The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 23, 1901, Page 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1901. VIVID TALES OF SURVIVORS STARTLINGLY GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF SCENES ATTENDING THE WRECK James K. Carpenter of Oakland and Freight Clerk Englehardt of the Rio de Janeiro Tell of Attempts of Officers and Crew of the Doomed Steamer to Save the Passengers Under Their Charge —_— FILDMA known in this ections editor- or some years of the nd Monthly, and ntry for the pr nt the ev immediately owing at Hongkong. Batavia, New s fa pre: and in that > common Genesee University. west, and set- e editor of the he conducted 1 years. to Congress, his efforts ted into the n President m Cons ing promoted on account of the very val- uable services rendered to the Govern- ment in connection with the Spanish war and the Philippine question. Mr. “Wild- man sent the first dispatch to the United States Government conveying the news of the destruction of ths Spanish fleet in manila Bay by Admiral Dewey on May 1598 1 was much admired by Admiral and as a testimonial of his friend- and appreciaticn that officer sent him the pennant of the Spanish warship Reina Christina for a memento of the vic- tory. He was also a personal friend and had great influence with Aguinaldo, the 1o leader, who wus a great admirer he plucky and wide-awake American. During the more recent Chinese troubles Mr. Wildman's services were of great value to this Government and were high- appreciated at Washington. He only lately resigned his post as Consul Gen- eral at Hongkong and was on his way with his wife and family. His wife Letty Aldrich of this city, to was married shortly before he for Singapore in 1889. Her mother as a Miss Foote, sister of W. W. Foote, d' of M Stewart. wife of Senator wart of Nevada. Mrs. Wildman leaves her mother, who resides at the n, two brothers, William, who went Hongkong a year ago as assistant to Wildman, and Stewart, who is in the office in this city, and a ter Vir- nia, the wife of Dr. Biddle of Stockton. ship home g | | | | | | - Dr. O'Neill. Ship's Surgeon. (Rescued.) RAVES OF WRECK WHILE LYING ON A BED OF PAIN Russell Harper, a Newspaper Corre- spondent of Honolulu, Rescued, but Is in a Very Serious Condition. wspaper corre- Keeler 1 corps | Dr = patient ~ “Harper is in a bad condition,” sail| Dr. Wemple yesterday, “and he must b. Kept quiet for the next two or three day Wemple, refuses to all him to be WIFE OF FIRST MATE JOHNSON NEARLY INSANE a compound fracture of the right leg and | racted e Wanders Along the Water F t in Search of ddition !s badly bruiséd about ths 7. " and head. He does not seem to reai News Till Late at his condition. He talks wildly of the wreck and becomes s0 excited that there of collapse. Rest and quiet arc now most requires.” he talk with you concerning the was asked incoherent way,” replied Dr. “He kept mumbling something 1ip’s offlcers not attempting fe boa until after the washing over the deck. menced calling out for some to the plank and not give | ’ hold on, for | Night. 5. considerable dificulty Ir cald Dr. Wemple in con- circumstances will R. HOLTZ TELLS j HOW HE ESCAPED | FROM DROWNING | Shanghai Merchant Graphically De- scribes His Experience in the ‘Wreck of the Steamer Rio de Janeiro. R. Holtz, a merchant cabin passenger on the Rio de Janeiro, tells a graphic story of his escape. He 1s at present at the California Hotel. *‘I heard the noise and knew that some- | thing was the matter. I did not think, however, that it could be anything seri- | ous, and, to tell you the truth, I took my | time about dressing. When I got up on | deck, 1 was told to put on a life preserver by my comrade, Captain Hecht, and was | ready for the worst. All this time I did | not think that it was anything serious, but I soon saw I was mistaken. All of a | sudden the ship gave a sudden lurch, and I had just time to put my foot on the ral of the vessel when I found myself launched into the water. “I went down with the ship, and in some way 1 was held with ropes. I got a terrible smash on the head, and the) I came up to the top of the water. 