Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-23
CONSUL WILD
MAN IS LOST
WHOLE FAMILY GONE TO A
WATERY GRAVE.
COMING HOME FOR VACATION
RIO JANEIRo HIS FAvoRITE SHIP
LED OTHERS TO SAIL WITH
HIM TO DEATH.
COMING HOME FOR VACATION

New York. Feb. 23.-Friends Of United
States General Wildman, who left his
post at Hong Kong on a leave of absence
and embarked on the City of Rio de
Janeiro, have little hope of his having
escaped. His brother, Edwin Wildman,
who is now in this city, and who was
formerly vice-consul under Rounsevile
Wildman in Hong Kong, is still cherish
ing the belief that the consul general and
his family may have taken a lifeboat
which has blown out of the harbOr ana
that they may yet be heard FROM Mr..
and Mrs. Edwin Wildman, who are nov
at the Everett House, communicated with
San Francisco after the news reached
the city, and spent the day in a vain
hope that some definite news of the
missing family might arrive. Mr.. Wild
man was in a very despOndent mood
last night.
There can be no doubt" said he,
that my brother was on the vessel. Be
sides the fact that his name is mention
ed in the stories of the disaster, / re-
ceived only short while ago, a letter
from him saying that he and his family
were going to sail on the Rio January
%. The other evening I dined with Third
Assistant Secretary of State Cridler and
he also had a letter from my brother
SdN luS uS WOulu SdIl Ou JANUARY u.
1T is remarkable thing that this
steamship was my brothers pet and he
always made it a point to sail on her
while crossing the Pacific. When l was
last in Hong Kong he wanted me to sail
on her too-he was so fond of her. I
sailed however, last November on the
Coptic. The Rio de Janeiro was the old
est and smallest vessel Of the line and
1 preferred to sail on a large and modern
ship. My brother would take the trouble
to miss steamer in order to go on th,N
ship.
Captain William Ward, commander of
the ship, was reputed to be about the
most popular officer in the employ of the
line. The fact that he was in charge of
the vessel induced a good many to sail
on her. My brother was a great friend
of Captain Ward.
'On this trip he took the entire family,
consisting of his wife, his two children,
Rounsevlle Wildman, Jr., years old,
and Dorothy, years old. They also had
with them Katie O'Brien. the children s
nurse whom they took out from San
Francisco several years ago. My brother
has worked very hard and he and his
family have been under strain since
those troublesome times in China.
He was much in need of a leave of
absence and thought that the health of
the children would be benefited by a
change. l understand he was to have
returned to Hong Kong in about three
months. / expected to get telegram
from him upon the arrival of the vessel.
telling me whether he would come on to
New York or whether l should go to
Washington. which was his real destina-
ton, to meet him."
Mr. Widman said that his brother had
left Vice Consul William Aldrich, a
brother-in- law, in charge of affairs while
he sailed for this country.
Mr.. Wildman said that Mrs. Rounse-
vile Wildman was a nd-daughter of
the late Lucius Foote, the war governor
of Missouri, who had to leave that state
because of his strong unionfst sympathy
and went to San Francisco. where he
afterwards became United States SEN
ator. His son. w. w. FOOte, Mrs. Wild
mans uncle, is now in that city.