The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-02-28
MANY SOULS IN BRINY DEEP
Steamship City Of Rio de Janeiro
Strikes Rock and Goes Down.

swirl of water caused by the settling
of the big ship. Carpenter was picked
up by the other boat. The fate OF
Holland is not known.
A number of italian fishermen who
were starting out saw the sinking Of
the Rio and fastened to give all the
assistance in their power. While all
this was going on Captain Ward was
directing the passengers and trying to
keep them from panic. He succeeded
only partly, as many OF the terrified
people rushed to the railing and jump
ed overheard. Some of these were
picked up, others were drowned.
The Chinese crew, to the number OF
over a hundred were terrorized. Some
of them huddled in little groups. chat
tering in fear. Others crouched close
to the deck mourning pitifully. Many
jumped into the sea.
Captain Ward remained on deck un-
til the vessel had settled to such an
extent that the water WAS engulfing
him. he then went up the bridge and
from there continued to issue his di-
rections.
That the steamer sank almost imme-
diately after striking is the report of q
majority of those rescued. Some of
the passengers say that she instantly
listed forward and in five minutes she
went down, while others declare that
she stayed afoat for half an hour after
she struck.
There are several conflicting stories
concerning the fate of Captain Ward.
The steward of the Rio says that he
stood beside the captain when the ves-
sci went down. Two other survivors
say that they also saw the captain to
the last, but Frederick Lindstrom,
quartermaster officer of the Rio, en-
phatically declared that Captain Ward
emulated Admiral Trion, of H..M. s..
Victoria, in going down to his cabin,
where he met his doom behind locked
door. According to his story, Cap
tain Ward, after consulting with Pilot
Jordon, came down from the bridge.
He was standing on the deck when the
vessel crashed upon the rock.
There was cry of ''Man the boats, "
but it was apparent that in the midst
of the awful confusion a systematic
effort to save the passengers would be
of no avail. Everybody was scrambling
for his own safety. It was at this time
that Lindstrom says he saw Captain
Ward standing on the forward deck.
Suddenly ths captain turned and walk
ed hurriedly to the cabin, disappeared
behind the door, which he closed. a
second later the vessel was plunging
to the bottom of the sea.
THE Pilots STORY.
Captain Frederick W. Jordan, the
pilot of the Rio, was rescued by an
italian fishing boat. To the customs
officials he told the following story:
Z "We anchored about 5 o'clock last
isight. The weather was thick, and I
Rleft orders that when the weather
cleared we should 60 farther in.
cat 5 a. m. the fog lifted. We
could see the cliff house and the north
end light, and I told the mate to heave
short. After we started heaving short
the wind came in from the northeast,
and the fog settled in thick, and I told
the mate to stop heaving. Then the
captain came up and said:
"sLet her go. We can go ahead.
ssYou see, my watch stopped at $40.
When the vessel struck I ordered all
the boats out. The first boat out was
half filled with water no sooner than
she struck. I got ladder and placed
woman on it and we began to de-
scend. She had boy of eight years,
whom I held in my arms. The woman
and were about half way down the
ladder when the Rio gave tremen-
dous pitch. I was flung off the ladder.
IT saw nothing after that of the
woman or the boy. Invent down with
the ship about fifty feet. worked my
way up to the surface and got hold OF
some wreckage. had sense enough
left to turn on my back and drift with
the wreckage.
ssThen I came across what seemed to
me the top of house with Chinaman
on it. He helped me to Chamber onto
the roof, and with him I drifted out
toward the north heads. I was then
rescued by the fishing boat"