The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-10-17
LINER BURNS
IN M|D-0CEAN;;
1876 ARE LOST
Life Boats Are Dashed to Pieces
in Gale and Passengers
Drowned.
ARE POWERLESS TO AID
THOUSANDS ON OTHER STEAM.
SHIPS WATCH THE TERRI.
FLYING SPECTACLE.
EXPLOSION ADDS TO TERROR
Survivors Are Finally Rescued When
Storm Abates-Captain Last to
Leave the Doomed Vessel.
THOUSANDS ON OTHER STEAM.
SHIPS WATCH THE TERRI
FLYING SPECTACLE.
EXPLOSION ADDS TO TERROR
Survivors Are Finally Rescued When
Storm Abates-captain Last to
Leave the Doomed Vessel.

LOuuOu.-WulS luOuSdluS Ol people
passengers On Transatlantic liners
Looked on powerless to render aid
one hundred and thirty-six persons
lost their lives when the steamship
Volutrno of the Uranium line, was de-
stroyed by fire in mid-ocean.
This latest tragedy of the seas was
due not to the failure of other steam
ers to respond to the call Of the wire
less, but to the fact that a terrific gale
was blowing, making all attempts to
remove the passengers from the ILL
fated ship fruitless.
Ten steamships, called to the spot
by the distress signal of the wireless,
surrounded the Volturno while it burn,
ed and gallant efforts were made to
Rescue the passengers held prisoners
IN the Volturno.
Life boats were launched from the
rescue ships, only to be dashed to
pieces against thS tides of the vessels.
The Volturno's iwn life boats were
dashed to pieces when an attempt was
made to lower them into the raging
sea. The greatest loss of life occur.
red when four of the Volturno's six
life-boats were crushed like eggshells
against the side Of the steamer after
they were launched. The occupants
were thrown into the water and practi,
cally all of them We're drowned
Story of Battle Is Thrilling One.
The story of the battle to save the
lives Of the Volturno's passengers is
one of the most thrilling tales of the
sea that has yet been told. officers
and men of the ten steamships which
responded to the call for help, risked
their lives in the effort to save the
hundreds who were trapped on the
burning boat, but time after time they
were beaten back by the terrific gale
and regained their own vessels with
difficulty. All night the battle lasted
and not until morning when the gale
abated somewhat were the survivors
rescued from the doomed ship.
The Volturno sailed from Rotterdam
On October 2 for New York. Accord.
ing to the official statement, she car
ried % first cabin passengers, 53S
steerage and a crew numbering So.
When the fire broke out in the Vol.
turno and was seen to be beyond con.
troll, the wireless flashed this call out
over the seas:
We are on fire and will have to
abandon ship. Can hold on for a
while. S. o. S."
Carmania Goes to Rescue.
The steamer Carmania, bound from
New York for Liverpool, was Is miles
away when the call for help sounded
Captain Barr, ordering full steam in
spite of the gale, was the first Of the
fleet to reach the burning vessel. The
Carmania was followed by LaTouraine,
Minneapolis, Rapahannock, Car, Mar.
ragansett, Devonian, Krooland, eros
ser Kurfurst and Zeidlitb at various
hours throughout the day. But try as
they might the rescuing vessels could
get neither line nor life boat to the
Volturno, the forward part of which
was almost hidden by a dense cloud OF
smoke when the Carmania arrived.
In spite of the terrific gale raging
when his vessel arrived near the Vol
|turno, the captain of the Carmania
had one of his lifeboats lowered to
proceed to the Volturno to help in the
rescue. The boat was launched with
much difficulty, for even on the lee
side of the Carmania the seas were
terribly rough and it was only by ex'
traordinary efforts that the small craft
was prevented from being smashed
or capsized as she left the side Of the
ship.
lifeboat Beaten Back.
The Carmania's lifeboat, in charge OF
First Officer Gardiner, made gallant
but futile effort to get alongside the
doomed volturno. After two hours
battle with the waves, during which
the lifeboat lost all but three OF her