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

80 NAAo AlAOIulnR III a
yaense fog. n sank a few minutes af-
ter striking.
1t is thought that nearly $50 were
drowned, but it is impossible to ascer-
tain the exact number. owing TO the
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 RounsevilIe 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 command of Pilot
Frederick Jordan when she struck. He
was rescued. Captain William Ward
went down with his vessel.
AS nearly as can be learned there
were 2O1 people on board the Rio dc
JaneirO. as follows: Cabin passengers
a.. second cabin Z. Storage, Chinese
and japanese So. white officers 80, Ash
attic crew II.
The following have been accounted
for: Rescued 70; bodies at the morgue
1AtOtal Sc; missing 112.
The Rio. de Janeiro was three days
overdue from Hong Kong via Honolulu
when she arrived off the Heads last
night, and the dense fog prevailing at
the time induced Pilot Jordan to bring
her to anchor until ne could see his
way clear through the gateway. She
laid-to until about 4:30 o'clock this
morning when the atmosphere cleared
and she was started under slow steam
TOWARD Point Bonita. All went we'll
until $50 when she struck. Most of
the passengers were below at the time
End it is believed that many of them
were drowned in their berths.
The first news of the disaster reach
Cd here at 7:30 o'clock this morning
and soon afterward a GOAT load of res
cued passengers and petty officers ar
rived at the mail dock.
Tugs were Immediately dispatched TO
rende any assistance that might be
needed, but no living persons were
ahoat when they reached the wreck.
a number of drowning peOpl were
rescued by Italian fishermen and the
bodies Of two white women. three Chi
neSe and a Japanese were brought in
by the tugs. The search for victims
has continued all day.
The officers were cool and gave the
necessary orders with the least posi-
BILE excitement
Captain Ward. who was on deck
when the vessel struck. at once gave
order to the crew on watch to hurry
passengers TO the forward deck. The
quartermaster on duty unde the
signal for fire drill and within five min
ulS all the men were at their stations,
AThe captain gave orders to lower the
AfehCqtS and liferaftS.
- There was not much until,
fifteen minutes after striking. the bow
of the vessel suddenly plunged under
water. Then there was q wild rush for
the boats. Two beats mad already been
lowered and others were getting away
as rapidly as the trained discipline Of
the crew could repar them. 4 thick
fog enveloped everything. and as yet
no signs had come from the l~ife-saVing
stations. Darkness was all about, and
with this added horror the people on
the Rio had to cope.
One boat got clear of the vessel with
out damage. 1t contained: Mrs. West,
Mrs. Ripley, Chief Engineer Herlihey,
Second Officer COghlan. Frank Cramp'
J. r. Russell. StoTekeeDer BorSg,
Water Tender D. Lane Q~uartermaster
r. Matthieson and CAPTAIN Hecht. OF
the German army. This boat got clear
of the sinking vessel and then stood by
to help in picking UP those who he'd
not time to get into the boats and
were in the water.
Another boat containing Third Off
Deer Holland and j. K. Carpenter, got
: away, but was drifted around close UP
under the bow of the steamer As the
forward end of the vessel plunged
downward. the PROV caught the small
boat and cut it in two. The two men
ia the boat were uniniured n swan
away. Carpenter was picked up but
IJorr--l - cr,nnOC0I 70 hova nnriShP6
a number of Italian fishermen who
were just starting out this morning,
saw the sinking of the Rio and hasten
ed to render assistance.
Meantime many of the terrified peo-
pie rushed to the ratings ana jumped
overheard. Some. were picked UP,
others drowned. The Chinese crew,
numbering a, was terrorized. Many
jumped into the sea-
Captain Ward remained on deck un-
til the vessel had settled and the
water was engulfing him. Then he
went up on the bridge to issue direc-
tons.
That the steamer sank almost lmme-
diately after striking is the report of
kajority of those rescued
The wreck lies about three-fourths OF
a mile south of Fort Point II about
LOCO yards off the rocky shore. The
smokestack and a portion of the upper
work Of the Inflated steamer are visi-
BILE.
Three survivors say that they saw
Captain Ward to the last. but Freder-
lex Lindstrom. the Guartermaster OF
the Rio, emphaticallv declared Jha'
Captain War1 erou'atnS 6mir Try
on. of her British majesty's shi~
toria, in going down ~ ais cabin we
he met his doom behind a locked door.
Quartermaster Officer Lindstron
vac one of the first to land. Accord
ings to his story, CAPTAIN Ward, afte
consulting with Pilot Jordan cam'
down from the bridge. He was stand
ing on the deck when the vessel crash
ed upon the rock. There was a cry o
Man the boats" but it was apparen
that in the midst of the awful confu
sion a systematic effort to save tn
passengers would be of no avail
Everybody was scrambling for his owl
safety.
It was at his time that Lindstron
says he saw CAPTAIN Ward standing o.