The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-08
A BIG BOAT MISSING.
Steamer Rio Janeiro. From San
Francisco for Yokohama.
FOURTEEN DAYS OVERDUE.
No Tidings of Her-She Carried 1856
People and a Cargo Valued at
Nearly u Million Dollars

San Francisco. March THE Pacific Mail
Steamship Companys big liner cry Of Rio
Janeiro. which left this port fer the Orient
heavily laden. on the sth Of las, month.
should have arrived at Yokohama Fsh-1-
Any 3 yet not WOrsi has been heard from
her. The agents OF the company declare
that they have received Information Of no
sort regarding the steamers welfare or
whereabouts since she gliied out Of the
bay or the afternoon Of February 5. The
New York office of the company has been
wired necessarily by the local sge.ss. but
the reply comes regularly and monotonous-
" that as yet nothing has reached them
by cable concerning the vessel.
The RIO Janeiro left here with f56 people
on board. all told. OF these four were CABIN
passengers. and there were in the steerage
ten Europeans. ten japanese and twenty
two Chinese. The crew consisted OF thirty
white people and seenty-nine Chinese
Following is list Of the passengers: Cabin
j. Fisher. ". T. Sylvester. Lamar Lyn-
don. Mrs Lamar Lyndon. Stserage-S.
Bodelsen, J Rosenfeld. sr. ] Resented.
jr. Mrs. Anna Burge and family of three.
r. Gaillard. The names of the Chinese and
japanese are not registered
The list Of the steamers hfte crew is as
follows: ". J. Russell. captain. J. F.
Robinson. chief officer: j. II. Matthews.
r
X Tchenor. freight clerk: ). VI. Ter-ill,
surgeon; ]. C. johnson. second officer, l..
c. Newgard. third officer; j. \. Jansen,
c1rpente-. William Bray. main deck
wstchma1; ". ]. Palmer. D. c. White. +.
Snlrh quar;ermasters: Fl. NcMullin. fics-
assistant engineer; J. E Handley. second
assistant engineer; Charles Smith. third
assistant engineer: R McCabs. J. 5. Mar
die, John Riley. water tenders; c. c.
Reed. John Csvanagh oilers; A. Burrell.
steward: S Kid. steerage steward :. Han
kin sterckeeper: Mrs. J. @. Dorman,
stewardess: George Lancashire. butcher.
Robert r Kelly. saloon Waterman. J. {.
Spencer. stserage Waterman; Ng fo and
seventy Chinese
The one theory upon which the conpa-
ny's agents base their greatest hope is
that the Rio. by force of bad weather or
other circumstances. was compelled TO
tass Yok ohama without making her usual
stop there This would not be considered
an altogether unuer.- occurrence. IL mas
happened several times during the past
tw elye years to other steamers IN the ser
vice of the company. Should this pe the
case there will be a still longer period CT
ANXIETY. for nothing can possibly be heard
from her in that event until she reaches
Hongkong Many shipping men feel hope
full that she will shortly be reported IT I'm
the Chinese port
The Rio Janeiro is one of the handsomest
and largest vessels engaged in the trans
Pacific service of the Pacific Mail she Is
a four-master. amply provided with sans
so that in case of damage to her engines
while at sea there would be nothing TO
prevent her weathering her way TO some
nearby port with the use OF her canvas
alone II this were the case, however,
she would doubtless be long delayed ana
it might be even weeks before she would
be heard from. The Rio was buht IN NM
at Chester. Pa She is of steel; is equipped
with the most modern machinery ana ap-
pur,enances. and has the reputation of
being a fairly fast and staunch Nessei al
sea.
When the Rio left this port she carried a
cargo of general merchandise and bullion
valued al nearly 100000. The merchan-
disc which was consigned to. various ia
panese and Chinese ports, was valued IN
all at sl5e eS2 The major norton OF this
cargo comprised -four for China. cotton for
Japan and canned goods and sugar Tor
both countries. The coin shipment com
prised Ia3 172 Mexican dollars for Hong
kong and s27. ooo more for Shanghai There
was s1So 600 worth Of silver bars, also con-
signed to Shanghai merchants.
General Superintendent Center. OF The
Pacific Mail Company. stated today sha
the company had not yet begun TO lose
hope for the safety of the no. cl
course said he We cannot lelp feelins
somewhat anxious. In fact We nave
learned to feel some anxiety when yes
sci is only overdue as much as iur or Eve
days. We have hal SO much bad luck that
W. cannot be blamed for tina. hut in this
case | am free TO state that our anNiefy
has NOT reached a condition that could be
called alarm. We are hopeful, AMI iaVe
good reasons for entertaining thai hore
Many things could have happanci by
which the long absence OF the Rio-this
seemingly strange absence-coult be &c
counted for to our i.nds. even though We
have received no dispatches o. ANYTHING
Of a DEFINITE nature in the shape of news
from her We do KNOW for instance. that
they have been haring very heavy weather
between the Hawaiian islands and Japan
90 late. II is not AZ all impr ,hah'a that
the Rio got into he Worst OF this weather,
ard that Cant Russell. good seaman that
he Is. decided - take plenty IF room and
not an;asoni.e the storm. even though he
might lose much tim IN reaching voko-
hama II is possible that he found Il con-
nnlsors 10 even skip by Iokoh ams entire
II That. you know. has happened before.
We did not become anxious when the
steamer was overiIe only = week. b@es1se
the Balgic in m4k'n.s her iaS. run doan.
was six DAYS lat. she reported exceed
inglv heavy weather. Tie Rio f. a good,
stout boat, and perfectly capable Of tax
ing care Of herself under the good man
agement she receives, in anv kind Of
weather She vas rIiv rs~cnilv over
hauled and put into thoroughly good con
dition. and was "a that time pronounced
20 he about as good a Seaboar as W. had
on orr line. Her engines are in rerfect
condition. so far a. We know. and in fsCt
everything abour her vas IN - condu.on