Smyrna times., 1906-08-08
STEAMER WRECKED,
500 DROWNED
Italian Vessel Struck Reef Off the
Coast of Spain.
CAPTAIN COMMITTED SUICIDE

fiDle marine disaster OCCuIISu Oh
Cape Palos. The Italian steamship
siro. from Genoa for Barcelona, Cadiz.
Montevideo and Buenos Ayres. with
about 800 persons on board, was
wrecked off Hormigas Island.
Three hundred emigrants, most OF
them Italians and Spaniards, were
drowned.
The captain of the steamer COM
mitted suicide.
The bishop of Sac Pedro, Brazil, |
also was lost, and it is reported that |
another bishop is among the missing.
The remainder of the passengers
and the officers and crew got away In
the ships boats or were rescued by
means of boats sent to them from the
shore. number of fishermen who
made attempts at rescue were drown
ed. Those rescued from the vessel are
now at Cape Palos in a pitiable con-
dition. being without food or cloth
ing.
The Siro struck a rocky reef known
as Bajos Hormigas, and sank soon af-
ter. stern first. Hormigas Island lies
about two and a half miles to the
eastward of Cape Palos.
Before he committed suicide the
CAPTAIN declared the steamer had 645
passengers on board. and that her
crew numbered 127 men. The Sirio
had $40 passengers when leaving
Genoa. but additional Spanish passen-
gers were taken on board at BARGE
Iona. where the vessel touched few
hours before the disaster.
The steamer was threading a diff
cult passage through the HOrmigas
group. where the Bajos Hormigas reef
Is a continual menace to navigation.
The vessel began to settle rapidly i'm
mediately she had struck, and terri
BILE scene Of confusion and panic en-
sued on board. The fishermen along
the coast sought to render every as
sIstance in their power and sent out
boats which brought many survivors
ashore. Most of the officers and crew
Of the Sirio are among the saved
From the broken narratives Of the
terror-stricken survivors it would ap-
pear that it was the intention of the
captain of the Sirio, after leaving Bar
celona. to call at Cadiz before proceed
ing to Brazil. The captain. in order
TO shorten the route and gain time,
purposed to pass as close as possible
70 the dangerous rocky ledges sur
rounding the Hormiges Islands. With
->-aut any warning and while running al
=" - speed, the Sirio crashed upon the
And1cks with terrific force A few min
vhtes later the stern of the vessel sank
beneath the waves The passengers
were in a state of horror and panic
Crowds rushed forward, pushing each
other and fighting for places in the
bow of the boat Many fell and were
trampled to death. Dozens of men anC
women threw themselves into the sea
A young mother who was carrying hel
baby was advised to abandon the chilt
and try to save herself alone. This sh'
refused to do. declaring she preferred
that they die together. Both even
tually were picked up alive from tn
water
The Italian emigrants, with knive
in their hands and without regard TO
the women or children, fought with tn
greatest brutality for the possession {
life buoys and boats. Many were kille
OF wounded. including several men
bers of the crew, who were attacke
by emigrants.
When the captain saw the vessel We
lost and that the emigrants had cal
tured the boat, he committed suiciC
by shooting with revolver. The oth'
officers lost their heads and there W;
nobody to direct the work of rescue.
Eye witnesses give awful pictures
the brutal panic on board. For ha
an hour the emigrants were maste
of the situation. One report ev,
states, the correspondent continue
that a group of emigrants approach
one of the ships boats which alrea
was full and which was. about to
launched, and dislodged the peop
killing several with their knives. JU
as they were about to occupy the be
themselves, another body of armed el
igrants came up and fierce fight
the possession of the lifebOat follow,
The survivors have gone into car
on the main square Of the town
Cape Palos. Here narrowing seer
are enacted as the stricken famil
anxiously seek beloved memb'
among the rescued. A mother W
lost her three children went insa
The doctor of the Sirio gave up
wife and child as lost, but they W.
finally brought in by one of the res
ing boats, and the scene as this fam
was reunited was most affecting. {
of the boats sent out by the fishern
brought in "a passengers.
The condition OF the survivors
most deplorable. They have lost eve
thing and are without money, food
clothing. The maritime authorities
Certegena have dispatched a tug
the scene. carrying relief supplies.
buildings of a circus and the p,
house are being used as temper
quarters for the survivors