Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-10-22

the Volturno Immediately after the ex-
plosion. While Captain Inch and his
officers were fighting the flames for
ward and trying to calm the steerage,
the operators in the wireless room
were reaching out over the sea, know
ing that numerous ships were within
200 miles. AS it happened, the call
reached ten vessels, the Carmania,
east bound, being the first to pick up
the CALL
Captain Barr of the Carmania re-
ceived the distress call of the Vol
turno when seventy-eight miles dis
tant, in latitude 1926 north, longitude
34.33 west. The Carmania crowded
on full steam and with extra stokers
made over twenty knots an hour in
the teeth of the gale.
When the Carmania reached the vi
cinity of the Volturno the forward end
of the distress vessel was burning
fercely. The flaming ship was roll
ing heavily, while it's propellers were
fouled with boats tackle used in low
ering the six lifeboats.
1t was learned by the captain of the
Carmania that up to that time only
two out of six lifeboats had succeed
ed in getting safely away from the
Volturno. The other four, crowded
with passengers and members Of the
| crew, had been smashed against the
side of the vessel and all their occu-
pants thrown into the sea and
| drowned.
Lifeboat Driven Back.
In spite of the terrific gale raging
when the Carmania arrived near the
Volturno, the captain had one of his
lifeboats lowered to proceed to the
| Volturno to help in the rescue.
The Carmania's lifeboat, in charge
OF First officer Gardiner, made a gal
liant but futile attempt to get along
side the Volturno.
Captain Barr then Unanswered his
vessel close to the Volturno, and
/ finally got the Carmania's bow within
: hundred feet of the Volturno's
stern. 1t was found impossible, how
ever, to cast line on board the Vol
turno or to get anybody on or off.
1t was terrifying sight for the pas
sengers and crew of the Carmania
to see so close to them hundreds Of
passengers, including women and chill
dren, on the decks of the Volturno
, and yet be unable to help them.
Many of the Volturno's passengers
got into the ships lifeboats, but a
| hundred of them were seen gathered
at the after end of the burning vessel,
! whose crew at the same time con-
| tinued in vain to fight the fire at its
foreward end.
Other Ships Draw Near.
Captain Barr of the Carmania in
/ the meantime kept his wireless ap-
| paratus at work communicating with
all the vessels within the radius Of
his instruments.
At four o'clock in the afternoon the
| Grosser Kurfuerst and the Seydlitz
came in sight, and these two were
| joined later in the afternoon by the
| Kroonland, the Devonian, the Kappa
| hammock, the Minneapolis, and La
| Touraine.
The gale abated slightly toward
night and each Of the rescue ships,
as soon as it was possible for it to
| do so, put out boats. The waves
were still SO high, however, that all
the small craft were driven back
Cries were heard during the night,
but the searchlights could locate no
| one. They who cried out persisted
| miserably with ten ships, as brilliant
| as summer hotels, standing all around
| them.
Rescues Begin at Dawn.
The storm continued throughout
| the night, but toward dawn the wind
decreased and the sea began to get
smoother. Every minute of the dark
ness the officers and crew of the ten
rescuing ships had been on duty
watching and waiting for a chance to
lower boats. At daylight their oppor-
| tunity came.
| All of the waiting steamships had
part in the rescue. The sea in the
neighborhood of the Volturno was
covered with lifeboats. The boats ap-
preached the stern, where the hun
dreds of passengers and crew were
| gathered, and in turn took on loads
of survivors.
Some of the Volturno's people
leaped into the water and were
hauled into the lifeboats.
The Volturno was abandoned at
$50 o'clock on Friday morning In