Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-02-22
SUNK In
SIGHT OF LAND
The Steamer Rio de Janeiro Goes
to the Bottom Off the Golden
Gate.
MANY PEOPLE PERlSHED
The Captain Locked Himself in His Cabin
and Went Down with the Vessel
The Ship Sank in Twenty
Minutes.

san francisco, feDI IudIy 49, Ae
steamer Rio Jaaeiro struck ledge OF
rock while entering the Golden Gate,
and sunk in twenty minutes. AS far as
is known no lives were lost. There
were on board 20 cabin passengers, I
white steerage SIS Japanese and Chi
nese and crew of 140 men. There was
smoesh sea. 1t is thought that al
got of in smr ri boats.f4A Part OF The
crew and passenger have alread"
landed in towboats, the third boat full
of passengers is on the way to town.
Captain Ward was in command of the
steamer
Pilot Fred Jordan was picked up by
one of the boats. He is severely n
jured, and was removed to the hospital.
Nineteen Chinese are known to- have
been rescued. G. Hecht, a German Of
ficer, was rescued by the life-savinG
crew. He said he procured "a life pre-
server and jumped overheard. Captain
Ward superintended the launching OF
life boats and rafts.
The steamer had been lying off the
heads all night, an unusually heavy fog
preventing her entering the harbor. AT
5 o'clock this morning she weighed an
Choir, and headed for the city in charge
of Pilot Frank Jordan. Shortly after
ward the vessel struck a hidden rock
Pilot Jordan shouted for all on board
to take to the boats. Passengers and
crew alike sci iambled for the boats, ana
in their endeavor to escape from the
rapidly sinking vessel many jumr2d
overheard. Captain Ward had several
boats alongside, and the ladies of the
cabin and some of the gentlemen pas
sengers were placed in them. The boats
We're manned by part of the crew. AS
far as known but three ships boats left
the vessel. On board of the Rio were
29 cabin passengers, $50 steerage pas
sengers and crew of 140. Tugs and
other small boats put out for the scene
of the disaster, and already are arr.v-
ing with the rescued. There is an un-
verified rumor that Consul Wildman, of
Hong Kong, and son were drowned |
The following is the list of known |
saved Mrs. X. West, Mrs. Reilly, Miss |
Lehrmann, J. X. Carpenter, Oakland, |
Cal, capitalist; Captain Hecht, of the |
German navy: William Caspar, Toledo,
o.; r. H. Long, Honolulu; Freigh.
Clerk Englehart, Chief Engineer Hur
ley, of the Rio; Second officer Cogh-
Ian, Carpenter F. K. Tramp. The YES
1T is positive that the list of fatalities
will be large. The vessel is almost COM
pletely submerged. 1t is reported that
Captain Ward locked himself in the
state room and went down with the
vessel.
1t is certain that Captain Ward was
drowned, and Pilot Jordan is the only
living person qualified to tell exactly
how the catastrophe happened and who
Is responsible. The pilot says that after
the ship entered the heads and fog
enveloped her. he notified the captain
that 1T was unsafe to proceed, but the
latter ordered him to go ahead. The
captains order was obeyed. Some peo-
pie say that the officers and sailors waie
cool, and conscientiously endeavored to
get out the boats and save as many
passengers as possible, while others
declare that as soon as the seriousn a5s
of the situation became apparent thel>
was an end to discipline. Capt Wards
voice was heard above the din ordering
his men to save the women. In launch
ing the boats it is said confusion pre-
vailed, and one load was dumped into
the sea. Another boat was impaled up
on G. spar as the men aboard were try
ing to row 1t way from the suction
caused by the sinking vessel Fur
boats were cleared from the davits, but
as far as can be learned, only one got
safely away and landed passengers.
Italian fishermen rescued others. The
bodies of four Chinese and two white
women have been washed ashore. The
Rio is now entirely under water
MANY LIVES LOST.
San Francisco, Cal, February 90
Th~ number of lives lost in the wreck
of the Rio are variously estimated at
from fifty to 150. Consul Wildman, wife
and two children have not been seen
since the vessel struck. The purser.
John Rooney, Is missing, with all Ills
papers. One of the rescued passengers
expresses the belief that the loss of the
vessel was caused by an explosion of