The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-13
ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE TALE OF HORROR,

ued. The witnesses were from among the
passengers of the lost vessel, and their testi-
mony went to show that the cargo was
badly slowed, and could be heard trolling
and tumbling around during the storm.
It was also stated that everything possible
had been done to save the ship, but moth
ing at all was done toward saving the
passengers and crew.
One of the witnesses said he was treated
all right in the San Juan because he knew
the freight clerk, but when he started in to
tell about the i'll treatment of other
survivors in the steerage Captain Talbot
cut him short.
first witness called He boarded the Co.
1--WE left Manzanillo about o'clock on
Sunday, May &c." said he. about s
o'clock storm arose and the sea became
very rough. | had no fear of the vessel
until about the next morning, when she
began to roll and tumble. AT 9 | went to
the stewards storeroom and heard the
cargo rolling and tumbling around in the
hold. While was there quartermaster
came and called the chief engineer to the
captains cabin. When he returned I no
ticed his face was pale, and then began
to fear for the safety of the steamer. I
concluded it was time to get out of the
storeroom, so I made for the steerage On
my way pile of salt fell and knocked me
down. | picked myself up and went on
deck. There 1 saw boxes and casks rolling
around.
81 made my way to the port rail and
elm bed over. Just then I heard three
blasts blown on the whistle. A seaman
told me to cut the lashings of one of the
boats away. l went around the end of the
10 Ioc Il
the deck was almost perpendicular then
and it seemed as if every part of the deck
heaved out from the hull at once. While
there noticed that every boat was intact
and in its place, and didn't notice any at
tempt made to lower boats on that side.
1t was then I jumped over.
81 should have said before I went below
we were sitting on a chicken coop or vege-
table box, and the shutters to the ports
forward were all open. Cattle-boxes were
pushed up against them. / see the papers
state that the lumber was only two feet
high on the hurricane deck. am positive
it was eighteen inches higher than the
rail. When we wished to get on it we
stepped on settee, then on the arm,
then on the back, and then another step
took us on the lumber. We could sit on it
and rest our feet on the rail.
1.-The officers and men all stayed at their
posts until the three whistles blew. They
were cool aud level-headed. Every effort
was made to save the ship, but nothing
was done to save the passengers"
Talbot-Was there any sail on the ship I?
Oriel-Yes; believe it is what they call
jibsail.
TaIbot-Do you know if any drag was
put down astern?
Oriel-I do not, sir.
Phillips-Have you airy idea as to the
weight of the lumber?
npfn No civ 81 II i
1t was both seasoned and green and may
have been about forty TONS
did you hear any explosion?"
Oriel-At the time the decks wentsout I
thought it might have been an explosion.
'Did you see any steam?"
Oriel-Just as the smokestack began to
ship water l saw a lot of steam and SCOT
come out.
would not that be caused by the water
putting out the fires below?'
Oriel-I eS, it might. There was a con-
tinuous roar, but l don't know whether it
was steam escaping or not.
"Did you notice if she was struck by a
succession of waves?'
Oriel-I was below until few minutes
before she went down, SO l can't say. She
was careened all the time. For the last
fifteen minutes she rolled badly. Long be-
fore that she began to list to starboard and
would not right herself. 1 Judge that was
an DOuT before size went GOWN.
a. j. Sutherland, q passenger who left
here for Guatemala, testified: after we
left ManZanillo it became rough and con-
tinued till morning. At breakfast they
had to put on the rolling-boards. 1t con-
tinued to get worse until the time we went
over. At the time we went over it was
blowing a hurricane"
Talbot-Have you ever followed the sea
for living?
mo, sir; but have crossed the Atlantic
When the ship went over the last time I
did not realize there was any danger until
she began to go to pieces. It was not more
than three minutes after that before the
vessel sank. After the vessel sank the
hurricane that followed was something
terrific. / think it was of sufficient force
if the vessel had been intact to have blown
the houses off the deck. After we were in
the water we had terrible struggle for our
lives and the man who had the most en-
durance came out on top"
Ibid you see any sail set?"
mo sir; they couldn't set any SAIL"
"Do you know If drag was overheard 2"
"No, sir"
'Do you think there was time to get
those boats clear after it got so desperately
bad"
"The first danger was when the vessel
listed over and from that time to the time
she went down man couldn't have walked
the length of the steamers deck"
"Any INSTRUMENTATION? ?"
"Only Spanish sailor refused to help to
lash the skylight and Officer Langhorne
ordered him out and slapped him in the
face with his big soft hat and then helped
to lash it himself"
McAllister-Was not the lumber tied
together and did it not aid the people in
the water?
1T was tongued and grooved and tied
together and was, 1 should say, for a
building. 1t aided the people,"
"Were there three seas in succession
when she went over on her beam ends?''
81 don't know; the bow swung around
to the right and she went down."
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