The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-21

confined at a great depth and away
from the jackals of the sea.
NO DOUBT NOW FELT.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 13-The
corpse that fioated ashore Friday aft
ernoon at Fort Baker, near SausalitO,
and was taken from the water by sol
diers, has been identified beyond doubt
as the body of Captain William Ward,
who commanded the luckless steamship
| Rio de Janeiro when she struck the
sunken rocks at the entrance of San
Francisco bay and went down nearly
IL months ago. The number and de-
scription of the watch found on the
/ body agrees with the record of sale
made to Captain Ward by Shreve & Co.
| OF this city on December 10, 1900, only
few days prior to the last sailing
| date OF the Rio from this port. The
truss found about the body was sold
| to Captain Ward about the same time
by Volkers & Co. w. T. Hams. an en-
pIoye, remembers making the sale to
the Rios commander.
Almost every circumstance connect
ed with the finding of the body was
strong evidence TO support the identifi-
cation made yesterday. and it Is be-
lieved that 1t has been confined at
some depth during the year and half
that has elapsed since the catastrophe
occurred. Otherwise the remains
would not have remained intact and
the clothing that was found would
have been destroyed. There was moth
ing left to tell the story other than
the watch, the clothing and the truss.
E'he action of the water and decom-
position had completely disfgured the
body.
Many people discussed the account
of the finding of the body, as publish
ed in yesterdays paper. before the
work OF identification had been COM
pleted, and it was the consensus OF
opinion that it was the missing sea
captain. Purser Allen of the Pacific
Mail steamer Newport, stated that he
knew Captain Ward well, and remem- |
bered that he purchased new watch
when in San Francisco last. He had |
known him for years. Miss Nicall. who
is an employe in the office OF the /
steamship company, remembers having |
a conversation with Captain Ward a (
few days after he made the purchase,
when he presented her with the fob
that he had worn for years attached 10
his watch chain.
Captain Ward was a prominent Free
Mason and a noble of the Mystic
Shrine He was member of Califor-
lia Lodge, No. /, which organization
will have charge of the fu-
leral arrangements Il
Coroner Eden of Marin county, who
las the remains in charge, has post
'oned the inquest until Monday, when {
large number of witnesses are ex-
ected to be present and identify the
ody according to law. Yesterday aft
rnoon a woman who failed to give her r
anne called on the coroner and re- +
uested to see the body, stating that
he was certain that she could identify c
by the hand. When told that the c
and had been eaten away she made Y
frIv n off 90 f1e. rat
aimed that she had been an intimate
lend of Captain Ward, and had made p
'equent trips on his vessel. Her resi- o
ence, she said. was in Hongkong. The g
nknown woman offered to be present c
nd testify at the inquest on Monday. II
s yet Captain Wards relatives have n
ade no effort TO take charge of the a.
,dy. y
THE BODY UNCLAIMED. h
SAN FRANCISCO, July 14-Unless Il
e relatives or friends of Captain Will NJ
am Ward, late master of the Rio de le
Lneiro, put in some claim for his body, III
oroner Eden of Marin county says
at he will be obliged to lay away the
mains in the potter's field AS yet no
rson has put forward any claim for re
e body, although it has been in the sc
ssession of the coroner since Friday 81
ternoon. Decomposition has set in to in
ch an extent that it is impossible to n
ep the remains much longer, and the 90
rial must take place inside of two -
US at the limit.
II is hoped by the coroner that at the VI
quest today some representative of y
e Ward family or some of the de- pi
ased Captains friends will appear Or
d give some directions for the inter at
ent of the remains. Otherwise, on RI
iesday, in pursuance of his official ia
ty, Eden will be obliged to lay the te
dy away on public grounds. Up to hi
= present time, with the exception NJ
one woman, not a single person has -,
led at San Rafael either to identify
tbougbt however that friands or gu
atives of the deceased will be pres Ws
at the inquest. We