The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1913-10-16
BIG STEAMER BURNS
l35 Perish During Gale On Affair
TIC Ocean SCI Saved.
Many Ships Answer Wireless Dis
tress Signals, But Storm Pre-
vents Rescue Work

London-Not since the Titanic sank I
has Europe been 50 thrilled as by
wireless message Monday telling of
the burning Of the steamship Volturno
in mic-Atlantic with loss, 20 far az
known. of lbs lives and the rescue Of
521. The VoIturno sailed from Rot
terdsm on October for New York.
According to the official statement she
carried % first cabin passengers, 538
in the steerage and a crew numbering
&C.
The steamer Carmania, bound from
New York for Liverpool, was 70 miles
away when the call for help sounded
Captain Barr, ordering full steam, in
spite of the gale drove through the
seas at 20 knots an hour and was the
first to reach the burning vessel She
was followed by La Touraine, Mime
apolis, Rappahannock, Gar, Nara
gansett, Devonian, Kroonland, Grosser
Kuerfurst and Zydlitz at various hours
throughout the Gsy. Try as they
might, the rescuing vessels could not
get either line or lifeboat to the Vol
turno, the forward part of which was
almost hidden by a dense cloud of
smoke when the Carmania arrived
The burning steamer lay in the
trough of the sea, pounding helplessly,
with her propellers fouled by the
boats tackle The terrified passen-
gers were huddled together as far as
it was possible to get from the flames,
while throughout the day the officers
and crew fought desperately with
whatever appliances were at hand to
hold the fire in check
The rescue ships reached the scene
of the disaster in plenty of time to
save all, but for hours were obliged TO
stand helpiessly by the blazing vessel,
impotent because of the storm to
reach the agonized men, women and
children crowding the after part of
the ship and within a stones throw
All night the lifeboats made desper-
ate effort TO get alongside the Vol
turno, but the waves beat them back
again and again, and not until the
storm abated at daylight did the res
cuers succeed in removing the surviv-
ors from the doomed ship.
The Volturno was equipped with
boats sufficient, the agents say, for q
thousand people. but the boisterous
sea or lack of boat drill, or pani,
among the passengers, prevented tbs
, successful employment of them Tbs
rescue ships were able to lower life
boats, but apparently most of tn
boats launched from the Volturn'
were smashed or upset and the occu
pants drowned
Two of the boats, crowded with pas
sengers, are reported to have go
away from the ship, but search 70
them has proved fruitless, and the.
have practically been given up as lost
! The occupants of these boats are in
cluded in the death roll
5 The hopelessness of the situation
2 was manifested at 9 o'clock at night
when a great explosion tore away par
of the upper works. and flames burs
from the engine room 1t then becam
a matter of how long the Volturn'
would stay above water
Meanwhile several of the terrific
passengers, wrapped in life bouys
: dropped over into the sea One o
K them was taken aboard the Carmanis
r 1t may be that others found a have
5 with other vessels of the feet, bu
3 some undoubtedly were swept away
When day broke the Volturno Wa
still afoat The gale had moderate
and the seas had claimed down. Fror
almost everyone of the eneirclin
steamers lifeboats were sent out an
e into these the women and childre
Is were lowered first Several trips wer
+ necessary before the survivors wer
d removed to place of safety
II 1t is pointed out as a remarkabl
te coincidence that the Volturno abor
four years ago made noteworthy re-
1t cue in a great storm in mid-Atlanti
D, of the crew of French vessel Car
A. tain Harrison, who then commands
g. the Volturno, was decorated by Il
;, French government for his daring &C