The San Francisco call. [volume], June 07, 1895, Page 3, Image 3

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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San Juan was that Captain Long, who
was coming up as a passenerer, went to
Captain Pitts and asked if he would lower
another boat, Captain Long saying he
would take charge ot it and would man it
with a volunteer crew of the Aztec's sail
ors. Captain Pitts said 'No.' Captain
Long then went to the purser (Menton)
and asked him. The purser said. 'Go
ahead,' and Captain Long with the Aztec
sailors picked up most of the sixteen mert
saved."
Six of the rescued, due to Captain Long's
pood work, Mr. Oriel named for certain.
He had the names of three of the crew of
the Sa"n Juan on a piece of paper as his
(Oriel's) friends. They are William Martin,
lfiOO Post street: David Gibbs, 42 Tehama
street, and Patrick McEntee, 502 Second
Street. Whether these were his informants
ne did not say.
Oriel, Rowan and Boyd went to the
Market-street office of the Pacific Mail
Company daring the afternoon and Pas
senger Agent Avery refunded their fare
ami gave them $100 each besides. The $100,
Mr. Avery explained, was paid to them by
thr company voluntarily to cover their
wants considering their destitution, and he
said it would not operate as a bar to any
claims they might have against the com
pany.
Each of the three men said they had lost
a preat deal more than $100 worth in cloth
ing and valuables. Oriel had lost an expen
sive toolchest, Rowam some fine violins
and Boyd a lot of valuable jewelry, so they
said.
Mr. Oriel's home is at 1229 South San
Juan street, Stockton.
GUSTAV ROWAN'S STORY.
The Steward Tried to Prevent Him
Giving Out Preserv
ers.
Gustav Rowan, the Belgian musician,
whose residence since he disembarked is
at the Hotel de France. 618 California
street, had been warned, he said, in com
mon with the other rescued passengers, by
the officers of the San Juan, not to talk,
and it was with some difficulty that he was
induced to say anything.
In his struggle for life after the sinKing
of the steamer, Rowan was badly battered
and had been twenty-seven hours in the
ocean clinging to a piece of the wreck.
This was not the worst of his troubles and
of his fearful right for life. He fears
physical evidences which he will carry for
life.
Besides a lacerated wound of the scalp
and internal injuries from which he has
Buffered greatly, he had three ribs hurt
and also received severe wounds about the
lower limbs that render locomotion ex
tremely painful. Some of these wounds
he received while trying to distribute life
preservers among tiie panic-stricken pas
sengers when it became evident that the
ship was doomed.
In this humane effort, he says, he was
opposed and to a great extent thwarted by
the steward of the Colima, who com
manded the passengers to let the life pre
servers alone and then ordered Rowan for
ward. He does not remember the stew
ard's name and can only describe him as
"a German who wore eye glasses and who
talked like a bull." Rowan's story is cor
roborated by H. W. Boyd and T. J. Oriel.
They both say they saw him giving out
life-preservers to the passengers, and heard
the steward order him away from that part
of the ship, where the passengers had
gathered in terror.
Mr. Rowan was bound for New York.
Ke explained the life-preserver incident in
the best English he could command, say
"Tr.* steward tola me 'You don't take
anything at all. What are you taking
those things down for? You'll have to put
them up again. I'll not put them up for
you.' "
Mr. Oriel interrupted to explain that the
steward was trying to allay the excitement.
Rov\an continued:
"Then I jumped and took the life-pre
servers and gave them to all I could, in
spite of what the steward said. I did not
stop, though he tried to stop me."
"About that time the ship tipped com
pletely over to an angle of forty-five de
grees," remarked Mr. Oriel. Concerning
the wreck Rowan said substantially:
"Three causes contributed to the sinking
of the Colima, though by no means in equal
degree. First, there was the gale which
struck us Sunday evening about 6 o'clock.
Second, the cargo was badly loaded and
would not stay in place. Worst of all was
the way the ship was handled. There was
nobody to do anything. There was no dis
cipline among the crew. Conflicting or
ders were being constantly given by the
officers, but this did not do much harm
for none of them were obeyed. Early in
the struggle the crew became unmanagea
ble and confusion reigned everywhere.
"From the time the gale struck us until
Monday morning, we all lost hopes that
the ship would be saved. At 8 o'clock,
however, we commenced to realize that we
were going to be wrecked, and the panic
commenced.
"It was about this time that I went
after the life-preservers. I took a great
many and carried them about among the
passengers, and showed them how they
were to be worn. As I said the steward
came up to me and demanded to know
what 1 was about. I told him, and he said
that I must leave the life-preservers alone
and attend to my own business. He then
told several of the passengers not to touch
the life-preservers, and ordered me to go
forward. He said that there was no danger
and there would be plenty of time to get
away in the boats if there were.