1 swam to a capsized boat that three Chi- | namen were holding on to. I got hold of the boat and held myself up. The water was awfully cold, and I thought that 1 would die with the cold. A raft came | along_with Cantain Hecht and others on it. They hauled me on the raft and the boat was righted. We then all got in it and were soon after rescued by Itallan fishermen. A launch also came along and towed us ashore. We were taken to a wharf where they gave us dry clothes and something to eat. Ther treated us very | kindly and made us a3 comfortabl I possible,” of Shanghai, a repuiation Writs for FREE SAMPLE. WannNeR'S SAFE CURE Co. ROCHESTER, K. Y. i PURSER ROONEY’S WIFE DREAMED CF COMING DISASTER Kept Lonely and Despairing Vigil for the Ship Which She Feared Would Never Reach Port Again There were few incidents in connection with the wreck of the City of Rlo de Janeiro more pathetic than that associ- ated with the death of Purser Rooney of the ill-fated ship. The purser lived at Ocean View his wife and their two little girls. ilt for them a modest home over- the sea, and the only happy days of his life were spent there. Four day ago, when the City of Rio de Janeiro should have been in port, his wife was sorely troubled and distressed in mind. The night before she had dreamed that m had come to her husband and she took this message of the night as an omer ill will to her and her family. The next day in all eagerness she watched stern horizon for the coming of e ship. As night came on and she did not see it she became more anxlous, The vent again and with her lit- atched for the vessel that with o \r;«.m was the ship which bore her hus- and On the third day again she and when darkness came and no longer see out ers she went to her home with dread fastened upon her, and yesterday morn- ing she learned that in the blackness that | preceds the dawn the City of Rio de Janeiro had gone down at the Golden Gate, and that her husband was among the dead. Purser Rooney was one of the best known shipping men on the coast. He was employed In the capacity of purser for about thirty wyears; first for the Oceanic Company and then for the Pa- cific Mail Steamship Company. It had been his grave misfortune to have been on board three wrecked ships, the last of which became his coffin. He was purser of the San Pablo when she was lost. For many years he had served on the San Juan, but at the solicitation of his wife he urged thlat he be trans- ferred to the City of Rio de Janeiro, and yesterday morning he was returning from his first voyage on that vessel. MATHESON ON THE WAY HOME TO MEET A BROTHER English Victim of Wreck Who Had Had a Varied and Highly Suc- cessful Career in the Orient. NEW YORK, Feb. 22—Harry Cripps Matheson, who Is supposed to be among the victims of the Rio de Janeiro wreck, had been in China and Japan represent- ing Birch & Co. of London, an engineer- ing firm. when the legations were beleaguered and stopped in Tientsin, where he remained during the slege of that city, doing vol- nteer duty. After the allies had oce Hled Peking Mr.. Matheson went for his firm to Yokohama and Kobe, where he took the place of one of the partners, who was absent in London. - Taking the City of Rio de Janeiro, Mr. Matheson had igtended to visit a married brother in thisfkity, who is a newspaper man. He had been here several times and had friends here. Mr. Matheson was for many years in the employment of the Chinese Govern- ment, holding the rank of Mandarin. When he left the service of the Governor of Formosa the imperial authorities con- ferred upon him the insignia of the Dou- bie Dragon, the highest order to which foreigners are admitted. Mr. Matheson was about 40 years old and unmarried, his home being in Hen- don, near London, with his mother. He :'us bound thither when he left Yoko- ama. Photographs of Victims. The photographs of Rounseveile Wild- man, his wife and child, are from Taber's gallery, as is also the photograph of the ill-fated steamer. That of Captain Wil- llam Ward was taken by Thors. He | ere ships on the sea, but none | upon the | He was on his way to Peking | e - |1 i | | | | | | i i | | | i | | | | | | | | | Freight Clerk