The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-23
BIG STEAMER
FOUNDERS.

FUUNDEKN.
~ San Francisco, Call, Feb. e.
Ayllile out Of her course in q dense
fog the Pacific MaiLsteamer Rio lie
sJaneiro ran on a hidden rCck While
entering the Golden Gate cary this
morning. She sank a few minutes
after striking. About $50 persons
were drowned but IL 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.
The most prominent passenger on
the steamer was; RolnScville Wilt-
man, United States Consul at Hong
kong, who was accompanied by his
wife and two children. All were
drowned. The ship was in command
of Pilot Frederick Jordan when she
struck. Jordan was res Scued but
Captain William Ward went down
with his vessel.
AS nearly as can be learned there
We're pa on board the Rio De Janero
as follows:
Cabin passengers, %; second cabin,
I: steerage Chinese and Japanese),
So: officers and crew, 40.
The following have been accounted
for:
Rescued, 10; bodies at the Morg lie,
10: total, 80. Missing l45.
The Rio De Janeiro was three days
overdue from Hongkong 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 lay to until 4.30 O'Clock this
morning when the atmosphere cleared
and she started under u slow bell
toward Point Ronita. All went well
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
bcrtbS.
The first news Of the disaster
reached here at 80 O'Clock this
morning and soon aftelward Il boat
load of rescued passengers and petty
officers arrived at the mail dock.
Another boat containing Third Of-
ticer Holland and j. X. Carpenter,
got away, but was drifted around
close up under the bow Of the steam
cr AS the forward end of the vessel
plunged downward the PROV caught
The small boat and cut it in two. The
two men in the boat were uninjured
and swan away from the sinking
steamer just in time to avoid being
canght in the swirl of wafer caused
by the settling of the big ship. Car
penter was picked up by the other
boat. The fate of Holland is not
known but he is supposed to have
perished.
A number Of fishermen who were
lust starting out this morning saw
the sinking of the Rio and at once
FASTENED to render every assistance
II theil power.
While all this was going on Cap
tain Ward was directing the paSsen-
gers and trying to keep them from
panic. He succeeded only partially,
as many of the terrified people rush.
ed to the ratings and jumped over
board. Some of these were picked
up, others were drowned. The
Chinese crew, to the number Of more
than 100, was tcrroriZed. Some of
them huddlcd in little groups chat
tering in fear. Others crouchcd
close to the deck, moaning pitifuily.
Many jumped into the sea.
Captain Ward remained on deck
until the vessel had settled to such
an extent that the water was en-
quilting him. Then he went up on
the bridge and from there continued
to issue his directions, although by
this time the confusion was 50 great
that few paid any attention to his
commands.
That the steamer sank almost im-
medately after striking is the report
of a majority of those rescued. Some
Of the passengers say that she in
Sldnlly liSlcu lbINdlu anu tlIdG Ill
five minutes she went down while
others declare that she stayed atloat
for half an hour after she struck.
The confusion occaSioncd by such an
incident is intense and it is not sur
prising to find that there is lack of
unanimltv as to the length of time
the vessel remained above water.
The Rio De Janeiro was launched
at Roach S yard, Chester, Pa, March
6, 1878. Her twin sister ship, the
City of Para, was launched April 6
following, and distinguished rarty
witnessed the baptism of the splen-
did vessel from the deck Of the Rio
de Janero. The latter was lying at
the dock under the Shears at Roach
and capitalists and statesmen and the
fni Shing touches to her joiner work.
On board were President Hayes and
Cabinet, Roscoe Conklin, John Roach
and capitalists and statesmen from
New York and Washington.
A NIGHT OF kTERROR
"Awfui anxiety was fel for the widow
of Ihe bruya Gsuefnl Durham OF Machia5,