"But even then the ship was sinking,
and as she went down I put on a life-pre-
server and jumped. The water was full of
wreckage, and 1 struck on something and
then went down.
"When I came up I was caught fast be
tween two pieces of timber, and had my
ribs hurt. Then a wave washed me clear,
and I went down again. Three times I
was washed away from the wreckage. The
last time 1 caught on to a plank and man
aged to keep up. After drifting about for
twenty-seven hours or more I was picked
uj> by a boat from the San Juan."
To bear out Mr. Rowan's statement as to
the bad loading of the ship several of the
men said it was top-heavy. One thought
there was fully 60,000 feet of green lumber
on the aecks.
CENSURES THE COMPANY.
A Vigorous Denunciation by a
Wealthy Coffee - Planter
of Mexico.
L. R. Brewer, a wealthy coffee-planter
of Mt-xico, who resides on the border line
of Guatemala. lon his wife and three chil
dren in the Colima disaster. His family
resided on California street in this City for
several years antecedent to the accident.
When seen at the Occidental Hotel yes
terday Mr. Brewer was in a very excited
franu of mind. He paced up and down
his room as he spoke bitterly of the Pacific
Mail Company's way of doing business and
of its conduct in the Colima matter. He
considered himself peculiarly qualified to
6peak upon the subject, as all his business
in the way of freight and shipping passes
through the company, sometimes to the
extent of $300,000 per annum. Mr. Brewer
said:
"In my opinion the cause of the dis
aster was the fearful overloading which
took place. In this view I am confirmed
by all the passengers with whom I have
come in contact. I have been on steam
ers of the line myself which have been
topheavy. I was a passenger on the
steamer Colon last August, and on that
very trip evidence was visible that the
ship was overloaded. She nearly capsized
near Ocos, and the captain had to take the
vessel to San Jose and unload some of her
freight. This is a proof that she was
topheavy.
" Why did not the San Juan continue
cruising around the scene of the wreck?"
he asked. "If she had done this goodness
knows how many more might have been
saved. The company's action in this
matter was inexcusable. Then they de
layed in supplying me and the other
people interested with news for several
days, and this on the most trivial of pleas.
"And then the accommodations and the
food on board was of the cheapest and
commonest character. The wines and
liquors were of poor quality, and if any of
the passengers desired to have anything fit
to drink they had to bring it on board with
them. It was found necessary, if one
wanted to get service of any kind, to tip
right and left. The moment one got on
board one had to dive down in one's
pocket. To prove to you that lam not ex
aggerating, I will hand you a copy of a
protest which was signed by many of the
passengers on board the San Juan."
This protest, which Mr. Brewer exhib
ited, reads as follows:
We, the undersigned, passengers, most strongly protest against the treatment we have met
with on board the San Juan. The steamer is advertised to start at fixed dates from all ports.
In no one case has a date been adhered to, to the detriment of passengers. In several cases
intending passengers had to wait at the port for seven days. The commissariat was decidedly
short, almost all stores and wines having given out. There was no ice between the ports of
Acapulco and Mazatlau. We wish to draw the attention of the company to the fact that no ice
is allowed nl any time to the passengers, and, feeling the want of it, many of them went to the
expense of buying some for their own use. During the time that there was no ice on board
there were cases of illness requiring its use. We also protest against the sanitary arrangements,
which are simply disgusting.
"The company seems to take advantage
of the fact that it is the only line of steam
ers by which one can get to Central Amer
ica," continued Mr. Brewer. "There have
been many complaints made by merchants
on the coast of packages having been
opened en route. There is in the City of
Mexico to-day a life-preserver of the
steamer Alaska, which was found in a case
supposed to contain silks, consigned to
Antonio Bado & Co. Many times I have
received cases of wines empty, which just
shows that goods and merchandise are
sometimes opened". When we receive con
signments, if there is anything in dispute,
and complaint is made, all the answer we
can get is: 'Oh, we haven't time to count
the goods.' It is never delivered. I can
prove that by my bills of lading. I must
say that things have been better since
Schwerin has been in the company, a very
little better. I say that because I believe
in giving every man his due. Such things
as have been done by the Pacific Mail Com
pany would not be tolerated in Europe,
and I think the United States Government
should interfere in the matter and prevent
the overloading of their steamers."
