Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-13
WIRELESS BRINGS
DETAILS OF FIRE FIRE
ON OCEAN LINER
GrOsser Kurfuerst, Racing to
New York With los Sur
yiyOrs, Sends Message.
CREW FOUGHT FOR BOATS
TO LEAVE THE V0LTURNO
Women and Children Pushed
Aside, Says Man Picked
Up by carmania.

OK BOARD THE STEAMSHIP
GRossER KURFUERsT, At SEA.
BY WIRELESS TO CAPE RACE.
Oct. 13.-With los survivors on board
from the steamship Kolturno. burned
to the waters edge during a gale in
nnid-Atlantic, and abandoned on FRI
day last. the Grosser Kurfuerst is APP
preaching New York
The passengers and crew of the
Grosser Kurfuerst witnessed some
thrilling scenes when their vessel.
called by distress signals from the
Volturno, arrived in her vicinity
We found the Volturno burning
fereely and her crew and passengers
helpless in the heavy seas. 1t was
learned by wireless messages from
the flaming vessel that the fire had
been started by an explosion in the
forward hold at Z o'clock on Thursday
morning. ships time
Fifty Killed by Explosion.
"On the arrival Of the Grosser Kur-
fuerst the flames from the hold OF
the Nolturno were leaping eighty feet
into the air through the hatchway It
was learned that fifty or more Of the
Nolturno's crew and steerage passen-
gers had been killed by the explosion
and the fire.
Six boats were lowered imme-
diately afterward from the Volturno's
cavits. Three of them. still empty.
We're smashed to pieces against the
Nessefs side. One boat with forty
passengers on board capsized while
heing launched and all were lost The
two others with from sixty TO eighty
passengers on board. got away, but
apparently were lost in the moun-
s:s:;so;;s seas. =
Twelve Liners Answer rs. o. s.
Altogether twelve liners We're
brought by the wireless distress sig
nails within hail of the Volturno. The
Cunard liner Carmania was the first
of these. She reached the scene at
about Il o'clock noon Then followed
the Sydlitz. the Grosser Kurfuerst,
the Kroonland. the New York. the
Devonian. La Touraine. the Nara
Eansett, the Minneapolis, the Asian,
1 the Rappahannock and the Czar.
The sea was running too high to
allow the taking Off OF the Faiistrnn
passengers when the rescuing yes
| seIs came on the scene
During the daytime the flames
from the hold OF the volturno were
kept more or less under control. bur
about 3 O'Clock on Thursday night
/ the fire reached the coal bunkers and
| 1t was found necessary to close the
bulkheads- The pumps thereupon
were unable to work at full pressure
and the flames broke out through the
entire forward part of the vessel.
Thirty-two saved from Sea.
At twenty minutes to 10 on Thurs
day night another explosion oc-
Cured on the Volturno and caused a
panic among her despairing passen-
gers and crew.
The Grosser kurfuerst launched
three boats and rescued thirty-two
persons who had been washed into
the sea. One of the rescuing lifeboats
was out for six hours and was near
ly lost.
All those remaining on board the
/ Nolturno crowded together at the
after end of the vessel and were
taken Off safely after daybreak on
Friday
Second Officer E. Elloyd of the
Nolturno, was one of the heroes of
the disaster. He fell from a height of
/ twenty feet while repairing the wire-
Continued on Page 5, Column IL