Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-08-09
800 PERISH AT SEA.
ITALIAN STEAMSHIP SiRIO FOUN-
DERS OFF CAPE PALOS, SPAIN.
Vessel Strikes Reef and Sinks Inn
Tnediately-CnabIe TO Gain Decks,
Storage Passengers Are Borne to
Their Grave.

Crow led into the steerage. unable to
gain the decks above. 800 persons. in
Guiding women and children. were car
ried to the bottom with the Italian
steamship Sirio, which went on the
rocks off Cape Palos, Spain, Saturday
evening and sank almost Immediately.
Five hundred other men. women and
children were rescued after one of the
most narrowing experiences in mari
time history. Thrown into wild panic,
with almost certain death staring them
in the face, they leaped. screaming and
praying, into the ocean and were
picked up by fishermen. Others escaped
in the small boats.
The captain of the steamer added to
the tragic Of the catastrophe by com
hitting suicide He blamed the wreck
to his own imprudence and declared
himself no longer worthy of living.
Bishop Is Among the Lost.
Most of the passengers drowned were
Italian and Spanish emigrants bound
! for South America. The bishop of Sac
Pedro, Brazil. was lost. and it is re-
ported that another bishop, identity I'M
certain at this time, was also drowned.
Several of the fishermen who aided in
! the rescue were killed.
Those rescued from the vessel are
now at Cape PaIos in pitiable condi-
ton. being without food or clothing.
The SiriO. an iron vessel of 4.141
tons and 5,012 horse power. left Genoa
for Barcelona, Cadiz, Montevideo and
Buenos Ayres. The disaster happened
off HOrmigas Island, when about 800
| persons, including the crew. We're on
board. The Sirio struck a rocky reef
known as Bajos Hormigas, and sank
soon after, stern first. H0rmigaS Island
| lies about two and One-half miles to
the eastWa ard of Cape Palos. The Sirio
was owned by the Nayigazi0ne Italiana
of Genoa She was built at Glasgow
| in 1888
| Death Scene Is HOrrifyinE.
The scene as the SiriO went down
was SO horrifying that some of the
| spectators were forced to close their
| eyes. Those who leaped into the water
could see the sinking vessel rapidly
| filling with water until-it seemed al
most immediately-the stern settled
deep into the water and sank below the
surface This forced the bow up until
! it Overhung the ocean. For Il moment
the bow hung thus, While the death
screams Of the hundreds Of unfOrtu-
mates imprisoned in the steerage es
capped from the depths of the doomed
ship and could be heard for many
rods.
Then with Il splash the bow followed
the stern below the surface of the
water. there was Il great swell of the
waves and the Siro, laden with human
freight, had passed forever from sight.
Involuntary sObs broke from the hun
dreds of spectators. most of whom had
by the closeness of an eyelash escaped
from the death which they had just
seen befall their less fortunate ship
mates.
Before he committed suicide the cap
tain declared the steamer had 645 pas
sengers on board and that her crew
numbered 121 men. The SiriO had so
passengers when leaving Genoa, but adj
ditional Spanish passengers were taken
on board at Barcelona. where the YES
sci touched a few hours before the dis
| aSter