The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-10-14
STORY OF BURNING OF
THE STEAMER VOLTURNO
AS Told by Survivor of Awful
Tragedy on the Sea.
136 LIVES SAID TO BE LOST.
thrilling Description of the Terror,
Struggle for Life Boats and Death
of Those Who Went Over Sides.

eF Nolturno, burned and abandoned
In mid-ocean Friday morning, con-
hrm that the loss of life will be
limited to about one hundred and
thlrty-slX. The Carmania, first of
the rescuing ships to reach the burn
ing steamer, arrived off Queenstown
this morning, but owing to the gale
proceeded direct to Fishguard, where
she is due to arrive at IL a. m.
The Carmania has one lone sur
vivor of the Volturno aboard. From
that survivor, however, comes a thrill
ling story of the burning of the
steamer, of the terror, the struggle
for life boats, the death of those who
went over the sides and his own des-
perate fight for life.
Arthur Spurgeon, a passenger on
the ,Carmania, in a wireless dispatch.
supplemented his own description of
the race of the Carmania to the
burning vessel and the rescue of the
passengers off the Volturno by the
story told him by the survivor Wal
ter Trintepohl, German, who swan
to the Carmania and was rescued in
an exhausted condition.
GERMAN TELLS HIS STORY.
Since being taken aboard the Car
mania Trintepohl has been in the
ships hospital threatened with pneu-
monia. He told his story to Mr..
Spurgeon before he became seriously
i'll, but owing to his exhausted state
and his broken English, his account
of the disaster was somewhat inco-
herent.
Trintepohl had been employed at
Barcelona and took third class pas
sage on the Volturno to secure a po-
sition offered him in New York.
All went we'll" said Trintepohl.
until o'clock Thursday morning,
when the fire alarm sounded. We
were aroused and told to go on deck.
as fire had broken out in the hold.
On assembling life-belts were hand
ed around and much time was occu-
pied In fastening them. We we're
told that the fire soon might be
quenched, but the captain thought it
wise for all to have belts as a pre-
caution.
THE fire frightened the children.
who cried bitterly. There were
many babies in arms. The fire grew
worse. We saw things blazing down
below. Tbout 10 o'clock there was a
cry to lower the boats.
CAPTAIN BEHAVED WELL.
"The captain behaved splendidly.
So did the officers, who we're Eng
lish. | am sorry to say that the
crew, who were Germans and Bel
gians, behaved very badly. The peo-
pie rushed about wildly and the crew
seemed to think they ought to have
first place and instead OF quoting the
passengers they made the panic
worse.
THE first officer took charge OF the
first boat, but, although he wanted
the women and children saved first, a
majority of those who entered the
boat were members of the crew
This boat was smashed against
the ships side. Just as it reached
the water 1t broke in two and all in
1t were drowned
Meanwhile attempts were made
to lower the second boat. / cannot
say who was in charge, but do
know that after the chief steward had
thrown in provisions he Jumped in
himself. There were more men than
women and children in this boat,
which did not go down, for il was
broken against the ship and all were
drowned.
ALL WAS CONFUSION.
"These two boats were amidships.
Three other boats were put out aft.
The fourth officer was in one of them.
but / cannot say which one. All was
confusion. The ropes broke and the
occupants were thrown into the wa
ter and 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.
1--WE were so glad when we saw the
Carmania coming. for we said we
shall all now be saved
The firemen rushed up from be-
low and refused to go back. The
captain drew his revolver and drove
them~ below, but soon after as the
fire was spreading they were Obliged
to abandon the engines.
LAS soon as the Carmania was
sighted the captain made all the wo-
men and children go to one side and
the men to the other side. We had
been compelled to leave the bridge
and go aft because il was too hot.
Women wept, shrieked, laughed and
became hysterical.
PREPARED FOOD.
1--WE had not thought of food. but
in the afternoon we considered Il
better to get something and went to
the kitchens, which we found desert
ed. made, coffee and helped ourselves
to biscuits, and beef. But most of
the passengers refused to eat
I'VE saw RATS sent from the Car
mania, but nobody told us to jump