The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-10-11

number of passengers. All they could
do was to watch dumbly the march of
the flames. They were helpless before
a terrible death which seemed newt
able. The wind dashed the heat and
smoke about them and they were al
ternately smothered by spray and suf-
located by smoke Most of the pas
sengers in the boats were women We
could see men dashed to the after rail
facing death with a kind of frantic
despair. There We're a number of chill
dren in the boats. Alternately the oc
| cupants wept, prayed or shouted in
! their apparent doom. 1t was an ex-
perience to blot out human reason.
HIGH SEAS HINDER SHIPS
Shortly after we arrived other
liners which had previously acknowl-
edged our S. 0. s. calls came up. The
seas We're very high and treacherous
wind made it dangerous to venture
too near to the burning ship. That
was the situation when darkness set
tied. The Carmania and the other
liners turned their flashlights upon
the seas around the Volturno, hoping
thus to keep watch for passengers
7
water by the violent rolling of the
ship. The passengers upon the Carma-
MIA and her sister ships of the rescue
fleet crowded upon the decks. and
despite the wind and rain and
dangers from mighty combers which
occasionally swept the vessels,
were thrown by the violent rolling of
the ship into the water. The pas
sengers upon the Carmania and her
ii
upon the decks. and, despite the wind
and rain and dangers from mighty
combers which occasionally swept the
vessels, stood at the rail overcome
with emotion at the scene bsfore
them. At intervals across the water
came the lamentations of the passen-
gers on the flaming ship.
LIFE BUOYS THROWN OUT
Life buoys with lights attached
were thrown into the water
BY midnight most of the infiam-
mable material had been consumed
and the flames apparently were sub
siding. In sense the storm was
sort of blessing, for it kept drenching
the ship with spray. thus making the
exposed woodwork a difficult fuel. At
daybreak the flames had died out to
a great extent Immediately after
dawn the work of reccue began.
The wind had fallen somewhat and
the seas were not so high, which was
factor in our favor. over the sides
of the liners ringed about the burned
ship went lifeboat after lifeboat
manned by sturdy fellows who were
prepared to risk their lives for the
helpless ones on the Volturno.
Loss OF LIFE VERY HEAVY
The task of compiling a list of
those rescued and missing was diff
cult. The vessels in the rescue fleet
was difficult to get definite informa
ton to be transmitted by wireless.
My opinion. formed upon the scene.
was that the loss of life has been
very heavy
Several of the volturno's cabin
| passengers are reported to have been
| homeward bound American American
| tourists.
Those picked up BY the Carmania
1 told a moving story Of the scenes on
the ship before the Carmania arrived
turno would go to the bottom a
charred wreck with all on board
CREW FIGHTS FIRE IN VAIN
when the fire was discovered the
crew tried to fight it, but they were
A
that the flames had made much head
way before found. The passengers
were notified of the danger, but Cap
| tain Inch feared to send them over
board in the small boats because of
/ the high seas. He instructed his
wireless operator to send out the in
ternational call for assistance and
keep on sending it without intermis-
sion, hoping that, as the Volturno
was in the steamer lane, help would
be near.
The fire gained rapidly, and when
it got to the boilerroom the boilers ex-
ploded with a concussion which nearly
tore the ship in two.
PASSENGERS IN MORTAL FEAR
This intensified the fears of the pas
sengers. all of whom believed that
| their hours Of life were numbered.
cheer TO the timid, telling them that
help soon would be at hand officers
of the ship treasured the women pas
sengers continually.
The traditional rules of the sea,
! in ship disasters, Women and chill
dren first was enforced by the Off
GERS when the work of filing the
| lifeboats began.
"A wireless from the Narragansett
Sllu tHdl the Two wireless operators
had been picked up by the crew of
1 that ship while the purser and his
surgeon and several other officers
! were taken on board the Grosser
| Kurfurst"
CAPTAIN OF SHIP SAVED
/ A message to Lloyds' stated that
| the captain of the volturno had not
died on his ship. but had been taken
/ on board of the Kroonland with the
second, third and fifth officers.
The Volturno was built for the Can
adam Northern Steamship company,
but is charteded by the Uranium line.
/ She was a twin screw vessel of 1902
| tons. She had two decks and q shelter
deck. She was constructed in Glas-
| gov seven years ago. The Volturno