The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-03-05

ed and the big vessel steamed slowly
against the strong tide. passing Point
Lobos. Lands End and the Mile Rock
on IN toward Fort Point, when, as sud
denly as ii had lifted, the fog came
down and wrapped sea, sky and land in
an impenetrahle Veil.
AT 5:as as she was drifting almost aim
lessly, the steamer struck with her star
board bow on hidden rocks, then slowly
settled back and slid Off into deep wa
ter which closed over her topmest
point, and now lies so well hidden that
Notwithstanding the search continued all
day by hundreds of boats her location
remains one of the mysteries OF the Gate,
as does the exact place where she met
her destruction
Captain Fred Jordan, better known
among his fellow pilots and sea captains
as Little Jordan" who has long borne
the reputation of being the luckiest pilot
on The bay was on the bridge, bur WITH
the envelopine fog and the strong ehb-
tide fortune forsook him and he lost
/ his bearings Exactly where the snip
struck Jordan does not know. He thinks
II was on Fort Point ledge but 1t was
all over SO quickly that he had little
| time TO think before he found himself
! in the water cinging to a plank in com
pany with one of the Chinese crew.
! The first information to reach shore
was when frightened Italian hshef-
man. who could scarcely tell his story,
rushed into the Bakers Beach I4ife-Sav-
ing Station and announced that a big
ship had sunk in the bay. The WORD
was pa sSed along to other stations, and
soon the rescuing boats shot from the
shore to help those who might be found
! struggling in the water. Little couid
be done however. on account of the
darkness and the heavy fog which still
hung close to the water. No sound came
to the searchers and not a cry for help
was heard by the anxious ones who
were striving to render assistance. the
suction of the sinking vessel had by
! this time siIenced those who were In
the water, while those who had secured
places on wreckage were too much ex-
hausted to call for aid.
| As daylight drew on the fog lifted and
. then the search was renewed and con-
, tinued until nightfall but the results
were nearer Twenty-scven whites and
Ihfty-sx Chinese were brought ashore
alive ont of the 2l0 who had expected to
greet their welcoming friends at the
, wharf yesterday morning. Small bits OF
broken planking strewed the vicinity OF
! the wreck and foated with the chang
ling tide, leaving grewsome trail from
Lands End up through Raccoon straits
to the Berkeley shore
| Mail bags rose from the Jagged hole
I'm the ships side and We're tempting
hHits for those ghouls who always flock
to the scene or disaster, TWO OF the
bags which bore the tag Registered"
were cut open and rifed of their con-
tents Whitehalls, gasoline fishing
launches, small sloops and smacks how
cred about the scene all day long, their
owners picking up such flotsam and Jet
sam as could be found and then hurry
frp AWAY 10 hide the nrizes before they
were discovered and their BOOTY taken
from them But out of the immense
carpo Of silks, onium and other mer
chandlsc, valued II is said, at million
and half dollars, probably not 800
worth reached the surface.
Tho first news Of the disaster reached
the Merchants Exchange through n tel
ephone message from NJ ]. Fitzgerald,
marine reporter Of the Exchange at
Meiges' wharf Fitzgerald was standing
on the edge ~ the wharf peerlng ont
into tho fog for some trace OF the over
due Chine steamer when, at 7;40 o'clock,
he was startled tn see n boatload NJ
ithinly clad people approaching the dock.
In moment the name OF the steamer
was discernihle on the bow OF the life
lhoat and the awful truth dawned upon
Fitzgerald that the Rio had been wreck
20 The tidinEs was Mashed m town.