Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-08-10

must perish, he made out a statement
of his passenger and crew list for the
ships officers, proclaimed himself re-
sponslble for the disaster, and blew his
brains out as he stood on the bridge.
In his statement the captain declared
the Sirio had 645 passengers GU board,
and that its crew numbered 127 nrn,
Ship Breaks as It Sinks.
The Sirio was wrecked just at dusk
Saturday. At the time it was feeling
its way through the difficult and treach-
crous passage among the Hormigas
group OF islands, where the Bagos Hor-
mings reef is continual menace to nayi-
CATION.
The steamer was at full speed. when it
ran bow on to the rocks. 1t slid off in
stantly and commenced to settle, a heavy
sea meanwhile pounding it to pieces on
the rocks.
With the first crash of the vessel on
the rocks the emigrantS became panic
stricken The crew and officers kept
cool until the captains suicide on the
bridge, when discipline was thrown
aside, and all joined i'll g frantic scram-
bic for the boats.
Fight with Knives for Life.
The Italian emigrants, with knives in
their hands and without regard for the
women or children, fought with the
PEcdteSt DEutdIltS 1DE the possession OF
life buoys and boats. Many We're killed
or wounded, including several members
of the crew, who were attacked by emf
grants, while the former tried to save
the women and children.
One survivor even states that Il group
of emigrants approached one of the
ships boats which already was full and
which was about to he launched and dis
lodged the people. killing several with
their knives. Just as they were about
to occupy the boat themselves another
body of armed emigrants came up and
a fierce fight for the possession of the
lifeboat followed.
Women Are Thrown Aside.
All sense of sex and kin was lost in the
madness of the moment, and women
were tramped upon and thrown aside.
Women who saw their children and rela-
tives swept away went insane, and added
to the panic. Some of the injured suisse
quently died.
From the broken narratives it would
appear that it was the intention of the
captain of the Sirio after leaving BARGE
Iona to call at CadiZ before proceeding to
Brazil. The captain, in order to shorten
the route and gain time, purposed to pass
us close as possible to the dangerous
rocky lodges surrounding the Hormigas
islands.
Survivors in Piteous Plight.
The survivors now are in camp on the
main square of the town at Cape palOS
Narrowing scenes are enacted as the
stricken families anxiously seek relatives
among the rescued. Our mother. who
lost her three children. went insane. The
doctor of the Sirio gave up his wife and
child as lost, but they were brought in
finally by one of the rescuing boats.
The condition of the survivors is piti-
able. The buildings of circus and the
poorhouse are being used as temporary
quarters for the survivors. The govern
ment has issued instructions that every
possible measure for the relief of the
stricken people shall be taken
The Austrian consul at Rio de Janeiro
was saved, but lost a large amount of
money when the vessel went down.
1t is reported that the celebrated Span
ish singer, Lola Miianes, is among the
drowned.
Bishops Lifebelt Taken.
The drowning of the bishop of Sac
Paulo, Brazil, is attributed to the ac-
ton Of an Argentine passenger who fore
IDLY took from the bishop a Iifehet with
which the latter had provided himself
One Italian woman kept her three
children attoat on a plank until they
were all picked up. \ bridegroom who
was on his honeymoon lost his wife and
sister and one old man who was saved
lost thee children.
Capt. Giuseppe Paradi. commander of
the Sirio, was. 81 years old. and had
torty-hye years experience in navigation.
The Sirio was an iron vessel Of 4141
tons and 5012 horsepower She was
built at Glasgow in 1888 and was owned
by the Navigazione Itaiiana of Genoa.
Quantities of food and clothing for the