Englehardt. i (Rescued.) | Photo by Dorsaz, Oakland. | - i B3 REIGHT CLERK J. G. EN GLEHARDT of the Rio de Ja- neiro made the following state- ment yesterday at the Califor- nia Hotel: i “I_was working in my cabin | when the ship struck the rock. I gained the deck just as the ship was re- | ceding after the fearful blow. I thought that it was all off, and rushing down be- | low I secured all the ship's papers. I| kanded these papers to Purser Rooney for | | his guardians | ““When I returned on deck Captain Ward was superintending the lowering of the boats. There was no panic until the final | plunge of the ship. ‘The last I saw of | Consul Wildman was when I handed the | papers to Purser Rooney. Wildman was in the purser’s cabin. “The report that Captain Ward locked | himself in his cabin must be untrue. The last I saw of Captain Ward he was stand- | ing on the bridge and was tying the rope of the whistle to the rail. This was done to keep the whistle blowing all the time. I am sure that the ship sank so quickly that Captain Ward did not havei time to reach his cabin. “1 saw two men lowering a boat on the | stern of the s mship. I helped, and | turning around saw two women standing on the deck. I grabbed them and we lit- | | erally threw them in the boat. Som | others got into the boat, but I was excited | and wanted to get away. I just jumped | into the boat in time, when the ship be. gan to sink. We had'to row like mad to | get away from the spot as soon as pos. sible, as T knew that otherwise the suction would draw us down. | “After we had got away from the spot | the shin went down, and as sopn as the | water had quieted weo -fetmrned to the spot where the ship had sunk. We found two men on a life raft and hauled them into our boat. We came close upon another boat that was crowded with both men and women. I don’t know what hap- pened. but #here was an explosion and the boat upset and all were thrown into the water. The screams of these people were | terrible, We rowed to the spot where this BERRRRRRERRRER RRR R RERERRRR RRRRR RRRRE RRR RRRR RR R e boat upset, but there was not a trace of them anywhere. and I am confident that | they were all drowned. We also saw peo. ple on rafts. We shouted words of en couragement to them. Finding that they were getting exhausted ahd that we migh possibly drift out to sea we decided (o pull for the shore, where we landed. This wreck was the most awful exverience I ever want to go through. I think I shall always hear the shouts of those drowning people in my ears.” OF RESCUE TOLD BY A PASSENGER | William Brandon Jr. Describas Scen ‘ Aboard the Steamer and in the Water After She Sank. William Brandon Jr., a member of the London Stock Exchange and a cabin pas- senger of the Rio, tells a thrilling stor of his miraculous escape from death. Ho | is at present at the Occidental Hotel where he is confined to his bed from ex- | haustion and nervcous shock. “On Thursday night we cast ancher | outside the heads.” said Mr. Brandon | yesterday. ‘“‘Captain Ward told us that | he would not venture inside that even- ing, owing to the dense fog. He said that there was no use in going inside Golden Gate, as the hour was late and the cabin passengers would be unable to land | that night. He said that should the fog lift, however, he would move nto the bay | and lay off the quarantine station ready for the quarantine officers in the morg- ng. **f retired for the night and slept sound- ly until I was aroused by the shock of the ship striking the rock. 1 ran up on deck in my pajamas to find out what the trouble was.. = I was told by somebody that there had been an accident, but that it was nothing serio: A Mr. Carpenter, who was also a passenger, told me that he thought that the ship ‘was in bigger danger than was generally supposed, and advised ge to return to my cabin and dress. I rushed back to my stateroom, dressed, took my money and watch and put, them in my pockei, threw an over- coat over my arm and went back on deck. I walked aft of the ship and noticed Mr Wildman, the nurse and the two little Wildman children standing near the ster=. They were soon joined by Consul Wild- man, and from