Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-02-28
LOST IN SIGHT OF PORT.
The Steamship City of Rio de JAN
Zero Sunk Off the Entrance to
the Golden Gate.
LOSS OF LIFE BELIEVED TO Be HEAVY.
United states Consul wiIdman, Re-
turning, with His Family, From
Hong Kong, Believed to be Among
the Lost-Capt. Ward said to Have
Gone Down with the Ship.

San Francisco, Feb. 23.-The steam
er City of Rio de Janeiro, Capt. Ward
of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co.
from the orient and Honolulu, struci
on a rock at an early hour, just out
Tide the Golden Gate, and sunk in q
minues. A large number of people
were drowned.
Had Been Lying To I'm q Fog.
The steamer had been lying off the
heads all night, an unusually heavy
fog preventing her from entering thu
harbor. At S a. IN. she weighed an
Choir and headed for the city II
charge of Pilot Frank Jordan. Short
ly afterwards the vessel struck a hid
den rock and Pilot Jordan shouted fol
all on board to take to the boats.
widest Confusion Prevailed.
The widest confusion prevailed, thu
passengers and crew alike scramb
ling for the boats, and in their en-
deayor to escape from the rapidly
sinking vessel many jumped over
board.
Capt. Ward ordered several of the
boats alongside, and the ladies of the
cabin and some of the gentlemen pas
2 were placed in them. The
boats were manned by part of the
crew and headed citywards. So far
as known but three of the ships
boats left the vessel. On board the
Rio were 90 cabin passengers, $50 in
the steerage and 14o in the crew.
Went Down with His Ship.
The steamer Sequoia, just returned
people on board.
1t is reported that Capt. Ward
locked himself in his stateroom and
went down with the vessel.
Pilot Frank Jordan was picked VI
by one of the boats. He is severely
injured, and had to be removed to the
hospital. Passenger Phil Nussen
blatt, of Honolulu was saved.
List of Fatalities VIII be Large
The vessel sunk in less than twenty
minutes and it is positive that the lisi
of fatalities viii be large.
Not Entirely Out of Sight.
The steamer is not entirely out OF
Sigh. 4CI SL1OhCStdCh III paw VI
the pilot house are above water. Nine
teen of the Chinese are known ts
have been rescued.
G. Hechts, a German officer, wa,
rescued by the life-saving crew, ant
Immediately upon being taken ashore
he was driven to the California hotel
He said, through an interpreter, tina
the fog prevented him from seeing
what was going on in the work of res
cue. Hechts decided to jump over
board. He procured a life preserver
fastened it about him and jumped
overheard. He was in the water only
a short time when rescued.
story of Pilot d
Pilot Jordan was taken on board
Thursday. afternoon inside the FaraI
ZONES. The ship then laid to until
4:30 Friday morning, when the
weather cleared somewhat. This
steamer then started under hall
steam toward Point Bonito. She hello
to her course until 500 when she
struck a rock. There was a terrific
jar. The steamer kept an even keel
for fifteen minutes, when she sudden.
ly plunged downward bow first.
One of the Boats Smashed.
She struck a boat and smashed it
The boat contained Third Officer j. C
Holland and j. K. Carpenter, a CAPT.
talist of Oakland. Carpenter was
picked up, but it is not known what
became of the third officer.
Capt. Ward stood on the deck and
superintendended the launching OF
life boats and RATS.
Estimate of Lives Lost.
The number of lives lost in the
wreck of the Rio is variously estimat.
ed at from so to 49,. 1t is almost
positive that Consul Wildman, his
wife and two children are among the
number lost Nothing has been seer
of the Wildman family since the yes
sci struck the rock.
Purser Rooney Missing.
The purser, John Rooney, is miss
ing and all of his papers, it is be-
lieved, went down with the vessel and
until he is found alive or his pouch is
recovered, it viii be impossible to full.
ly determine the total loss of life I'M
til the agents of the company in the
orient and in Honolulu can be com.
with.
A Passengers Belief.
One of the rescued passengers gives |
it as his belief that the loss of the |
vessel was caused by the explosion
of her boilers
That the steamer sank almost i'm.
after striking is the report
a majority of those rescued. Some
of the passengers say that she in.
listed forward and that in five
minutes she went down, while Others
declare that she stayed afioat for half
an hour after she struck. The con-
occasioned by such an incident
is intense and it is not surprising to
find that there is a lack of unanimity
rs to the length of time the vessel
remained above water.
The wreck lies about three-fourths
a mile south of Fort Point and
about 1000 yards off the rocky shore.
The smokestack and a portion of the
upper works of the Inflated steamer
are visible.
Their are several conflicting stories
concerning the fate of Capt. Ward.
The stewart of the Rio SAYS that he
stood beside the captain when the YES
sci went down. Two other survivors
say that they also saw the captain to
last RrRA j