for the wreck of
the Colma. They acted upon that
knowledge when The United States in
spectors of boilers and steamships began
and practically finished their inyestiga-
ton of the disaster.
Not one OF the surviving passengers
was called as witness in that inquiry.
The onlyievdence asked and the only tes-
timony received was from employees of
the Pacific Mail company.