Explosion and foundering of the steamer Colima

Explosion and loss of the Pacific mail steamer COLIMA
From various newspaper sources - By Pascal Kainic

News has reached London that the steamer Colima which left San Francisco on May 18th, 1895, for Panama, with passengers on board, has been lost 20 miles off the Mexican shore.

At about a quarter past eleven, on the night of the 27th, when the ship was 50 miles South of the Mexican port of Manzanillo, the boiler exploded.

The ship at once put about and made for the nearest port, but it soon became evident that she was in a sinking condition.

The desperate situation was aggravated by a terrible panic among the passengers who had been awakened by the explosion, and the death of the captain, the chief engineer and the pilot who were killed by a falling mast.

A ghastly fight for the boats ensued and in the end only a very few persons managed to escape. Only 19 persons were saved of her total complement of 192 passengers and crew.

The Colima was United States built, launched 22 year  ago in Philadelphia. She was an iron vessel of 2900 tons, owned by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company of San Francisco .

An attempt was made to enter the bay of San Blas, but she grounded on the rocks and sank in 600 fathoms of water.

There was on board 56 bars of silver and an additional $ 12,000