The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-07
Survivors Of the Colima Arrive at
San Francisco.
THEIR STORY OF THE WRECK AND
THEIR ESCAPE.
Floating for rs Hours on Piece of
MISUNDERSTANDING Lumber Killed
Many-The Disaster Due to the Shift
ing of the Cargo. "


San Francisco, June 6-The steamer
San Juan arrived this afternoon from
Panama and way points with the follow
ing survivors of the wrecked Pacific mail
steamer Colima: Third Mate Hansen,
r. A. Viles, carpenter, A. Richardson,
Thomas Fish, members of the crew, H.
AfSutherland, CHI. Gushing, Jr., JIM.
Thornton, H. H. Boyd, Geo. Rowan, Bruno
Cenda, Joseph Manul, 6. D. Ross, Louis
Sangines, T.J. Oriel, Juan r. Romos. The
following survivors were landed at Ma
zattan: Thomas Seralta, d. Oliyas, A.
Guietteres, Carlos Luitz.
AS soon as the marine observer report
ed the steamer two miles off, the water
front became a scene of considerable
excitement. The Pacific Mail dock was
beseiged by curious crowd that blocked
the streets AS the revenue cutter bear
ing the customs officers and newspaper
men neared the ship, some of the Coli
mas passengers with bandaged heads
were seen leaning on the bow rail Just
prior to the arrival of the reporters the
Pacific Mail Company's tug came along
side the San Juan and took off Third
Mate Hansen who, more than anybody
else could throw light on the cause Of
wreck. There was general disinclination
among the survivors to.give any infor-
nation Geo. ID. Ross, formerly boats
wain's mate onsthe cruiser Olympia, who
was on his way to New York, gave the.
following account of the wreck:
"We left Mazattan May 26 at 4 pm,
with a fair breeze blowing Toward 9
in the evening the wind increased a little
and continued blowing pretty fresh all
night Next morning at, O'Clock the
wind moderated until about when it
again came up steadily and continued to
gain in violence until it reached the pro-
portions of a hurricane. Itcame in great
gusts, causing the ship to list badly to
starboard. The Colima labored heavily
and it was evident we were in a serious
predicament. The greatest excitement
prevailed on board. just at that NOM
ent fatal blunder was committed by
the third officer who cut the lashings Of
a deck load consisting of 80, 600 feet of
lumber. Some of this washed into the
sea, but what remained on the deck was
driven about, knocking down and MAIN,
ing those whom it struck A particularly
heavy sea struck the ship, tumbling the
IOfeIudSGi dIu SI11OkGSUdcK.. S0OrGly De-
fore this a succession of huge waves
punched hole in the starboard bow,
through which the sea poured. Women
screamed and rushed up the companion
way imploring the men to save them.
The ship gave d couple of heavy rolls and
an enormous sea climbed on us and
smashed the hurricane deck, and with one
mighty lurch the ship went down. AS
she was making the last lurch 1 dove
into the sea and when came up she was
out of sight. People were floating around
clinging to all sorts of wreckage Some
We're sinking under our very, eyes. Some
who managed to grasp hold of a plank
were knocked senseless and drowned.
The force and effect, of this floating
mass of lumber cannot be described. It,
scaused the death of many who might
otherwise have been saved Tt is a diff
cult matter to say as to what c&used the
wreck of the Colima. She must certainly
have shifted her cargo as her strong list
showed. 1 firmly believe but for the
shifting Of the cargo the ship would have
rode out the gale / had been in the
water a little time clinging to one object
or another when l managed to get hold
of good sized piece of the hurricane
about for sometime when I observed
man on another piece of wreckage close
to me. He seemed about done up and
seized his raft and hauled him onto
mine He was Thornton. We were the
closest in shore of any of the survivors
and were picked up by the first officers
boat of the San Juan after being 25
hours in the water. - ~ 4
Ross was severely cut about the head
by floating wreckage and had numerous
cuts about the body.