Mr. Brewer expressed himself as unde
sirous of saying anything which might
make trouble. At the request of the Call
reporter he affixed his signature to the
statement accredited to him. Then he de
cided to consult his attorney. Mr. Gillette
was called in. He advised his client to
make no statement for the press, and, act
ing under the instruction of this lawyer,
Mr. Brewer retained the statement which
he had voluntarily made and signed but a
few moments before, Mr. Gillette declar
ing that he would himself make a state
ment to the press in a day or two.
As Attorney Gillette absolutely refused
to allow his client to return the statement
a second copy was made from the steno
graphic notes taken during the interview
with Mr. Brewer.
TO FIND THE CAUSE.
The Inspectors of Hulls and Boil
ers Will Hold an Investi
gation.
United States Inspector of Hulls Talbot
and Inspector of Boilers Phillips lost no
time in hunting up witnesses when they
heard that the steamer San Juan had ar
rived with the survivors of the ill-fated
stearrfer Colima on board.
Mate Hansen was seen, and his report of
the wreck and all the facts in the case will
be handed in to the inspectors to-day. As
soon as this is received, and the matter is
thoroughly in hand, a day will De set for
the investigation. It will be very search
ing, and it will not be the fault of the local
board if all the facts in the great disaster
are not made known.
Neither Inspector Talbot nor Inspector
Phillips will discuss the loss of the vessel,
let alone express an opinion as to the
cause of the disaster.
"When we have all the facts before us,"
.said Inspector Talbot, "we will give a de
cision, and not until then. As soon as we
receive Mate Hansen's report we will be
ready to announce a date for the investiga
tion, but not until then. That report
ought to be in to-morrow morning, and in
the afternoon we will arrive at a conclu
sion."
The survivors of the wreck will not be
the only witnesses examined. Captain
Henry Bingham, the stevedore who super
intended the loading of the Colima, and a
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1895.
number of officials of the Pacific Mail
Company will be called upon to testify.
In fact, no stone will be left unturned in
order to arrive at the truth and fix the
blame for the terrible loss of life where it
belongs.
SAVED ON A DECKHOUSE.
Albert Carpenter, Seaman, Says He
Thinks an Explosion Finished
the Wreck.
Albert Carpenter, a sailor on the Colima,
was among the survivors who came here
on the San Juan. He was dressed in a suit
that fell around him in rather ludicrous
fashion, for it was made up of the second
change that some generous sailor of the
San Juan had to offer. Across his fore
bead was a ragtred and long scar, another
stretched across the back of his head and
his left arm was still helpless from the
buffeting he received.
"After we left Manzanillo at 4 p. m. the
wind began to freshen till daylight the
next morning. It blew a gale all night,
and the gale grew worse tilt the Colima
went down. Now, I have been twenty
four years at.sea, but I never saw anything
like it.
"When we got a list every roll took us
over more uitil she foundered."
"How did she founder?"
"She went on her side to an angle like
that"— indicating with his hand an incline
of about forty-five degrees. "I was for
ward in the stateroom, where I belonged,
just before she went down. There was no
time to launch boats from the moment the
signal was given for every one to save
himself. I think I was about the last man
to leave the ship, and I saw plainly how
she went down.
"When I was cutting away the lashings
of a boat I got a clout over my eye here.
But it was not the deckload that caused
the wreck. All the hatches were thoroughly
blocked. I think it was something that
burst below in the hold, may be the coal,
or something stowed away down there.
"It was becoming a terrible hurricane
and the ship lay in the trough of the sea.
The captain could not get her around, so
she stayed there and the big waves came
down on top of us and swept the deck
houses and everything else on deck away.
Soon after that she jumped up like and
sank stern foremost in a minute.
"I was twenty-three hours in the water
when the San Juan came along and picked
me up. I got on a raft— that is a piece of
the deck-house — this man and me," point
ing at Seaman Thomas Fries, "and when
we got out of the wreckage and the storm
we flew a red flag. Three other men got
on the raft with us and held on, and five
of us were saved by the old deck-house."
He would not go into particulars about
the disaster, nor would he discußs the
question of loading or alleged negligence.
FILING PROTEST.
The Patrons of the Pacific Mall
Steamship Company Are Dis
satisfied With It.
Edward Ketchum, a passenger that came
up from Central America on the San Juan,
speaks of the intense dissatisfaction that
exists in the Mexican and Central Ameri
can ports regarding the service which the
Pacific Mail Company gives them.
"They are irregular in making the ports,"
said he, "keeping passengers waiting on
expense at hotels for the steamers to put
in an appearance. Their accommodations
are poor, and they even go to sea short of
supplies for the saloon tables, simply be
cause food is dear on those coasts.
