Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-26


able to go alongside. Among the Arabs
there was a panic that could not be
controlled. Many Of them We're too ter
rified to jump and they We're burned
to death. Others, casting themselves
into the waves, We're drowned.
The crew behaved with admirable
courage, serving out life preservers to
the last and working the pumps. When
the pumps became useless, Capt
Charles Littler, commander Of the Sar
dina. took the helm and directed his
ship towards the shore so long as it
could be navigated. He perished at his
post. First Officer Frank Watson all
three engineers, Sca2raves, Hislop and
Neeil, Is OF the ships company, and
two first class passengers, one Of them
a boy named Grant, are missing. Fifty
or more bodies have been recovered
and 20 persons We're rescued. It is inn
possible at present to say just how
many We're drowned or burned to
death, because the list of Arab pill
grims is incomplete, but the number
will doubtless far exceed 100.
After the vessel refused to obey her
helm she drifted around three times
the rocks at the mouth of the harbor.
She was still burning this afternoon
and will be q total loss.
The British vice admiral. Sir Asheton
Courzon- Howe, and Admiral Fisher
directed the reScuing boats which did
gallant work in saving those who We're
Net alive and bringing the bodies of
the dead ashore. Captain Littlcr's body
which was terribly mutilated, was
landed this afternoon in the presence
of great crowds who stood with their
heads uncovered. The other bodies
We're also mutilated and burned Fifty
six of the injured are being cared for
in the hospitals.
One of the rescued passengers gave
Il graphic account of the disaster.
The Sardinia" he said, left Valet
Ia at 9.45 this morning. We were Just
outside the harbor and the crew We're
securing the anchor when the cry of
fire was heard. Flames could be seen
issuing from 4 ventilator on the port
side A hose was promptly brought up
and stream poured down the Ventlla-
tor, but this did no good In less than
10 minutes flames We're streaming out
of the other ventilators. The whole
vessels amidships was wrapped in
flames. The Arab passengers were told
to leave the hatch to which they clung
desperately. but they refused to move.
All who remained forward perished. eX-
cept some of those who jumped into the
water.
In the meantime, naval pinnaces
hurried to the scene. They could not
approach closely on account of the
high seas and falling spars. The Eu-
ropean passengers. being aft We're in a
comparatively safe position and the
great majority of these eventually sue
cecded in reaching shore. The Arabs,
among whom were many women and
children, We're terrible spectacle.
They clung together shriekng and but
few of them would jump overheard, al
though urged to do so by the boats
waiting to pick them up.
THE ships beats We're rendered use
less by the flames. and no attempt
was made to get them over the sides.
Soon the matches were blown OFF with
loud explosions, throwing the Arabs
into the air and killing and injuring
many of them. Amazingly good or
der prevailed among the crew, con-
sidering the rapidity of the terrible
affair After few minutes had been
spent in trying to put out the fire,
nothing remained but to jump over
board
Many of the Arab women behaved
with greater calmness than the men,
who We're utterly panic stricken. The
cause of the fire is not known but
denial las been made that there were
explosive aboard Unquestionably,
however, explosions occurred and it
was first believed that the rapid
spread of the flames was due largely
to the following naphtha.
The Sardinia left Liverpool on Nov.
H. She stopped at Naletta, landing
few passengers and taking on the
pilgrims. Captain Littler, who was for
many years in the service of the line
lived at Birkenhead. He leaves a wife
and child.