Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-08-06
Steamer Sirio Wrecked
on Reef Off Span
ish Coast.
HAD 800 PASSENGERS
Men Fight With Knives for
Places in lifeb0at as
Vessel Sinks.

Cartagena. Spain, Aug G.-Three
hundred Italian emigrants. bound for
South America, perished Saturday ev-
ening when the steamer Sirio. from
Genoa to Buenos Ayres. with 500 per-
sons on board sank off Hormigas is
land, near Cape Palos, after striking
reef while running at full speed.
a large proportion of those who died
were women and children, who were
oyerpowered by the frantic men, who
hurled them into the sea from the boats
in which they were placed by the Off
GERS of the ship or cut them to pieces
with long knives.
Fight Was BestlaI.
The fight for life after the ship
struck was bestial. Men seized what
ever weapon came to hand, and the
struggle for life preservers and boats
began. The ship was rapidly sinking
by the stern, and the officers and crew
tried to get the women and children off
in boats One boat was already filled
with women and children when a.
group of men. armed. with knives. at
tackled them, killing several and fore
ing the others to give up their places.
Fight as Ship Sinks.
At this point another group of men
ran up. attacked those who had cap
tured the boat, and scene of carnage |
ensued in which the ship went down
with the frantic men struggling on the
deck and the boat, which might have
been the means of saving a score of
lives. unlaunched
The officers and crew fought valiantly |
for a time, but were overpowered by !,
numbers after they had succeeded in
launching a few boats The captain.
Just before the vessel sank and when
he saw he could do nothing more to
save the passengers, shot himself with
a revolver. Many of the survivors. |
who were brought ashore by fishermen,
were badly wounded by knife thrusts,
and several of them have since died.
NotabIes Among Lost.
1t is reported that the celebrated
Spanish singer, Lolo Milanes, was
among the lost. The bishop of San
Pedro, Brazil, also was drowned.
The remainder of the passengers and
the officers and crew got away in the
ships boats or were rescued by means
of boats sent to them from the shore.
A number of fishermen who made at
tempts at rescue were drowned. Most
of those rescued from the vessel are
now at Cape Palos in pitiable condi-
ton. being without food or clothing.
The Sirio struck a rocky reef, known
as Bajos Hormigas. and sank soon af-
ter, stern first. Hormigas island lies
about two and half miles to the east
ward of Cape Palos.
Makes Statement.
Before he committed suicide the cap
tain declared the steamer had Gas pas
sengers on board and that its crew
numbered 127 men. The Sirio had $40
passengers when leaving Genoa, but
additional Spanish passengers were
taken on board at Barcelona, where
the vessel touched few hours before
the disaster
The disaster occurred at o'clock
Saturday afternoon. The steamer was
threading a difficult passage through
the Hormigas group, when it struck
the Bajos Hormigas reef, which is, n
continual menace to navigation. The
vessel began to settle rapidly, and n
scene of confusion and panic ensued.
The fishermen along the coast sought
to render every assistance in their