The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-18
PACIFIC MAIL
IN A QUANDARY,
L. r. Brewer Has Sued It
for a Million and
a Half.
THE CoLIMA DISASTER.
If the Case Goes Against the
Corporation 1t Means
Ruin.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN FARRELL.
Captain Richardson of the Steamer
Hope Given a Surprise
Party.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN FARRELL.

The Pacific Mail Steamship Company
is in serious trouble over the loss of the
Colima. L. A. Brewer, many times mil
lionaire, has filed suits in New York in
sums that aggregate 81, 100000. His wife
and three children were drowned in the
Inflated ship and the husband now wants
Justice and-reYenge. Money. he AYERS,
cannot restore him the happiness he en-
ioyed in the bosom of his fam lily, and
since all he loved has been reft from him
by the "cuIpable negligence" of the steam
ship company he proposes using his mil
lions in fighting damage suits against the
Huntington corporation.
The Brewer suits are brought promi-
nently before the public by the prospective
sudden departure for New York of General
Manager R. P. Schwerin and Captain
Henry Bingham, chief stevedore for the
Mail Company.
Accompanying them are two of the dock
foremen and some of the survivors of the
crew of the Colima. The case is probably
coming to trial and the witnesses are
wanted. A strange feature of the whole
proceeding is that Charles Cushing, one
of the survivors of the disaster, is now
holding place in the gift of the company.
He will be one of Huntington's witnesses
during the trial
1t is asserted that Brewer will create
sensation during the trial. The Colima's
career from the day she was launched to
the hour she sank has been carefully
scanned, and the plaintiff viii attempt to
prove that at no time was the steamer
considered good sea boat. Toward her
latter days it will be shown that she was
worn out, weighted by top hamper and
should have been condemned.
The Inspectors of Hulls and Boilers will
also get an overhauling, as it is asserted
that they did very little in the way offorc-
ing the true story of the disaster from the
lips OF unwilling witnesses. Brewer has
the dispositions of some thirty or forty
witnesses from Central America and Mex
leo, all OF whom state that the Colima was
cranky. Schwerin. Bingham and other
Mail Company employees viii swear the
opposite and so the legal battle will go
on. Should Brewer win a hundred other
suits viii be begun, and that would practi-
cally mean bankruptcy for the Mail Com
pany.
General Manager Schwerin is at San
Mateo to- day, and he has arranged to leave
for New York next Monday. He expects
to be absent an indefinite length of time
in connection with the suits.
On the same day the plaintiff in the big
suit will leave for New York. 1t is not
known that General Manager Schwerin
and Mr. Brewer will travel by the same
route or in the same Pullman. If they do
it might indicate that the suit for 81, $780,
OOo would be settled before the train got to
the Mississippi River.
Mr.. Brewer was seen last night at the
Occidental Hotel He preferred not to
give out any facts in regard to the partic-
ulars of the complaint.
Il shall leave for New York next Mon
day. he said. 81 don't care to say
whether my attorneys are San Francisco
or New York attorneys. do not want to
talk about damages. expect to GET out
of the suit. prefer not to talk about it
at all. am now making arrangements
to go away
Captain John Richardson of the steamer
Hope celebrated his thirty-fifth birthday
at Berkeley last Monday night. The whole
thing was in the shape of surprise party,
but nevertheless it was most enjoyable
affair. A. Z. Piper of Piper, Alden, Good
all & Co., made the speech of the evening,
and toward the end grew quite eloquent
over the captains years of service in the
employ of the company. Among the sur
prise party were:
Mrs. T. ]. Donahue, Miss Ruth and Master
George Donahue, Miss Matte James, A. L.
Piper L. Chapman, Albert Patterson, Mr.. and
Mrs. Edward McYay, Mr.. and Mrs. Grimshaw,
c. E. Wulferdingen, w. H. Wulferdingen, Miss
A. L. Wulferdingen, j. II. Mill, Theo Brown,
Nellie league, Mrs. NJ. Fromm and daughters
NJ. Fromm and Lottie Fromm, Captain and
Mrs. Joseph Irwin, Irene Larsen, T. D. Wind
rom, T. D. Glines. Phil sisterna, George Davis,
Martha Brown, Mr.. and Mrs Charles Spear,
DIR. Edward Merry Mr.. and Mrs. c. Moloney,
Eugene Eheret 0lof Martin Harry Hansen,
Mr.. and Mrs S. Adams, Mrs H. A. Glines, Mas
ter George Glines, i. E. Leighton, Charles
Butterfeld, Chauncey ingalls, Annie Monroe,
Mamie Dean, Mr.. and Mrs. @. r. Noack II. R.
Noack, Miss NJ. c. Miller. Edward Fry, Arthur
Fry, Harry Dean, Josie Laugel, F. R. Nugent,
William Murphy, Annie Murphy, D. Canelo
and R. B. Boyle.
1t is reported in naval circles that Rear
Admiral Ramsay will take charge of the
Pacific squadron next spring. He retires
in few months from his position as chief
come to this coast. Admiral Beardslee
does not wish to relinquish his command
and is using all his efforts to remain here.
He is very popular in San Francisco and
Caiifornians would be sorry to lose him.
Thomas Farrell, master of the schooner
W. S. Phelps, died at the Receiving Hos
pital yesterday His vessel was on the
Merchants drydock and he was going
aboard. He missed his footing and fell
twenty feet, receiving injuries from which
he died. Farrell was master of the
schooner Robert and Minnie when she
transferred the arms and ammunition to
the steamer Itata. He was arrested and
the schooner seized. When the Chilean
insurgents won the day Farrell and the
vessel were released.
The tug Barclay Golden, that took the
Ezeta expedition to Central America, has
been chartered by Grace & Co. She will
90 from here to Peru, and will act as a
tender for the nitrate ships down there.
She. will take down a small cargo, among
which will be some dynamite. 1t will be
used for blasting purposes. The Barring