The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-02-28
1t is Thought Nearly $50 Per-
sons on Board Met Death
i'm the Water.
Among the Passengers Were United
States Consul Wildman, Wife
and Two Children.
They Have Not Been Accounted For
and it is Feared They Are Among
Those Who Perished.
Tncre Were 2:s4 People On Board
the III-Fated Vessel. Only 17S
of whom Have Been
Accounted for.

san Francisco. Feb. 23.--.rhe Pacific
mail steamer City of Rio de Janeiro
ran on hidden rock while enter
ing the Golden Gate early Friday
morning in "a dense fog. She sank
Il few minutes after striking. 1t is
thought nearly $50 persons were
drowned. but it is impossible to ascer-
tain tile exact number owing to the
fact that Purser John Rooney, who
had the passenger list aud roster of
III, crew. is anon" the missing.
"A : o'clock Friday afternoon ten
bodies had been recovered, two white
yuuru. one white man and seven
chinese The most prominent passcn-
ger was Hounsevillc Wildman, United
states consul at lloug Kong, who was
accompanied by his wife and two
children. II is thought all were
crowned. The ship WAS in command
Of Pilot Jordan when she struck. He
was rcscHcd. Capt. Wm. Ward went
down with his vessel.
Us nearly as can be learned there
were pa people on board the Rio de
Janpro as follows:
cabin passengers, 20: second cabin,
:; >terrage (Chinese and Japanese),
s.: Officers and crew. 1i0: Total, 23I.
The following have been accounted
for: Rescued. 70; bodies at the
morgue, 10: total. So
Missing. l45.
The Rio de .Janeiro was three days
overdue from Hong Kong, via Homo
lulu. when she arrived off the heads
Thursday night. and the dense fog
prevailing at the time induced Pilot
.Jordan to bring her to anchor until
he could see his way clear through
the gateway. She laid to until about
4:30 o'clock, when the atmosphere
cleared and she started under a slow
he'll toward Point Bonita. All went
well until $40 o'clock, when she
struck. Most of the passengers were
below at the time. and il is believed
that many of them were drowned in
their berths.
All accounts show that the officers
gave the necessary orders with the
least possible delay.
Capt. Ward. who was on deck when
the vessel struck. gave orders to the
Grew or watch to hurry the passen-
gers TO the forward deck. At the
same time the quartermaxter on duty
sounded the signal for fire drill, and
within Ave minutes all the men were
st their stations. There was no way
of knowing the extent of the damage
to the vessel, as she remained of an
even keel Is minutes after striking
the rock. But Capt. Ward. with the
instinct of long experience, knew the
gravcst danger threatened the 200
souls in his charge, and, pacing the
deck, he gave orders to lower the life
boats and rafts.
There was not much confusion un-
til. IS minutes after striking. the
how of the vessel suddenly plunged
under water. Then there was q wild
rush for the boats. The boats had
already ncen lowered and Others we're
getting away as rapidly as the trained
discipline of the crew could prepare
them. \ thick fog enveloped every
thing, and AS yet no sign had come
fro,n the life saving station Dark
ness was all about, and with this
added horror the people on the Rio
had 10 cope.
Dnc boat got clear OF the vessel
without damage. This contained the
following persons:
Mrs. Yost. Mrs. Ripley. Chief En-
cinccr Herlihey. second Officer Cogh-
Ian. Frank Cramp, j. II. Russell. store.
keeper I}orgg. Water Tender ID. Lane.
Cnartermaster X. Mathicson and
Cam. Kech,, of the German navy.
Lke boat got clear OF the sinking
vessel and then stood by TO hcIp in
picking up those who had no lime
TO get into the boats and were in
the Wntc''
Another boa'' containing ih'rd VI
hcrf ho'iaho an" D. 'arleh'er
Fo' away mn was drllied around
close mp under the DOW OF Inc steam
er. As me forward rhn OF the YES
SCI plunged aoWnW'i" ,h' pro"
eahsh, ,he Sniaii oo't ana Gu, }, IL
MO ne Two men III the po"' were
uhini'reu an" SWIM AWAY rom 'ne
sinNihg steamer Jns' 10 ''ne 10 a'od
pe'"g ca"gn' III me sm'r, oi water
caused 'y 'he se,,'ing OF ,he n'g snip
,arpF"'Tr was pieNea W ns .he ONE, ne,
Loa,n poa, h,, lm ia ha % s,n"nssa m - haU. u