The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-08-09
AWFUL SCENES ARE
BEING DESCRIBED
Reports Of Passenger of Ship
When Sunk in
500 LOSE THEIR LIVES
Heroic Rescues Are Effected, but in
Other Cases Horrible
Brutality is Ex-
hibited.
500 LOSE THEIR LIVES

~Cartagena, Aug. S.-Reports continue
tending the wreck Of the steamer Sirio
which resulted in the loss of over 900
lives.
The drowning of the bishop of Sac
Paolo, Brazil, is now attributed to the
action of an Argentine passenger who
forcibly took from the bishop the life
belt with which the latter had provided
himself.
One Italian woman kept her three
children afloat on a plank until they
were all picked up. A bridegroom, Who
was on his honeymoon, lost his wife
and sister, and one old man who vas
saved lost his three children.
Captain Paradi, commander Of the
Sirio, vas 62 years old and had forty
five years experience in navigation.
h Sirio is considered q total loss.
Ten Die After Rescue.
A number of bodies of drowned per-
passengers died after being brought
ashore.
Survivors say the Sirio sank with eX-
IRENE rapidity and many passengers
were on deck as the steamer disap-
peared.
Boats We're so overcrowded that a
lumber OF them Immediately capSiZed,
throwing their occupants into the wa
ter.
Quantities of food and clothing for
the survivors are arriving here from
all parts of the country. Public sub
scription started for the relief of des-
titute passengers mas already reached
Q large sum.
Survivors are quartered in theaters,
hospitals, clubs and the poorer classes
among the inhabitants of C%artagena
are rvialing each other in assisting
shipWrecked people.
Hero and Heroine.
Charles Venturina, a resident of
Barcelona, who was a passenger with
his family on the Sirio, succeeded in
saving his three 0 m and nine other
passengers. Nenturina's daughter, aged
Is, an expert swimmer, saved two chill
iren. One family, consisting of father,
mother and six children, was drowned
with the exception Of the father, who
lost his reason.
Ships Books Are 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 We're Italians, and
the remainder Spaniards. All the sur
vivors ave been landed at Cape Palos
The inhabitants provided them with
clothing n nOuriShment. Thirty We're
landed at Hormigas island about one
, mile from the scene Of the tragedy.
Fishermen brought in the first news
IF the laundering of the Sirio, and it
created CONSERVATION here. Boatloads
Of the shipwrecked passengers and
crew began to reach shore shortly af-
ter the news became known.
Passengers confirm the fearful ma
ture 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 SiriC
after leaving Barcelona to call at Ca
diz before proceeding to Brazil. The
captain, in order to shorten the route
close as possible to the dangerous
rocky lodges surrounding the Hormi-
a islands. Without any warning
II while running at full speed the
Sirio crashed upon the rocks with ter
rifle force.
Panic on Board.
A few minutes later the vessel sank
beneath the waves. The passengers
were in a state of horror n panic
>io"t " w VI, pushing each
other and fighting for places in the
boat. Many fell and We're trampled tc
death. Dozens OF men and women
threw themselves into the sea.
A young mother, who was carrying
aer baby, was advised 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 We're picked up alive from
the water.
The archbishop of San Pedro went
down with the vessel while blessing
The drowning passengers. The other
bishop, who was at first supposed tC
nave been drowned, has since been re-
ported safe. He Is at Cartagena.
a steamer engaged in rescue work
2as reached port, She has on board
he bodies Of several infants
The Austrian consul at Rio de Jan
Giro was saved, but lost a large amount
IF money when the vessel went down
The government has issued instruc-
lions that every possible measure for
:he relief of the stricken people shall
De taken.
Fought Like FienLs.
London, Aug. 6.-The Madrid CORE
spondent of the Daily Telegraph de-
scribes the Sirio disaster as one of the
worst on record.
The Italian emigrants, with knives
N Inelr ndnuS ana without regard for
The women or children, fought with
The greatest brutality for the posses
sion of life buoys and boats Many
were killed or wounded, including sew
eral members Of the crew, who were at
tacked by emigrants.
When the captain saw that the YES
sci was lost and that the emigrants had
captured the BOAT he committed suicide
by shooting with a revolver. The otheI
officers then LOST their heads and thor,
was nobody to direct the work of res
cue.
Eye witnesses give awful pictures OF
the brutal panic On board. For half al
hour the ~emigrantS were masters OF
the situation. They completely over
came the crew by sheer force of mum
bers, and this in spite of the efforts OF
the officers, who tried to save the wom-
en- and children first.
One report even states, the CORE
spondent continues, h a a group o;
~cnigrants approached one of the ships
boats which already was full and which
was abOut to be launched, II dis
lodged the people, killing several witt
their knives. Just as they We're abou
to occupy the BOAT themselves another
body of armed emigrants came up an(
Il fierce fight ensued for the possession
of the lifebcat.
y Many of the survivors brought ashore
were seriously wounded and a number
sustained fractured limbs. Some o.
the injured subsequently died.
r ir -%~ ttr4 49,