his actions he evidently was 'looking for some means to save hus family. He was looking over the side of the ship endeavoring to attract the at- tention of some sailors who were out in | a boat. I went to the side of the sHip | and saw that the boat was half full of | water and was commanded by Dr. O'Netl, the ship’s surgeon. Dr. O'Neil was in: structing the men in the boat to bail out the water. He also shouted to those on board the ship to throw down some buck- ets for the sailors to bail with. The scena at this time was beginning to get dra- matic. Several ladies appeared on the deck and began screaming for their hus- bands. The shiv, I also noticed then, was beginning to list badly to starboard. I moved forward a little in the direction of the bow and passed two ladles. Mr. Wakefield and Miss Wakefleld. To the best of my bellef they had life preservers on. “‘Consul Wildman was all this time with his wife and seemed perfectly cool. Cap- tain Ward made his appearance about this time and shouted to Dr. O'Neil to brin his boat in close to the ship. O'Nei shouted back that he could not do so as the boat was full of water. Captain War then took Mrs. Wildman, the nurse an the children to a boat that was lying alongside amidshin. 1 found a life pre- server lying on the deck and put it on, thinking tkat it was about time to be locking out for myself. About the time 1 had adjusted the life preserver the lhlg ve a sudden lurch forward, and then 'cund myself going down, down to the bottom of the sea. I can remember that 1 found myself struggling under the wat- er and also an instinct o save my A1 don't know why this feeling came over RN RERRY RRR RRRR RRRRERRR KRR RRRRR R RERE RRRY, REWY ER Ry, THRILLING STORY |a | that Harper's life preserver was holding | | otherwise ail right. B T D RERRRERRRERRERE RERRERE RRERREER RERRE RERRE ERERERR RERR REERERRERRR REREE RRE RERE RRER 5 Va&m'lm- s Many of the new styles are ready. The most popular have clusters of 4org small dots on a very light mesh. 25¢ to $1. yard. i [ EMPORIY GoldenRule Bazaar.M o CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST--AMERICA’S GRANDEST STORE The Soloist To=-Night Will be the pleasing soprano, Miss Olive o “Beyond the Gates Vail, who will s of Paradise.™ i Three Clothing Specials) for Saturday Only Men's §1250 Bluc Scrge Suils $8.95—Fast | color, perfect-fitting, stylish suits; pure worsted | and all silk sewn. Thete suits are made in the popular | round corner sack style and are guaranteed to be full | $12.60 value—as good as you can buy, anywhere at that price—special for to.day (Saturday) only.. .. Boys’ $5.00 Two-Pizce Suits $3.48 —Every suit guaranteed all wool; new spring patterns tweeds and cassimeres I grays, tans and browns; sizes forboys 8 to 16 years of age; regular’y rold by us at 2 jal Saturday only. . | Beaainm - $3.498 Roys' $750 Long-Pants Svits $4.95Fine- looking cheviots and cassimeres in new spring | co'orings--blues, browrs, grays, tans; guaranteed all wool; an excellent §7.50 value— | = .95 special Saturday only. Notions You’ll Specia! Values in Need To-Niorrow. Ladies’ Neckwear. Kid Curlers—Per dozen, , | 400 Lace Overcollars—In several very pretty | Curling Irons—Each patterns; regularly 25c each; are H 4 ] Curduroy Binding—Per yard ... 5@ and Z@ | Marked for to-day's eelling....... - 12¢ | Spkes in latest styles—Each_ .. .§@ t 500 (190 Windsor | Belt Buckles—New designs. 20 @ to $1.850 | Scarls — Good | Shell Badk Combs, new shapes..20¢ to $F | quality of silk | Locse Lock Pins, shell or amber. @ to 20€ in a full a- |- Machine Oil—Per bottle. . ... . ........ 8¢| sortment of | Large Cube Pins, 100 count—Euch. . pain colors, Nickel Safety Pins, 3 sizes—D:zen. .. and pretily | hemstirched, | are offired at epecial sale to- day oaly; rach ~19e 120 lace Co'- lars— Puint Ve Lace Revere Collars (like cut), Ina ! dark shae of cream; regu'ar price 85c each; special to-day only. . .. 47c Ladies’ Shield Bows—For high turn-down | collars (just received); in a large assortment $1.90 | o tarming paerns; are marked, Hump Hooks ani Eves, 2 cards. .. ... Cabinet Hairpins— Boxes 100 pns for. . .. g Saturday Specials. x Groceries, Liquors. Eges—Best fancy ranch; | H quay only, per dozen . . 