Iolanthe was/is a Gilbert and Sullivan satirical opera of the time. In fact, it is still popular, being played in my home town of Rockville, Maryland as late as last month. There is more than one spelling of the word, apparently causing the word search on la84foundation to not hit on the spelling used in the 1895 account of the wreck. There is suspicion on my part that "Iolanthe" was the nom de plume of one of the owners of the rig when writing for the gun rags of the time. I don't know which one that would be.
|