The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-06
Fatalities Reach Three
 Hundred, THE STEAMER sIRIo SINKS Captain of tessel Takes His Own
 Life.
Bishop of Brazin Among Those Lost whne Many Fishermen Gave Up
 Lives In Work of Rescue.

Cartagena Spain, Aug. 5.--A terrible marine disaster occurred last evening off Cape Palos. The Italian steamship Montevideo and Buenos Ayres with about 800 persons on board was wreck ed off Hormigas island.
 Three hundred immigrants. most ok them Italians and Spaniards. were drowned. The Captain of the steamer committed suicide.
 The Bishop of Sac Pedro, Brazil, also was lost and it is reported that an- other 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 A number of fishermen who made att tempts at rescue were drowned. Those rescued from the vessel are now at Cape Paios in a pitiable condition. being without food or clothing. The Sirio struck rocky reef known as Bajos Hormigas. and sank after. stern first. Hormigas island Hes about two and half miles to the eastward of Cape Palos.
 The sirio was owned by the Navfga- xione Italiana of Genoa.
 Before he committed suicide the captain declared the steamer had ezs passengers on board and that her crew numbered 127 men. The Sirio had s7o passengers when leaving Genoa. but additional Spanish passengers were taken aboard at Barcelona. where the vessel touched q few hours before the disaster.
 Terrible Scene of Confusion. The disaster occurred at o'clock yesterday afternoon. The steamer was threading difficult passage through the Hormigas group. The vessel be- gan to settle rapidly, imemdlately she had struck and a terrible scene of con- fusion and panic ensued on board. The fishermen along the coast sought i to render every assistance in their power and sent out boats which brought many survivors ashore. Moak of the officers and crew of the sirio are among the saved.
 The survivors have gone Into camp in the main square of the town at Cape sPaaos. Here narrowing scenes are enacted as the stricken families anx- l fously seek beloved members among l the rescued A mother who lost her three children went insane. The doe- tor of the Sirio gave up his wife and l child as lost, but they were finally l brought in by one of the rescuing 1 boats and the scene. as this family was reunited. was most affecting. One of the boats sent out by the fisher men brought in twenty-four passen- gers.
 Survivors are suaerfnG. The condition of the survivors is most deplorable. They have lost everything and are without money, food or cloth ing. The maritime authorities of Carr l tagena have despatched a tug to the scene carrying relief supplies. The | buildings of a circus and the poor housa are being used as temporary quarters for the survivors.
 | The latest reports from the cape say that three boats have just brought In | a number of rescued. An additional sadness is added to the catastrophe ow~ ing to the fact that number of flsh- ermen who were conducting rescuinE operations were drowned In conse- quence of the overturning of boat. 1 The captain of the sirio, .jut before he killed himself attributed the wreck to his own imprudence.
 The Sirio left Genoa August 2.
 All the ships books were lost If is impossible at present to ascertain the full extent of the disaster. Nine tenths of the passengers were Italians and the remainder Spaniards. All tha survivors have been landed at Cape Palos. The inhabitants provided them with clothing and nourishment. Thirty were landed at Hormigas Island. ahout | one mile from the scene of the tragedys
 To Call At Cadfz.
 From the broken narratives of the | | pear that 1t was the intention of the Sirio. after leaving Barcelona to call l at Cadiz before proceeding to Brazil. | The captain in order to shorten the route and gain time, purposed to pass as close as possible to the dangerous rocky lodges surrounding the Hormigaa 1 islands. Without any warning, and while running at full speed. the sirio crashed upon the rocks with terifho force
 A few minutes later 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 l trampied to death. Dozens of mon and women threw themselves into the | sea. A young mother who was car l rying her baby was advised to aban- don the child and try to save herself alone. This she refused to do. declar- ing she preferred that they die> toe gether Both eventually were picked | up alive from the water.
 | In the midst of this panic the cap- tain and officers of the Sirio endeavor- l ed in vain the restrain the people, re- store order and organize system Of life saving This was not accomplish-
 ed for the vessel suddenly either broke in half or glided of the rocks and
 foundered in deep water.
 The archbishop of Sac Pedro went down with the vessel. while blessing
 the drowning passengers. The other bishop at first supposed to have been drowned. has since been reported safe. He is at Cartagena.
 The government has issued instruc- tions that every possible measure for the relief of the stricken people shall | be taken.
 STORIES or BRUTALITY.