"1 hear that citizens of those countries
who are forced to patronize that company
are filing protests with their respective
Governments against the policy which the
Pacific Mail pursues in its work of
transpprtation in that locality.
"Coming up I talked freely with the
survivers of the wreck and they were loud
in their denunciation of the manner in
which the Colima and her passengers were
sacrificed."
OVER HANSEN'S OATH.
The Third Officer's Statement of
the Disaster to the
Colima.
The sworn statements of Third Officer
Hansen, Storekeeper Richardson and En
gineer's Storekeeper Aviles were made in
the private room of General Manager R. P.
Schwerin yesterday afternoon, at the
offices of the Pacific Mail Company, 425
Market street, They were signed and
sworn to before Notary George T. Knox.
Mr. Schwerin asked Mr. Hansen of the
Colima to make a statement regarding
everything he knew of the movements of
the Colima, commencing at the time he
left Mazatlan until he was taken on board
at San Juan, in connection with the loss of
the Colima, and to tell everything he
knew, sparing no one. Mr. Hansen gave
the following version :
Arrived at Mazatlan May 24 at 7 o'clock ; dis
charged our freight at 1 o'clock and waited
until 4 o'clock p. m., when we received some
freight; at 7 left Mazatlan for San Bias, arriv
ing at San Bias about 10 a. m. May 25. Dis
charged cargo there and took in a little
freight, and left about 2 p.m. for Manzanillo
May 25. Arrived at Manzanillo at 11 :30 A. M.,
May 26, and remained there until 4 p, m. When
weleft Mazatlan had fair weather and heavy
southeast swell, which lasted until 6 p. m.; we
got heavy east-southeast wind and sea; the
southeast swell increased. We had heavy rain
and swells the whole night. At 6a. m. May 27
the wind increased to a heavy gale. The ship
was hove to and continued to roll heavily.
She bore up niceiy until 10:15 a. m.. when she
lost three starboard lifeboats, and things re
mained quiet until 10:45 a. m., when sue
listed heavily over to starboard. She remained
in that position about two minutes, when she
capsized and sank in about three to five min
utes, stem first. Before she listed the captain
ordered me to cut the deckload adrift and
heave it over the side, and before I got ready
to heave it all, she capsized.
Did you have any deckload except what
was put on board in San Francisco?
We had a small express wagon on the upper
deck that we took on board at Mazatlan.
On what tack was she hove to?
On the port tack.
What sail did she have set?
No sail.
Was she kept head to sea?
Yes, she was kept head to sea until shortly
after 9 o'clock.
Do you know if anything was the matter
with the steering gear?
The steering gear was all right.
Were the engines working?
Yes.
Did the seas make a clean sweep over her?
Yes, forward and over the boats and over the
stern.
How long had the seas been making a clean
sweep over her?
About an hour.
From your experience as a seaman did you
consider it a very heavy sea?
Yes, a very heavy sea.
Did you contemplate any danger?
No, not until the last five minutes.
Was the wind violent?
Yes.
What was the force of the wind ?
About nine to ten.
Did you have any conversation with the cap
tain?
No, not from 8:30 o'clock, except when he
told me to get the deckload adrift.
Were all hands at their stations?
Yes, all hands were at their stations.
Were the boats ready for lowering.
Yes. they were hanging in the davits.
When .she lWed how much did she list.
I should judge about 40 degrees.
Were the ports along the gangways closed?
Yes, the captain ordered them closed at 12
o'clock the night before.
How did she act in the seaway?
She acted fine— very nicely in the seaway,
but as the gale increased she kept dropping off
more and more until she would not come up
and head the seas.
Was she making any headway through the
water, in your judgment?
She was making about two knots.
What was tne course and speed?
The captain slowed her down on account ot
the heavy wind and water.
On what course?
Southeast course and lell off and came up
again until 10 o'clock when she teA off to south
by west and would not head the seas.
Did she roll heavily when she was in the
trough of the sea?
Yes, she rolled very heavily.
Where were you most of the time?
From 8 to 10:40 on the bridge, when I left
to get the deckload adrift.
Where were you stationed when the cargo
was taken out at Mazatlan?
Down in the hold at the last part of it.
Where were you when the cargo was put in
at Mazatlan?
I was down there again ■when the cargo come
in and the same space was filled with cargo
that had been occupied by cargo that was
taken out.
How much cargo came in at Mazatlan?
"About fifty tons.
Where was it placed?
Placed in the forward freight deck.
Was the lower hold filled at Mazatlan?
The place was filled on leaving San Francisco.
Was it filled when you left Mazatlan?
Yes; the lower hold, freight deck and orlop
decks were filled when we left Mazatlan.
