The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-15
SPIRIT OF CAPTAIN WARD many TOSAIL THIS week.
SAID TO HAVE LOCATED THE
RIO.
Strange Story of the Alleged Discovery
of the Wreck of Large Vessel Per-
haps the Rio.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 6.-Captain
Ross, one of the most competent wreck
ers on the Pacific Coast is the latest
claimant to the Rios discovery. In the
formal notice, which he will file to-
day in order to protect his interests in
the case, Captain Ross describes the
exact spot on the bay where he be-
leVes the Rio lies under the water
Soundings have been made at this
point, with the result of establishing
beyond a reasonable doubt that some
large vessel is resting on the rocks at
that portion of the bays bottom.
Whether or not it is the Inflated Rio de
Janeiro will probably be determined
tomorrow morning.
The notice filed is as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 1901.
The wreck of the City of Rio de
Janeiro lies in twenty to twenty-five
fathoms of water and on a line drawn
from Mile Rock to Fort Point and Point
Bonita Light House, bearing west one
half north, magnetic; another line
drawn from inside of knob on Bluff
Point, touching Covilla Point, to inter-
section of the first line.
And l hereby give notice to whom
1t may concern that 1 claim said loca-
ton as the position of the wreck and
that claim all rights belonging there
to in law or in equity.
JOHN ROSS.
Behind this formal statement of what
are alleged to be cold, hard facts, there
is a strange story of mysticism that
would at first seem to belong more to
romance than to reality. But if to-
morrow the divers find the Rio below
the spot marked on the chart by Cap
tain Ross this story remarkable as it
c wi ha in
The history of Captain Ross search for
the lost Rio is interviewer with the
history of an extraordinary psychic eX-
pertinent, in which the occult power of
woman is the principal feature. Those
directly concerned with the experiment
make some remarkable statements
They declare that discovery of the
steamers location has been made
through the efforts of departed spirits
and that an unseen hand marked on
the chart the position of the wreck.
Guided by this designation, it is claim
ed Captain Ross found the Rio. The
spirits of Captain Ward and Captain
Plummer it is alleged, unfolded to the
medium, Madame Young, the facts
connected with the loss of the China
steamer and declared that they would,
through her, locate the vessel. SO i'm
pressed was she with this Informal
ton from the dwellers in space that she
determined to act on the advice of the
! spirits and attempt to find the Rio.
Madame Young, said she proposed to
pay all the expenses of the quest and
wished to engage the services of Cap
tain Ross the latter readily consented,
| reservng his own private opinion of
! the outcome. Tackle and gear-a COM
! plete outfit-were purchased; steam
launches were chartered; several boat
men were hired and two divers were
! engaged to accompany the expedition.
/ Thus equipped, Ross, with his partner,
! Captain Sullivan, went out to the en-
trance of the harbor
! At 3 o'clock in the afternoon one of
| the graphing irons caught. Try as they
| would, the men could not raise ii with
| the burden attached. The curved piece
of metal was hard and fast in some
| thing that was certainly not a rock.
The men heaved the lead and when II
was pulled in something that looked
! like paint was visible. Other graphing
hooks were thrown down, this time with
better success. When the line was
hauled in it came, though slowly ano
only with much eXertion. The end
with the hook attached would recede
| from the boat when the line was tight
ened, showing that it was caught
around a rope. The boat followed un'
til many feet of the line had been haul
ed in, and then the hook apparently
reached some obstruction and held fast
Captain Ross says he knew at once
that the wreck of some large vesse
had been found. 1t remained only t
see if it were the one sought. By TIM
time it was so late in the day that t
send down divers was impracticable
Additional grapplers were lowered am
made fast in the rigging of the sub
merged craft. Captain Sullivan threN
the lead and found that the sunkel
hull lay in between twenty and twenty
five fathoms of water. Sounding
showed that the wreck was over 80
feet long and nearly forty feet wild
at one point. The Rio de Janeiro wa
345 feet in length and her breadth wa
thirty eight feet.
Tomorrow morning they will go t
the scene with divers.