Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-10-13
CAPTAIN OF DOOMED


llfe.
Arthur spurreon. passenger on
the Narmnnia, IN q wireless dispatch,
supplements his own description u
the Cnrmnnia 10 the burning vcserl
and TIE rescue ~ the passengers cf
the Volturno by the story told him
~ the survivor Walter rrintepoll
Is Gqrman, pho twam 90 the CHr-
nanla aud was rescued IN an rx-
hausted condition. since being taken
aboard tho Carmnnla Trlnlopohl has
been IN the ships hospital threaten
ed with pneumonia. ne told his
story to Mr.. Spnrreon before he be-
came seriously 40. Triniepohl had
been employed ut Barcelona end took
ihird-ciasa passage on the Volturno
% secure position offered him IN
New York
'Ali went wen. said Trintepohl.
until o'clock Thursday morning,
when the fire alarm sounded. We
were aroused and told 20 20 on deck
as fire had broken out IN che hold
ON assembling life belts were handed
around and much time was occupied
In fastening them. We were told
that the fire might soon be quenched
bur the captain thought Il wise Tor
ail 20 have belts as precnution.
The fire frightened the children.
who cried bitterly There were many
babies In arms.
"Thc fire grew worse. We saw
things blazing down below. About
10 o'clock there WINS n cry 20 lower
the boats.
The captain behaved splendidiy.
So did the officers. who were Eng
lish. J am sorry that the crew. who
were Germans and Belgians. behaved
very badly. Tho people rushed
about wildly. and the crew seemed
90 think thoy ought to have first
place In the lifehoats
THE first officer took charge Of
the first boat. but although he want
Cd the women and children saved
first, majority 81 these who en-
tered the boat were members OF the
crew. This boat was smashed against
the ships side. just as q reached
the water Il broke In two ana All
were drowned.
Meanwhile attempts were made to
lower the second boat. cannot say
who was In charge Of this. but do
know that after the chief steward
had thrown provisions in. he Jumped
in himself. There were more men
than women and children In this
boat, which was broken against tho
ship All were drowned These two
boats were amidships.
Three others were put at. The
fourth officer was In one OF them.
but cannot say which one. An was
confusion. The reyes broke and the
people were thrown into the water
and were drowned or killed. when
The captain saw what had happened
he cut the tackle OF the other boats.
so that they could not be launched
I'VE were so glad when we saw
the Carmania coming for We said
Now We shall be saved Tho fire
men rushed an from below and re-
fused To- go back The captain drew
his revolver and drove them below.
but soon after, ns the fire was
spreading they were obliged 90
abandon the engines
AS soon as tho Carmania was
sighted the captain made all the
women and children 60 To- one side
and the men to the other. Hc had
been compelled 10 leave the bridge
and go att because it was toe hot
Women wept shrieked. laughed and
became hysterical
we had not thought Of food. but
IN the afternoon we considered Il
better 10 get something and went 10
the kitchens which we found desert
ed. made coffee ana helped ourselves
70 biscuit ana bcf But most of the
passengers refused 10 cat We saw
RATS sent from the Curmania. but
nobody told ~ 90 Jump In. Ia fact.
We knew not what they were for.
About six O'Clock the decks AFT be-
gan 10 give way We did not seem
10 feel the heat"
When shown hls boot with the sole
half burned through. Trintepohs said.
= don't remember this. hut 1t was
awful when the flames burst out
some of the men and women tore
their hair but others were quite sim
After the explosion ! thought b.
better 20 jump for am good
swimmer and an English passenger
and one OF the crew said They would
accompany nae. Jumped first. they
followed but never saw them
agaln
made for the German ship, bat
they dll not hear me. Then ! came
towards the Carmnnia and shouted
Help and WOES seen hy the aid of
% searchhght was about an hour
in The sea and became hair uucon-
Hcious. know not now was got
out
During the dlv five sailors and
one steward fen INTO the. fires and
were burned to death know moth
ing more. J came away because it
was too hot Co stay any longer, and
] feared the whole ship would blow
up.
When Trintepolil was told that ace
cording 20 the capmins wireless mes
sage six bonts had been launched ana
two got away be- said.
1T b. not so. was there an the
time and saw everything. No boat
got awny"
Mr.. spnrgeon in HIS own account
tells of the attempts 90 get lifoboais
alongside the Nulurn0. "Nothing
he SAYS, "Was seen Of the two boats
launched with about twenty passen-
gers each after ,hoy lef the Voltur-
nos side -Four others were smashed
against the ships side and the occu-
pants either KILLED or drowned