The Red Cloud chief., 1901-02-22
BIGST[AMfRS SINKS
Rio de Janerio Goes Down at
Golden Gate.
S(0RfS or PEOPLE ART DROWNED
General wiIdmar Aboard and Sop
poeed tn be Lo.t-One Hundred and
Twenty Probably
other Interesting News.

A San Francisco dispatch Of Febru-
airy 90 says: The Pacific Mail steamer
Rio dc Janerio ran on a hidden rock
while entering the Golden Gate early
this morning in a dense fog. She sank
a few minutes after striking. IL Is
thought that nearly $50 persons were
drowned, but IL is impossible to asccr-
tain the exact number owing to h
fact that Purser John Rooney. who
had the passenger list and roster OF
the crew, Is among the missing
At 5 o'clock this afternoon ten bodies
had been recovered, two white women,
one white man and seven Chinese.
The most prominent passenger on the
steamer was Rounscvillc Wildman,
United States consul at Hong Kong,
who was accompanied by his wife and
two children. 1t Is thought all were
drowned. The ship was in
Of Pilot Frederick Jordan when she
sunk. He vas rescued.
Capt. william Ward went down with
his vessel.
Az near as can be learned there were
col people on board the Rio de Janeirn,
as follows:
Cabin passenger go; stecrage (Asi.
atic), bs: second cabin, I; white officers,
30; Asiatic crew, n.
The saved number seventy-nine'
classified as follows;
Cabin passengers; IL: white officers
II; Storage, tAsiatic), Is. crew, Chi
nese, ~.
The lost number l29, classified as
follows:
Passengers, -; officers, 10; crew, chi
nese. SO; steeragc, Asiatic, ~.
The Rio was three days overdue
from Hong Kong. via Honolulu u. h
she arrived off the heads last night
and the dense fogs prevailing at tho
time induced Pilot Jordan to bring her
to anchor until he could see his way
clear through the gateway. She iaid
10 until 4:3O o'clock. when the atinoS-
pherc cleared and she was started I'M
der a slow bell toward Point Bonita.
All went well until $40 o'clock when
she struck. Most of the passengers
were below AT the tllhc' anu ~ y
believed that many of them were
drowned in their bertl's.
The first new,of the disaster reached
here al 1870 a. IN, and soon afterwards
a boat load of passengers and petty
officers arrived at tn G mail dock.
Tugs were Immediately dispatched
20 render any service that might b
needed, but no living persons Were
fl ,at when they reached the spot,
number Of drown ny people were res
cued by Italian fisher men and the bod
les OF two white women three Chimes,
and a japanese were brought In by the
tugs. The search for more OF tie vic
TINS continued all day.
From all accounts II appears that Thu
officers were cool and gave the neces
sary orders with the least possible eN
element.
Consul Wildman, who Is presumed u
be lost, was well known here, wher
, he resided for a number Of years. H
first came into prominence local..
' when he purchased The Overland
' which he owned and edited for som
. years prior to entering the consula
service at Hong Kong He resigne
recently the post Of consul general a
Hong Kong and was on his way HON
with his wife and family. Mr.. Wilt
man married Miss Lettie Aldrich,
: sister of United States Senator Stew
= arts wife. Mrs. Aldrich is now In thi
> city, where she has been waiting tn
homecoming of her daughter.
' The City of Rio Janeiro was an iro
. steamer Of $50 gross tonnage and a,2'
: net. She was built by J. Roach e. So
y at Chester, Pa. in 1878. The vess'
. was owned by the Pacific Mail Steam
: ship company, and had been IN III
y oriental service. She sailed from Hon
Kong for this port on January 22. Ca
tain Ward had been In the employ
the Pacific Mail Steamship compan
for many years.
The cargo Of the Rio was valued
over $500, 900. There was besides $500
600 In treasure In the specie tank. II
steamer itself was valued at from $3.50
600 10 $500, O0O.