The Jersey City news., 1906-08-06

1
Survivors Left In Foreign Land With
out Food, Clothing or Money-Aus-
trian Diplomats Narrow Escape After
Giving Up Life Belt to Woman and
chiId-Mothers Compelled to Stand
Helpless as Children Drown Before
Their Eyes.
Cartagena, Spain, Aug. 6..The Ital
ian steamship Sirio, from Genoa for
Barcelona, Cadiz, Montevideo and
Buenos Ayres, with about 772 persons
on board, was wrecked off Hormigas
/ island Three hundred emigrants,
most of them Italians and Spaniards
were drowned.
The steamer was threading diff
cult passage through the Hormigas
group, where the Bajos Hormigas reef
is a continual menace to navigation
when she struck.
The captain, in order to shorten the
route and gain time, had purposed
passing as close as possible to the
/ udliEcAOuS IOthy itUSCS
the Hormigas islands. Without any
warning and while running at full
speed the Sirio crashed upon the rocks
with terrific force A few minutes
later the stern of the vessel sank be-
meath the waves.
Panic on Doomed Ship.
The passengers were thrown into
state of horror and terrified 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 themselves into the sea.
A young mother who was carrying her
baby was advised to abandon the child
and try to save herself alone This
she refused to do, declaring she pre-
ferred that they die together Both
were eventually picked up alive from
| the water
In the midst of this panic the captain
and officers of the Sirio endeavored
coolIy, but in vain, to restrain the peo-
/ pie from panic.
Captain Kills Himself.
Later the captain of the steamer,
overcome by the disaster, committed
| suicide Before he killed himself he
prudence
The fishermen along the coast sought
to render every assistance 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
An additional sadness is added to
the catastrophe owing to the fact that
number Of fishermen who were con-
Quoting rescuing operations We're
| drowned In consequence of the over
turning of boat
The survivors have gone into camp
on the main square of the town at
Cape Palos, near which the wreck oc-
Cured Here narrowing scenes are
enacted as the stricken families anx-
iously seek beloved members among
the rescued. A mother who lost her
| three children went insane. The doc
tor of the Sirio gave up his wife and
child as lost but they were finally
brought in by one of the rescuing
boats and this scene as this family
was reunited was most affecting. One
of the boats sent out by the fishermen
brought in twenty-four passengers.
Stranded In Foreign Land.
The condition of the survivors is
most deplorable They have lost ey-
erything and are without money, food
or clothing The maritime authorities
of Cartagena have dispatched a tug
to the scene carrying relief supplies
The buildings of circus and the
poorhouse are being used as temporary
quarters for the survivors.
The bishop of Sac Pablo, Brazil, is
among the lost.
Many of the passengers and the Of
ficers and crew of the Sirio got away
in the ships boats or were rescued by
means of ropes thrown to them from
the shore.
The Sirio was owned by the Naviga-
zione sItaliana of Genoa.
A fleet of trawlers providentially
happened to be only about hundred
yards away when the Sirio struck.
Notwithstanding the great danger, the
shippers OF these boats came at once
to the rescue, thereby Jeopardizing the
/ safety Of their own vessels The sur
vivors of the Sirio unite In praising
the conduct Of the captains of the
trawlers Joven Miguel and Vicenta
Llicano. The former steamed close to
the side of the sinking ship The crew