Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-06
STEAMER SINKS;
300 LOSE LIVES
TERRIBLE DISASTER OCCURS
OFF CAPE PALOS
Fishermen Succeed In Saving Five
Hundred Passengers and Sea-
men--captaln Commits
Suicide

as the stricken families anxiously seek
beloved members among the rescued.
A mother who lost her three children
went insane.
The doctor of the Sierio gave UP his
wife and child as lost, but they were
finally brought in by one of the res
cuing boats, and the scene when the
family was reunited was most affect
ing.
One of the boats sent out by the fish
ermen brought in twenty-four pas
sengers.
most deplorable. They have lost
everything and are without money,
food or clothing.
The maritime authorities Of Carta-
gena have dispatched q tug to the
escene carrying relief supplies.
The buildings of circus and a poor
house are being used as temporary
quarters for the survivors.
The latest repots say that three boats
have just brought in a number of res
cued.
An additional sadness is added to
the catastrophe owing to the fact that
a number of fishermen who were con-
Quoting rescuing operations were
drowned in consequence Of the over
turning Of their boat.
The captain of the Sierio just before
hee committed suicide attributed the
wreck to his own imprudence.
The Sierio left Genoa August 2.
Ships Books Lost
All the ships books were lost. 1t is
impossible at present to ascertain the
full extent of the disaster.
Nine-tenths of the passengers were
Italians and the remainder Spaniards.
Most Of the survivors have been land
ed at Cape Palos.
Thirty were landed at Hormigas
island. about ten miles from the
tragedy.
Fishermen brought in the first news
of the laundering of the Sierio and it
created CONSERVATION here. Boat loads
of ship wrecked people and the crew
began to come ashore shortly after the
news was known.
Passengers confirm the fearful nature
of the calamity. From the broken
narratives of the terror-stricken sur
vivors it would appear that it was the
intention of the captain of the Sierio
aAer leaving Barcelona to call at
Cadiz before proceeding to Brazil.
The captain, in order to shorten the
route and gain time proposed to pass
as close as possible to the dangerous
Lodges surrounding the Hormigas
islands Without any warning and
while running at full speed the Sierio
crashed upon the rocks with terrific
force.
Panic Soon Followed
A few minutes after 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 and women threw them
selves into the sea. A young mother
who was carrying her baby was ad-
vised to abandon the child and try to
save herself alone. This she refused to
do, declaring that she preferred that
they die together. Both eventually
were picked up alive from the water.
In the midst of this panic the captain
and officers of the Sierio endeavored
in vain to restrain the people, restore
semblage of order and organize a
system of life saving. This was not
accomplished, for the vessel suddenly
either broke in half or glided off the
rocks ana foundered in deep water.
The archbishop of San Pedro went
down with the vessel while blessing
the drowning passengers. The other
bishop, who was first supposed to have
been drowned, has since been reported
safe. He is at Cartagena. A steamer
engaged in rescue work has raachad
port. She has on board the bodies of
several infants.
The Austrian consul at Rio de ia
neiro was saved, but lost a large
amount of money when the vessel went
down.
The government has issued instruc-
tions that every possible measure for