The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-02-28

THE GREAT MARINE DISASTER
MAP showing where City of Rio de ia
metro went down in entering San Fran
cisco harbor.l
Purser Rooney. Among them was the
passenger list and bunch of Cancelled
passenger tickets, and as there were
names on the list whose cancelled pas
senger tickets did not appear among
those recovered it is assumed that they
laid over either at Yokohama, Kobe or
Honolulu. That they were not on the
vessel at the time it went down is GER
tain.
Thus far only IL bodies have been
recovered, six whites, four Chinese and
one Japanese.
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 variously estimated at from
100000 TO 100000. The cargo con-
sisted principally of silk, tea, rice and
other oriental products. There was no
treasure aboard, as was at first re-
ported.
Cannot Raise Vessel.
In response to further questions
Mr.. Schwerin stated that he did not
think there was the slightest chance
of raising the vessel.
The wreck of the City of Rio de
Janeiro, which for awhile hung on
a pinnacle of the rock where she
struck in the Golden Gate so that
parts of her upper works were Wis
ible, soon slid off into deep water
and is now entirely out of sight.
A Dangerous Point.
Fort Point, where Pilot Jordan
claims the vessel struck, marks the
narrowest point of the entrance to
the bay and is usually given a wide
berth by mariners. The tide here
runs very swiftly and at times has
swirling motion.
Off Fort Point lie several sunken
rocks, forming a dangerous ledge on
the southerly edge of the fair way
channel of the Golden Gate, but close
under the shore.
There is a light on top of the fort
and fog bell. but the latter cannot be
heard far when a westerly wind is blow
ing.
The Pilot.
Capt. Frederick w. Jordan, the pilot
who was in charge of the Rio de Janeiro
when she went on the reef and sank.
is man little past middle life, and
has been a master mariner on this coast
for over 20 years. He came from the
Atlantic coast. Previous TO being APP
pointed pilot about ~ years ago, Jor-
dan was in command of the Wellington,
Bristol and other colIieries still plying
between this port and Puget sound.
He was a remarkably successful navi-
gator. and never before had any notable
misfortune.
He declares that the loss of the
steamer could not have been foreseen.
According to his story the vessel drift
ed half mile broadside in the fog that
enveloped the Rome-bound steamer
like pail. and no man could have
judged either the direction or the We
locity of the invisible current that
changed her course and sent her on the
Fort Point ledge.
Fate of the wTIdman Family.
San Francisco, Feb. 25.-Quartermas-
ter Lindstrom, of the steamship Rio,
who was the last white man to leave
the ship, said that Consul General Wild
man lost his life and caused the death
of his wife and children by remaining
on board long after he could have gone
in boat. The captain offered the Wild
mans first chance in the boats, but Mrs.
Wildman refused to go without her
husband. Later Wildman urged her to
60, and she was preparing to get into
boat when the ship sank.
Another Omcer Saved.
j. C. Holland, third officer of the
Rio de Janeiro, who on the day of
the wreck was among the missing,
has reported, to the surprise and de-
| light of his friends, unframed. 1t is
not known how he became numbered
with the dead further than that after
| the boat sank he did not report his
escape to any of the officers of the
steamship company. He was on the
wharf and around the beach when
| the disaster occurred, but his pres
I ence was not noted. After the Rio
struck upon the reef, Holland assist
ed Capt. Ward in getting the pas
sengers into the lifeboats. He and
the captain walked aft together on
the starboard side, and just as they
reached the saloon the boat gave a
lurch and disappeared beneath the
water. Holland was carried down by
the suction, but managed to secure
hold of life preserver, which assist
! ed him to rise to the surface, but not
until he had been almost strangled
by the salt water. Being an expert
swimmer he succeeded in keeping
afoat until picked up by an Italian
fisherman.
| Flags at HaIf-Mast.
London, Feb. 25.-'SThe news of the
loss of the Pacific Mail steamship Rio
de Janeiro caused profound sensation
There says the Hong-Kong correspond