Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-26
flAMtS AND WAVES
CLAIM HUNDRED LIVES
Steamers Passengers and Crew
Driven 10 Choice Between Crtm.
alton and Drowning.
fRtnz e ARABS HU]tLE On Deck
British Vessel Takes Fire Soon Ate"
Leaving Port-ouickIy Becomes
Rearing Furnace-le cap Into Sea
Only Possible Means OF Escape
Panic Stricken Arabs Perish.
NV Associated PreSS).

(Dy Associated Press).
NALETTA, ISLAND or MN.TA.
more than Il hundred persons ibS'
their lives occurred At IA" 'nlrahc'
t. his lr.rt his. morning. the i"i''
irh steamer Sardinia. of III" III rEi'n
Line, mailing from Liverpool a'ih
lulnl for Ai"NanIria with Il ct'w 81
II E,n%lshn"u. II frs ana stN S"r"hd
cabin English passengers ard nearly
30 Arab pilgrims alb ard caught hr'
AID within Il few mlnGt'.' Wa, roar
IN furnace. the flames bursting mp
waii 20 Il height of 20 feet from M
hn!i so rapidly did III" hvr spread
r.ar frantic efforts Of tn" crew l."
operate tn" fire apparatus proved USE
less. for it seemed but il moment be-
for. the upper works and maSt2
crashed down upon tn" deck. wE'f'
tli. ships iLars w"r" crushed by the
falling debris or SIT on fire and quick
" burned.
Choice. Drowning or Burning.
Safety lay only in the sea. for no
one could save hemst If except by
jumping overheard and taking chances
Of being picked up.
Assistance was hurried to the burn
ing vessel fIOm all the warships il
the harbOr and from III" shore hui
the work OF rescue was greatly In
IL dnd BY the strong tide that was run
ming
Even the naval launches were M
able to go alongside.
Alnung the Arabs thrr" was panic,
MANY Of the Arabs were too fr"nZlcd
to jump overheard. and they were
burned to d. ath. Others cast them
selves into the waves aud were
drowned.
Captain Dies at Post.
The crew behaved with admirlbl"
courage. serving out life preserves
:" the last. and working the pumps.
When the pumps became useless cap
tain Charles Little, commander OF tn"
Sardinia. took the helm and dir'ct'u
his shin toward the shore 50 long as
il could br navigatcd. He perish"i
at his post.
FIRST Officer Frank Watson. all
three engineers SeaGraves. Hislop
and Neil IS of the ships company
and two first class passengers, one
o: them a boy named Grant, are miss
ing.
Fifty or more bodies have been re-
c; vrrcd and seventy persons were res
cued.
Fatalities Asove Hundred.
II is impossible to say how many
were drowned or burned TO d"ath'
hut the number viii! doubtless far
exceed a hundred The vessel DRIFT
cd around three times and finally was
boach.d broadside on the rocks al the
mouth OF the harbor. She Is SIN
burning and vii! be a total loss.
British Vice Admiral Sir Ashton
Curz n-Howe AMI Admiral Fisher di-
rectrd the rcscuing boats. which did
gallant work in saving those VINO
were vet alive and bringing III"
bodies of the deal ashore.
Captain !.itile's body. which was
terribly mUiilatcd was landed ms
afternoon. The other bOii.s w"T"
also mutilatcG and burned. Fif'y-Six
cf the injured are being cared for in
the hospitals. One Cf tn" rescued
passengers gave a graphic account OF
th' disaster.
Fire Came Suddenly.
The Sardinia" he said. 'ie''
Vaic'ia At 9:is this morning. W"
were lust outside tn" harbor and IN"
crow were securing III" anchor. when
the cry Of Are was heard. FLAMES
could 10 seen issuing from ven'i!a'
tor or tho port sid" hos" was
prompt brought Mp and stream
poured Own the vcn;ilator but this
did no gcoI - less than ten minutes
flames were streaming out OF the
other ventilators. The whole vessel
amidships was wrapped in flames The
Arab passengers were told 10 leave
the hatch. 10 which they chung des-
peraiely bat they refused 20 move.
An who remained forward prrish"d.
cxrcp, some Of those Who l'aped In
tNc water
Arabs Panic Stricken,
a al ~