The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-23
PACIFIC LINER SINKS Mail Steamer Rio de Janeiro Wrecked at Entrance of
 the Golden Gate.
ABOUT 122 PERSONS PERISH
U. s. CONSUL WILDMAN PROBABLY
 AMONG THE LOST.

Also His Wife and Two ChiIdren-Ai
 Nearly as Known 2O1 Souls Were
 Aboard the Ship When she Went
 Down-shc Was from the Orient and
 Struck Hidden Rock While Enter
 ing San Francisco Harbor.
 San Francisco, Feb. 22.-The Pacific mail steamer Rio de Janeiro ran on a hidden rock while entering the Golden Gate early this morning Tn dense fog. She sank a few minutes after striking. It is thought that perhaps 150 persons were drowned, but it is impossible to ascertain 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 steam CT was Rounseville Wildman, United States consul at Hong Kong. who was accompanied by his wife and two chil- dren. It is thought all were drowned. The ship was in command of Pilot Fred erick Jordan when she struck. He was rescued. Captain William Ward went down with his vessel
 The, latest figures place the loss at 122 persons. most of whom were Chinese and Japanese. As near as can be learn ed there were 201 people on board the Rio de JaneirO, as follows:
 Cabin passengers, 29; steerage (Asiat- ic), 5S; second cabin, 2; white officers, 30; Asiatic crew, 77. The saved num- Der seventy-nine, classified as follows: Cabin passengers, 12; white officers, Il; steerage (Asiatic), 15; crew (Chinese), Al. The number lost is 122, classified as follows: Passengers, 24; officers 19; crew (Chinese), 36; steerage (Asiatic), AS.
 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 he 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 bell toward Point Bonita. All went we'll until $40 o'clock, when she struck. Most of the passengers were below at the time and it is believed that many of them were drowned in their berths. The first news of the disaster reached here at 7:30 o'clock this morning, and soon after ward "a boatload of rescued passengers and petty officers arrived at the mail dock Tugs were immediately dispatch ed to render any service that might be needed, but no living persons were af1oat when they reached the wreck.
 number of drowning people were rescued by Italian fishermen, and the bodies of two white women, three Chi nese and Japanese were brought in by the tugs. The search for victims has continued all day.
 From all accounts it appears that the officers were cool and gave the neces- sary orders with the least possible ex- | citement. Captain Ward, who was on deck when the vessel struck, at once gave orders to the crew. on watch to hurry the passengers to the forward deck At the same time the quarter master on duty sounded the signal for fire drill, and within five minutes all
 
 There was no way of telling the extent of the damage to the vessel, as she re- mained on an even keel for fifteen min utes after striking. But Captain Ward, with the instinct of long experience, knew that the gravest danger threaten ed the two hundred souls in his charge, and he gave orders to lower the life boats and life rafts. There was not 1Sin . after striking the bow of the vessel suddenly plunged under water Then there was a. wild rush for the boats Two boats had already been lowered and others were getting away as rap idly as the trained discipline of the crew could prepare them. A thick fog en- . veloped everything and no sign had i come from the life saving station. i Darkness was all about, and with this added horror the people on the Rio had to cope. One boat got clear of the vessel. This $ contained the following persons: Mrs. i West Mrs Ripley Chief Engineer Her. i lihey, Second Officer Coghlan, Frank i Cramp, J. R. Russell, Storekeerer ( Borgg, Watertender D. Lane, Quarter f master R. Mathieson and Captain I f1ecHI, OI lIle 1eIIudu navy. InlS DOdC got clear of the sinking vessel and then stood by to help in picking up those who had no time to get into the boats and were in the water. 9 Another boat, containing Third Officer I Holland and J. K. Carpenter got q away but were drifted around close up Q under the bow of the steamer As the q forward end of the vessel plunged a downward the prov caught the small a boat and cut it in two. The two men r In the boat were uninjured and swan q away from the sinking steamer just in time to avoid being caught in the swirl of water caused by the settling of the big ship Carpenter was picked up by g. the other boat. The fate of Holland is .' not known, but he is supposed to have S perished. A number of Italian fisher il men who were just starting out this W morning saw the sinking of the Rio and h