The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-26

| as can be ascertained from reliable
| data 12S lives were lost in the wreck
| Of the Pacific Mail steamer City of
| Rio de Janeiro. Some fishermen early
| this morning found a packet contain
| ing the papers of Perser Rooney.
| Among them was the passenger list
and a bunch of Cancelled passenger
| tickets, and as there were names on
the list whose Cancelled passenger
| tickets did not appear among those
recovered, it is assumed that they
laid over either at Yokohoma, Kobe or
Honolulu. That they were not on the
vessel at the time she went down is
| certain.
Thus far only eleven bodies have
been recovered-six whites, four Chi
nese and one Japanese.
Surveyor of the Port Spear has es-
| tablished a patrol along the ocean
near Bakers beach and along the bay
| shore inside Fort Point. Thus far his
| men have picked up four mail bags,
one of them washing in near Bakers,
| and the others near the Fort Point
| life savings station. The surveyor has
given orders that all the fishing boats
must report at the customs office
The value of the cargo of the Rio de
| Janeiro has not been determined, ow-
| ing to the absence of important papers,
| but it is var.ously estimated at from
| 100000 to $500, 900. Among some pa
pers found floating near the scene of
| the disaster was a copy of the mani
| fest, showing all the goods consigned,
| with the exception of the Chinese
| firms. The cargo consisted principally
| of silk, tea, rice and other oriental
| products. There was no treasure
| aboard as was at first reported.
| OF the 200 sacks OF mail carried by
the Rio only twelve have come to the
| surface.
The investigation into the loss of the
| steamer probably will be held next
week. Graham Coghlan, the senior
surviving officer of the ill-fated vessel,
called on Captain Boles this afternoon
to report and he was instructed to
make his statement Monday morning.
Small boats have hovered around the
scene Of the wreck for the past thirty
six hours and bodies are frequently
seen floating in and out of the harbol
with the tide, but the roughness of the
water greatly hinders the work of re-
| covery.
If any Of the Rios passengers or
crew lived on the water until sunset
without meeting succor UP to that time,
they must have Derished before thi
as the hardest persons scarcely could
have lived through such a night. Some
of the survivors may have washed on
the Marin county shore at obscure mo-
ments, but if so. none of them has YET
reported.
The wreck of the Rio de Janeiro
which, for a while hung on a pinnacle
of the rock where she struck in the
Golden Gate. so that parts Of the uppe
works were visible. has slid off into
deep water and is now entirely out Of
sight.
Fort Point where Pilot Jordan claims
the vessel struck. marks the narrowes1
point Of the entrance to the bay and is
usually given a wide berth by mariners
The tide here runs high and at time!
has a swirling motion. Off Fort Poinl
lie several sunken rocks, forming Z
dangerous ledge on the southerly edg:
Of the fairway channel Of the Golde,
Gate, but close under the shore. Thers
is light on top Of the fort and fos
bell, but the latter cannot be heard IA
when a westerly wind is blowing.
Pilot Captain Jordan has been mas
ter-mariner on this coast for owe
twenty years. He came from the at
lantic coast. Previous to being ap
pointed a pilot about twelve years ago
Jordan was in command Of the Willing
ton, Bristol and other coal vessels ply
Il ing between this port and Puget sound
- He was a remarkably successful navi
gator and never before had any notabl
misfortune.
I Jordan declares the loss Of the steam
er could lot have been foreseen- Ac
= cording to his story. the vessel drifte
= half a mile broadside in the fog tha
L enveloped the horae-bound steamer lik
: q pail and no man could have judge
either the direction or the velocity u
the invisible current that changed he
h course and sent her on the Fort Poin
;: rock.
v Freight Clerk Englehart, OF the Ris
>. who was saved. said today that Cap
8 tain Ward could not have locked him
e self in his cabin The last saw Q
= Captain Ward he was standing on tn
y bridge and was tying the rope Of tn
whistle to the ra1l-> This Wa dons :