When that cargo came in at Mazatlan did you
see anything wrong in the stowage of the cargo?
No; everything was stowed fine.
As a seaman do you think that the cargo was
properly stowed at Mazatlan ?
Yes.
Where were you stationed when the cargo
was taken out at San Bias?
It was my watch below.
Where were you when the cargo came in at
Ban Bias?
Down the hold.
Where was the cargo placed when it came on
board at San Bias?
After freight deck and steerage deck
How much cargo came in there?
Two small lighter-loads— about eleven tons.
Where were you when the cargo was taken
out at Manzanillo?
During the latter part of the time was down
the hold.
Did you see anything wrong with the cargo
when you were down the hold?
My opinion is that the cargo was stowed
properly.
Wnere were you when the cargo was put In
at Manzanillo?
Down the hold.
Where was the cargo stowed?
On the after freight deck.
How much cargo was put in there?
One small lighter-load— b bout six tons.
Where were you stationed when the ship was
stowed on leaving San Francisco?
I had charge of the forward hold.
Did you see any carelessness on the part of
the stevedores in stowing this cargo?
None whatever.
As a seaman, do you consider the cargo was
well stowed?
I am positive of it.
As a seaman, do you consider the weights
were properly distributed?
Yes.
As a seaman, do you think that the company
could, in any possible way, have taken greater
precautions in the stowage of this hold under
your charge?
No.
Do you think there was any opportunity for
the cargo to shift in this hold?
No.
Or in any part of the ship?
No; the holds were filled, every deck was
filled and the orlop was filled, and in my opin
ion all this cargo was properly stowed and
properly chocked to prevent shifting.
When you left San Francisco in the Colima
did the ship act to you as if she was tender?
No.
How long have you been in the Colima?
Twenty-two months from the 6th of June.
From your experience down the coast did
you see any signs of tenderness in the ship?
No.
With the knowledge you have of her cargo
ana how it was stowed, is it your opinion that
she was properly stowed to go to sea?
I am perfectly sure of it.
When the ship left Manzanillo did she show
any signs of tenderness?
No.
Did she roll on this voyage more than on
previous voyages?
No— not until the last day.
In this gale of wind was there any sign to
signify that her cargo had shifted?
No.
On any of the decks that you know of?
No.
Do you consider that the wind was strong
enough to prevent her coming up to the sea?
Yes.
At any time did you see her working ahead
to the seas?
Up to 9 o'clock she headed the seas.
Did you hear any orders given in the pilot
house by the captain?
No.
How was her helm carried from 9 o'clock till
she sank?
The helm was hard to starboard.
Was there any consultation that you know of
between the captain and chief engineer?
captain called the chief engineer shortly
after 9 o'clock and told him to give her more
steam and go ahead a little faster to see wheth
er he could keep her up to the sea or not.
Did you feel any difference In the increased
speed?
Yes.
Did she come up to the sea any better?
No.
Are you sure that her rudder was working?
Yes.
Was any notice sent to the passengers to call
their attention?
Not that I know of. The captain gave the
first and second officers orders, but I did not
know what they were.
Were there any passengers on deck after 9
o'clock?
I did not see any after 9 o'clock.
Where were you when the ship listed to star
board?
I was on the starboard side of the forecastle
head, cutting away the awning stanchions.
When she listed did her hurricane deck go
under water?
Yes; at 10:15. when we lost the three life
boats. After she rolled the three life-boats on
the starboard side were lost.
Did the deck houses start?
No.
Where was the captain when she listed?
Ou the bridge.
Was he alone ?
The chief officer was with him.
What did the captain do when she listed?
Blew three short blasts of the whistle.
How long from the time she listed did she
sink out of sight?
About five to six minutes as near as I can
judge.
When you say "capsized" do you mean that
she listed and sank, or do you mean that she
went clean over?
She listed over with her masts in the water,
rilled and sank.
Did you hear the captain say anything about
the cargo on board on leaving San Francisco?
No.
Or at any time up to the time she sank?
No.
If there had been any fault found with the
stowing of the cargo in San Francisco, do you
think you would have heard of it?
Yes.
Where were you stationed when the ship
went over the San Francisco bar ?
On the bridge.
Was there a heavy swell on the bar?
Yes, a pretty heavy swell.
How did she behave in this swell?
She behaved very well; she pitched, but did
not roll any.
Would you say that she made good weather
of it or bad weather?
Good weather of it.
To the best of your knowledge do you think
she touched a reef?
No.
Richardson Arriving 1 at the Pacific
Mail Bock.
To thebestof your knowledge did herengines
break down?
No.
To the best of your knowledge did any ex
plosion occur on the ship?
