Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-10-17
STEAMER BURNS;
MANY LIVES LOST
VESSEL GOES DOWN AFTER 521
OUT OF 651 PASSENGERS
HAVE BEEN RESCUED.
Wireless Calls Ten Lines to Aid of
Doomed ship, But Lifeboats Are
Beaten Back by Waves and
Passengers Are Drowned

London.-Not since the sinking of
the Titanic has there been recorded
such tragedy at sea as the burning
OF the steamship Volturno in mid-At-
lantic, on October IL, with a loss, so
far as at present known, of 1856 lives
and the rescue of 521. The survivors
were placed aboard fleet of steam
ers summoned by the Volturnos calls
for help, some of which are bound
eastward and others westward
The volturno sailed from Rotter-
dam on October for New York.
According to the official statement,
she carried twenty-five first-class
cabin passengers, 538 steerage and
crew numbering SO. The rescue ships
reached the scene of the disaster in
plenty of time to save all, but for
hours stood by the blazing vessel,
impotent because of the storm to
reach the agonized men, women and
children crowding the after part of
the ship and within a stones throw.
All night Thursday the lifeboats
made a desperate effort to get aleng-
side the Volturno, but the waves
beat them back again, and not until
the storm abated &c daylight Friday
did the rescuers succeed in receiving
the survivors from the doomed ship.
The Volturno was well equipped
with boats, sufficient, the agents say
for thosuand people, but the bois-
ferrous sea or lack of boat drill or
panic among the passengers prevent
Ing the successful employment of
them. The rescue ships were able
to lower lifeboats, but apparently
most of the boats launched from the
Volturno were smashed or upset and
the occupants drowned. Two of the
boats, crowded with passengers, are
reported to have got away from the
+, ship, but a search for them has
proved fruitless and they have prac-
tically been given up as lost The
occupants of these boats are includ-
ed in the death roll
The steamer Carmania, bound for
New York from Liverpool, was sew
enty-eight miles away when the call
fer help sounded. Captain Barr, or
dering full steam, in spite of the
gale, drove through the seas at TWEEN
ty knots an hour and was first of the
feet to reach the burning vessel She
was followed by La Touraine, Min
neapolis, Rappahannock, Gar, Mar
ragansett, Devonian, Kroonland,
Grosser Kurfuerst and Seydlitz at
various hours throughout the day.
But try as they might, the rescuing
vessels could not get either line or
iifeboat to the Volturno
The. burning steamer lay in the
trough of the seas, pounding help
lessly, with her propellers fouled by
the boats tackle. The terrified pas
seRgers were huddled together as
far as it was possible to get from
the flames, while throughout the
day the officers and crew fought des-
perately with whatever appliances
were at hand to hold the fire in
check. But night came on and the
seas abated only slightly. The circle
of steamers kept their searchlights
playing and waited patiently within
the danger zone for the first moment
when they might again launch the
Aifeboats
When day broke the Volturno was
still afioat The gale had moderated
and the seas almost Gained down.
From every one of the encireling
steamers lifeboats were sent out and
to these women and children were
lowered first. Several trips were nee
essary before the survivors were re-
moved to a place of safety.