18c Coffee—Our best Java ard Mocha; none bett-r at any price; regularly 35c lb.; to- 29¢ day on'y g LS S American Club Whiskey—R-gularly £2.50 gallon; untl closing time to- night, per gallofl . 25¢c McMullen's Stout—White labe'; the best | L?dg- e bottling; cial to-day, er | Ladies’ rde il an ‘rimme. v Py " S0 Stods, vit sic cni w0 e gy Rye Whiskey—Quart bottles of 1ich and mel- | bow or four-in-hand; each.. cl low Cream Rye $1.15; special to-day ugu'm% 90c Jardinieres and Umbrella Stands. | We place on sa'e to-¢ay on'y | » ome ~ third oif regular prices o d'fferent styles of the best makes of Eng ish Jardinieres and Um- brlia Stands. Thes: are lines where but two or | three of a kini are | left and samples; rez- | uar prices of Jar Hosiery- ‘ p thread Maco Cotton Hose; orf black, with unb'eached so’e or entire unbleach=d foot; high-splic=d heel, double sole; pair. .25¢ Ladies’ Extracted Polka Dot Hose, mnde ofL silk-finished, #xtra fine Maco cotton thread; many different combinations in fa:t, durable colew, - a7 ok 3 pais for $1.00; pir 35O | Children’s fine ribbed, import: hread Cot- ton Hose; double knee, heel and so'e; Herms- dorf back; assorted tans, cardinal, pink, tkv and waite; slzs 5 to 9'3; Y i 25¢ i | nieres range from | _ FaT....... 45 to §12.50 each | Children's Fast Black Cotton Hose—Fine | ind the Umirella| ribbed; seamls; double knees, heels and ; made of a superior quaity, double- twi ted Maco yarn; ressy and excellent wear- ing stxckings; a splendi value; sizes to 9%4; on sile to.day only; g B bane B ] Whiting’s Paper. Whiting's Satn Wove or Royal L'nen Paper, octav: or cemmercal €2 —pr @3 B rm pound . Stands from §5 To-day cn'y, ope-third cff | to f12.50 each. of marked prices. Special Sale Humboldt Cigars. To-day (Saturday) only, the 1214c :ize of the Humboldt Cigars will be sold— 250 l 3 for... 20¢ ' Half Price for Jackets, Dresses, Skirts. This the day of the sale. $7.50 Jackets aud Skirts, $3.75 $15.00 Jackers and Skirts, $5.00 $15.00 Dresses, 69c instead of $1.00 for New Flannelette Wrappens, lined waists, weil made, all sizes, reguacly $1.00, to-day (Saturday) 69¢ Corset Sale. Until_ closing time h PUPORRPERCRR PR R R e e R R P B R P R LR L L] Corsers, boned and finsly mad, standard makes, regu- larly from $1.00 to $1.50, special uneil closng time to-night— 69c. Special Sale of Men’s Handk’fs. A leading handkérchief importer, who desires to confine his business strietly to silk handkerchiefs, has closed out 10 us all that he had left in stock Men’s Cambric Handkerchiefs less than cost of manufacture. Thes= Handkerchicfs will be placed on sale to- day as fo AAAARAAAAAAAAARAARRANRAR ARAR AR A ARA s Lof I—About 500 dozsn Men's Whits Hem- stitched 10c Cambric Handkerchiefs, Ry SR g A N Sc Lot 2—About 430 dozen Men's Cord Edgs 20¢ Cambric Handkerchiefs at. ¥ 2 3 ror 25C Lot 3—About 270 dozen Men"s Hemstitched Cambric Handkerchicfi that are <, 104y 3 for 25C A Good Watch To- Day 83c. A thousand ALsAaR anaal of turned back, guaranteed for one sale to-day year, on sp=cia (Saturday ) 7 only, each 93c¢c. L4 = s bl N s A s A = = - s the Rio de Janeiro again. I did not like the boat the moment I stepped on her. Every day out she would lose time. I spoke to the captain about it, and he said he could not understand it. He sald that the ship ought to make 340 miles a day. but instead of that she would only make He said that something was the mat- and that he thought that her bottom very foul.” CAPTAIN WARD ENJOYED A MOST ENVIABLE RECORD Commanded Vessel on Which He Met His Death for Years and Was a Very Efficient Of- ficer. me, but T was thrown against things and | 1 thought I would never reach the bot-| tom. Then I found that I was struggling or dear life to free my right foot which | was entangled in a rope. I thought it was all up, but somehow I released my- self, and then I shot up and suddenly found myself on the surface of the water. My life preserver did not work well and I discovered it was only attached to my | ight arm, and seeing a section of the deck floating on the water I gradually | I coyld not get | able to hold on to The