New-York tribune., 1908-04-09
HEROIC RESCUE AT SEA
SAVES 2S FISHERMEN.
Steamer Stands by Storm-Tosscd
Schooner for Nearly T7oo Days.

After standing by for forty hours in terrific
storm. during which she drifted eighty miles
the steamer Volturno, of the New York and
Continental Line, managed to save twenty-elght
fishermen of the dismasted schooner Champagne
OH March IS and landed them in this port last
night.
Although Captain Harrison had orders to
get 10 New York as soon he could, so that the
steamer might discharge and take on a cargo
before Saturday, the day she is scheduled TO
sail for Hamburg, he decided 10 stand by the
little fishing boat until he took off every mem
ber Of the unfortunate crew. The rescue cost
him loss of forty hours in passage time and
in the first attempt TO get to the men on the
Champagne Iifeboat smashed into bits
and had to be turned adrift
The Volturno. which left Hamburg and Rot
terdam on her first passage to this port ran into
terrific hurricane on March IS. She forged
ahead under mere steerage way for more than
ten hours. and at 6:1j p. on March - the
fourth officer reported TO Captain Harrison that
he saw a dismasted sailing vessel off the star
board bow. Shortly after the vessel was
ported she could not be made out again and
every one on the Volturno thought she had gone
the bottom.
An hour later. when it dark, Captain Har-
rison two white lights, and, believing it was
the schooner he had seen at dusk bore down
upon her. 4 high sea was running, and gale
blew at intervals from all points of the compass
He mannuvred the Volturno and went to the
lee Of the vessel and shouted to the men through
the megaphone. Captain Delalande replied in
French. and 10 one on board could understand
what he said. Captain Harrison turned to Chief
Officer Mcintosh saying: THAT is = Frenchman
IN bad fix and I'm going to stand by until
daylight
IF that IS the case" said Mcintosh, "T1 go
out to them in Hfeboat at daylight"
AT 40 a. IN. the next morning tho Volturno
had drifted far away from the little dismasted
schooner, but Captain Harrison, who had taken
his bearings when abeam the Champagne, soon
picked her up and cirCled around to leeward.
The seas were running high as the bridge
of the Volturno. and the position Of the Cham
Page could be made out only at intervals she
rose on the crest of 4 comber When about five
hundred yards away Mcintosh. the chief officer,
lowered Hfeboat No. and with four men
started for the dismasted schooner. II took him
over twenty minutes 10 get clear of the steamer.
which all the while had been pouring out oil on
;he terrific sea.
BY the time Mcintosh and his men got clear
of The Nolturno the lifeboat was badly battered.
The men on deck shouted to him to come back
and get another boat, but he kept on until he
came down to leeward of the Champagne. \
line was thrown 10 the fishermen, and fourteen
men jumped into the water one at q time, and
were hauled aboard the lifeboat.
Mcintosh explained by signs that he would
come back for the rest of the crew, as the four
teen men he had taken aboard We're more than
the lifeboat could carry safely.
The Frenchmen were thankful at being
saved that they offered TO take the oars and row
20 the steamer. Meanwhile the Voturno had
steamed along slowly describing letter IS
Taking the men from the schooner was easy
compared with the almost fatal effort Of getting
them aboard the steamer. A succession Of
Combers dashed the ifeboat against the steam
er's sides with tremendous force and the fisher
men had. To be hauled up line from the
deck lean Soule, fisherman, slipped as he
was about eight feet above the water, but one
Of the Nolturno's crew who was in the lifehoat
grabbed him by the collar and made the line
fast again under his arms. Mcintosh, thor
oughly exhausted, was the last man hauled
the Iifeboat splintered
Hoping that the seas might become smoother.
Captain Harrison waited until 4 p. m, and then
Mcintosh went again in lifeboat and
took off the other fourteen men, including Cap
tain Delslande and Roberto Rahinou. the mate.
Although he thoroughly tired out, McIn-
tosh made complete job Of his task and set
6re to the Champagne.