Just before she sank there were some steam
pipes of the boiler that exploded.
Was there any time to lower lifeboats and
get them away?
No.
Could anything have been done to have saved
the lives of the passengers of that ship?
No — nothing whatever.
Did you hear any other officer on board the
ship say anything about the storage of the
cargo?
No.
Had there been any discussion in your pres
ence about the stowing of the ship?
No.
If you were ordered to the Colima to-morroT?
and her cargo stowed the same as it was on her
last voyage on leaving San Francisco, would
you hesitate in going to sea in her 7
No; I would not hesitate a moment.
During the twenty-two months that you have
been on the Colima, have you ever seen the
company careless in the stowage of cargo of the
ship or the care of passengers?
No.
Do you consider the Colima well found when
she went to soa? •
Yes.
What is your opinion of the discipline on
board that ship?
Good.
Did the captain have full control of his offi
cers and crew?
Yes.
Was there a ready obedience of the orders
given by the captain of that ship?
Yes.
Did you ever see Captain Taylor derelict in
his duty?
No.
Did he always take charge of the. ship when
it was hi 6 duty to do so?
Yes.
Do you consider him a careful navigator?
Yes.
Would you be willing to sail with Captain
Taylor again?
Yes.
Do you think that everything was done on
board that ship that could be done to protect
life and property ?
Yes.
Do you think that anything could have been
done to avert this disaster?
No.
Do you know how much lumber she had on
her topgallant forecastle?
About forty tons.
Do you think that this lumber on her deck
had anything to do with her disaster?
It had nothing to do with her disaster.
In your opinion do you think she could have
carried a larger deckload of lumber?
Yes.
Where was this lumber stowed?
Forward on the upper deck, forward on the
cargo hatch, from the after shroud of the fore
rigging to the capstan, about the height of the
rail running around the ship, leaving about
three feet passage way between the lumber and
the rail. There was nothing stowed over the
hatch.
Did the cattle get adrift that was stowed on
the main deck?
No— except six that were cut adrift about two
minutes before the ship capsized.
As far as you could see, did any of the cargo
start before she listed?
No.
As near as you can remember, how was she
heading when she listed?
About south by west by compass.
In what direction was the swell?
The swell was southeast; very heavy swell
from the east.
What direction was the wind?
East-southeast to southeast.
Do you consider that it was a hurricane?
Yes.
What was the reading of the glass?
It was 29.75 at 8 o'clock and went down .500
in half an hour from 7 :30 to 8.
Was the weather clear overhead?
No, cloudy.
Any rain?
Yes, a little rain and squally.
Did tae wind blow in steady -violence or sud
den squall?
Heavy squalls.
Was it during one of these heavy squalls that
she took the list?
Yes.
When the gale first came on did the ship
seem tender?
No.
When she roiled in the trough of the sea did
she recover herself properly?
Yes.
What do you attribute this disaster to?
To the heavy weather and heavy swell and
wind.
Do you know of any reason to cause the cargo
of the ship to shift?
No.
Was there any after sail put on the shipT'
No.
Did the captain seem nervous?
No.
From anything you saw of the captain did
he seem to think that the ship was in a danger
ous position?
No.
From the manner in which the ship be
haved did you think she was in a dangerous
position?
I did not think there was any danger until
the last couple of minutes when she gave the
last final list.
Was this after the unusually heavy swell?
Yes.
Did she roll with the swell or after the swell
had left her?
She rolled with the swell and filled ncr main
deck on the starboard side with water and did
not have time to recover herself before the
second swell came and pinned her down,
shoved her over hard, and the third swell that
came shoved her down.
Were these swells in quick succession?
Yes, they were in quick succession.
Could the officers of the ship have done any
thing to save life?
No.
Do you know if any boats were actually
lowered?
There were two boats in the water, No. 1 and
No. 7, on the port siae.
To what part of the ship did they belong?
Forward. One was abaft the fore rigging
and one abreast of the saloon.
What experience have you had at sea?
Thirteen years last April.
In what capacity have you worked on board?
Ordinary seaman, able seaman on board
sailing ships for seven years.
How long have you been sailing on the
steamers of this company?
About six years.
How many vessels of this company have you
sailed in?
Five.
On what routes have you sailed in the Pacific
Mail?
Quartermaster on the Manzanillo route and
all the rest of the time between here and
Panama.
How did this vessel compare with the other
ships of this company as to her action?
Just about the same.
Was there nothing unusual?
Nothing whatever.
Were these boats you speak of washed out of
the davits?