life preserver worked my way to it. on this raft, but I it and support my: yself. was now under my chin and I was afraid that it would get away altogether. “Just about this time Russell Harper, a cabin passenger, floated near to me. He ad a life preserver on, but he was com- plaining awfully, and appeared In great | He said that both his legs were | . I put out a hand and dragged | him te the wreckage. He was unable to take a good hold of the raft, so I grabbed him ard held him as long as I could. The current was running very strong and 1 found that I could not hold us both up, | s my left arm was giving out. I saw | Captain William Ward was one of the most trusted and successful officers in the Company and, though a comparatively up all right, so I had to let him drift. | A D fer I saw a life raft and hailed | the men on it with all my might. They heard my shouts and came toward me. | I had great difficulty in getting on the | raft, as 1 was so exhausted. A fishing | boat soon after came up. On board wera | two steerage passengers. A launch also passed with the ship's quartermaster on board. We got into an Itallan fisherman's hoat and were all towed by the launch (o s wharf. M anding 1 was taken to the Har- bor Hospital and put to bed. When I re- covered I was removed to the Occidental, and here I am: just a few scratches, but I lost all my clothes, but fortunately saved all my money. I will tell you in conclusion that you could never get me to travel in an old boat like China run for thirteen years. e was born in Raleigh, N. C., during the civil war and grew up in the South under the cara of a mother who idolized him. . When yet a lad he went with hjs father to the newly opened dlamond flelgs at Kimberley, South Africa. where he made quite a fortune, which, however, he lost again in unlucky enterprises. On his voyage to and from South Africa he im- bibed a fondness for the sea, and soon after his return home decided to follow it_for his lvelihood. He came to this coast and entered the service of the Pacific Mail Company as a cadet in the early 'S0s, making his first trips to the Orfent on the City of Tokyo. After passing the intermediate grades he was made first officer under Captain young.man, had held a command on the | verley on the Panama rum, and in 18 was assigned to the command of the i! fated vessel with which he went do In 1892 he was transferred to the Pe and in 1884 to the China, and later to th City of Peking. In 1887 he returned to the command of the Rio de Janeiro and re- mained with her to the last Captain Ward was a tall, fine looking man, a model captain, and a great favor- ite with 3ll who were fortunate enoug! | take his vessel for a voyage. Earl | life, at the Instance of his mother, he re | solved to eschew drinking and gaming, | and he always adhered to that resolution. He leaves a sister and two brothers, resi- dents of Raleigh, his native c |SEYMOUR WELL KNOWN AMONG THE THEATRICAL MEN | One of the Victims of the Disastse Served in the American Army in the Philippine Islands. Harry F. Seymour, one of the cabin pas- sengers who was drowned, was coming home to this country from Manila. He joined the Rio de Janeiro at Hongkong. @ was about 50 years old and leaves a wife in the East. Seymour was formerly a theatrical manager and advance agent, and is well known in the profession. He enlisted In the American army and went to the Phil- ippines when the war broke out. After | receiving his discharge he joined issues | with the owner of a newspaper in Ma- | nila, which is now known as the Manila American. Seymour was In San Francisco a year ago on a visit. A'perfect cereal coffee of fragrant aroma made from the finest California figs, prunes a scientifically blended. and delicate flavor, nd selected grain— Figprune cerea! is the most wholesome and nutritious substitute for coffee and tea because- it is pure—absolutely free from any artificial matter. Our own special method of roasting and blending enables us to retain all the natural properties of the fruit and grain, giving to the consumer ‘a table beverage of rare quality, “Boil from 5 to 10 minutes only.” ALL GROCERS SELL Figprune Cereal.