They must have been lowered at the time I
jumped off the ship into the sea. I was in the
water about three minutes before I saw any
boats. Then I saw two of them— seven men in
one, and in half an hour after the ship sank a
squall blew the boat out of the water and cap
sized her.
Give an illustration of the violence of the
wind.
I saw the wind pitch the deckhouses and
hurl them in the air.
What were the last vessels you saw after
leaving Manzanillo?
Except three schooners, the San Juan was
the first.
When did you pass the three schooners?.
At 5:30 Sunday evening, May 26, an hour
and a half after leaving Manzanillo,
How long after the wreck did the squall sub
side?
At 3 o'clock, about three or four hours.
Shortly after the ship went down we had calm
weather for half an hour, then we got a squall
heavier than when the ship sank.
In your experience as a seaman have you
ever been in a heavier squall?
No.
In your experience on running on that route
did you ever go through a similar experience
before?
No. Nothing like it.
What boats did you see any people in?
No. 1 and 7.
Did you see any one in No. 7?
I saw two men and two women and the
squall came up and turned the boat over six or
seven times. (Signed) O. Hansex.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 6th
day of June, 1895.
(Signed) Geo. T. Knox, Notary Public.
RICHARDSON'S VERSION.
The Sinking of the Colima Was a
Mystery to the Store
keeper.
A. K. Richardson, the storekeeper, gave
a review of the voyage of the Colima from
the time she left this City as follows:
We had a very rough time getting over the
bar, but after that everything went along
smoothly. We made me ports all right. After
leaving Manzanillo the sea was all covered
with brown foam ; looked as though there had
been a very heavy squall somewhere and I un
derstood that the mate had made a remark
that we were going to have very heavy weather
that night, and I got up two or three times in
the course of the night to see that everything
was all right in the wineroom.
In the morning, about 5 or 6 o'clock, the ship
commenced to roll very badly. About half
past 7 the porter came to me in my room and
said that the captain's room had been swept in
by a wave and broken his lampshade and that
he wanted a new one, so I went down to the
sundry storeroom and got what he wanted. At
that time the waves were coming over the
main deck against my room and the wine
room. I had a pretty close shave from getting
washed overboard. Just as I was coming out
there was a big wave, and just after coming
around the corner it came alongside the ship
and hit the door of my room and the door of
the wineroom. A very heavy wave it was.
After that I returned to my room. Shortly
after that the water commenced to come into
my room over the lintel of the door and at
that time the waves were coming in every
room and my room began to get nearly flooded,
but as tast as the water would come in there
seemed to be some place where it would run
out ; it seemed to go below and otherwise un
derneath my locker. Then a very heavy wave
came and the water came in through the top
of the door, and I began to get a little fright
ened. I thought something might happen, but
it never occurred to me that the ship was in
any great danger. Shortly after that more
waves came in of the same nature over the top
of the door and then all of a sudden the ship
laid right over on a pretty steep angle and then
rolled back.
A few minutes after that she went over on
the same angle again and stayed, and at the
same moment there was a crash of the wood
work over my bunk, caused by the water com
ing in, and I thought I was going to be
drowned because I could not get out through
the door and I did not imagine I could get up
through the place where the water was coming
in, but I gave a little jump and the next thing
I remember was that I was on top of the water
all right, holding on to a piece of wood.
There was not a vestige of the Colima in
sight at that time with the exception of an
enormous amount of wreckage of the deck
houses. I swam a few strokes to the largest
piece of wreckage I could see, which was a
piece of the hatch, and climbed up on it and
looked around. I could see, I should judge,
about seventy-five people either on other
pieces of timber (parts of wreckage) or in the
water and trying to make for two boat 3 which
I saw. Astride of one of these boats were two
men who were cutting the tarpaulin away and
one ol them was my boy on the ship, and he
yelled to me to come over to him.
He said, "Here is a boat; you are safer here" ;
but it was so rough I thought I was safer
where I was; that the boat would capsize
sooner than the piece of the hatch I was on.
Shortly afterward I was attracted by the cries
of a man — one of the cabin passengers — to help
him, but at that time 1 could not, but eventu
ally gave him some assistance in getting 'onto
the raft.
When this boat I spoke of previously was
ready and the tarpaulin was all off, about
fifteen people at least climbed into it, and the
last I saw of it it was riding on a very heavy
swell and the people all standing up. I sub
sequently learned from oneof the man-of-wars
men, who was in her, that she capsized, and
he was the only survivor.
I wag washed off the hatch twice but managed
to get back as I secured a life-preserver, and I
then saw the purser at some little distance
away and I managed, by clearing some of the
wreckage away and with the aid of a long piece
of wood, to haul him toward me and onto the
hatch. He had not been there five minute*
when a wave came along and took us both off
the hatch into the water. I managed to get
back, but the purser could not. He yelled to
me to help him but I told him I could not as he
was too far away.
Shortly after that I was washed overboard
for the fourth time from this hatch and was
unable to get back but secured a smaller piece
of the deck and stayed there drifting around
until about 4 p. m., I should say, when I
sighted the raft with the third mate, engineer's
storekeeper and a Mexican whom they had
taken onto their raft. They took me on and we
e.ideavored to paddle in shore, as the
third mate had sighted a boat which ho
thought we could get. We were unable to
reach the boat, as darkness set in, and at that
time we stopped making any endeavor to row.
In the meantime we hail secured another raft,
and we placed this underneath our own so as
to be more secure, as ours was sinking at the
time. About 12 o'clock at night our raft upset,
pitching us all into the water, but we man
aged to get back, and we passed the night
holding on the best way we could and watch
ing where we were going and wondering wliat
was going to become of us.
In the mornin-g, as soon as it was daybreak,
we started to padille again for the shore with
some pieces of wood we had secured, but made
no progress at all until we sighted a raft with
a red flag. We tried to reach this, but could
not, and were still paddling away desperately
when the Mexican on the raft turned round
and shouted, "El vapor!" We looked around
and saw the San Juan about a mile and a quar
ter away. Fifteen or twenty minutes after
that a boat came up and picked us up.
My storeroom was on the port side of the
ship about amidships on the main deck. The
door opened onto the deck itself. The water,
after coming in in various quantities over the
lintel of the door, eventually burst in over the
door, and after that I heard the crash of the
woodwork, and immediately the waters rushed
right through the partition right into the
room itself and lifted me out of the room into
practically what was part of the engine-room,
because when I came up on the water the
clothes I had on— a pair of drawers and pa
jamas—were completely blackened, and so was
my face. I must have gone down into the fire
men's quarters below in some of the coal bo
cause I was just as black as I could be, my
clothes ana all.
I did not hear anything when the steamer
left San Francisco about the stowage of the
ship. This is my second trip on the Colima.
She did not appear to act differently to mo
from my previous trip. I did not check her
cargo. No one said she behaved badly at sea.
| |The wind was very heavy after I got into the
water, and a mist and a fog came down so that
it was impossible to see more than fifteen feet
ahead of you. The wind was so heavy that it
would blow the wreckage out of the water and
hurl it through the air, striking the people.
At this time the wind increased in violence.
So far as my experience goes the Colima was
well loaded.
I never experienced any heavy weather a
this point before during the previous trip
made.
The brown material I saw on the water was a
brown foam. The only unusual thing about it
was that I noticed it was that color. By tho
way— l forgot to mention it before— just the
moment that the water poured in through tHe
side of my room I heard tlie steam whistle
blow.
I did not see or hear any explosion on board
the ship after she began to list, nor did I hear
any breakdown of the engine. The lumber
was all forward of the pilot-house.
A. K. Richardson, Storekeeper.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, thisbth
day of June, 1895. George T. Kxox.
Notary Public.
AVILES' SWORN STORY.
He Says the Wind Caused the
Wreck and Not the
Cargo.
The following is the sworn statement in
part made by Raymond Aviles, engi
neer's storekeeper, in regard to the wreck
of the Colima:
I went as a coal-passer, but the chief engi
neer put me in charge of the engineer's store
room as storekeeper.
I attended to the engineer's storeroom when
the ship left here and everything was all right
from San Francisco to Manzanillo. After we
left Manzanillo we had heavy sea but very
little wind. At 10 o'clock at night I woke up
and noticed there was a strong wind and that
the engines had slowed down. Went down to
work about 6 o'clock in the morning and
stayed from 6 o'clock to a quarter of 11. I
lost my breakfast because I had no time
to come up and eat it. The ship was rolling
so heavily that the tools in the storeroom all
got adrift. The chief was up and down from
the engine-room all the time. At a quarter of
11 all the engineers were on watch and he
sent me up to have the coal-passers and firemen
sent below. I came up on the steerage deck
and found the water up to my knees. I called
the chief engineer and told him 1 was afraid to
go forward, and the chief came up and he was
not scared at all, but said: "It's all right, you
shut this door and the nreroom door and go
forward through the fireroom ladder." I then
went up through this passage and found six or
seven fellows belonging to the engine-room,
force on the main deck. I told them the chief
wanted them down below. The fellows said,
"All right; we'll go down." Right then a
heavy sea came along and lifted the ship over,
and one side of the ship filled with water, the
starboard side. Then I could not get below. I
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3