The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-10-13

Continued
able thus far to tell the thrilling
story of the disaster.
FISHGUARD, Wales. Oct. 1s.-All
of the passengers of the burned liner
Nolturno could have been saved but
for the cowardice of her crew. That
more than 500 persons, the bulk Of
them passengers, were saved was due
alone TO the heroic work of the COM
snander of the ship. Captain Thomas
inch. These facts were learned here
This afternoon on the arrival of the
Cunard liner Carmania, the first ship
TO pick up the Volturno's IS. o. s.
call and rush to her assistance.
The charge of Walter Trintepohl,
steerage passenger, who was picked
I'D by the Carmania. that members of
the crew fought for places in the life
beats until Captain Inch drew his re-
volver was borne out by other facts.
Twenty-Five members of the crew of
IS were saved. Thus, OF those who
perished 6S were seamen. According
TO Trintepohl, six sailors were killed
while fighting the flames. The rest
died as result of their own coward
ice.
When the crew saw that the ship
was doomed they became panic
stricken. After Captain Inch had
given orders to lower the boats and
had instructed his officers to see that
women and children were cared for
first. the cowardly seamen made a
dash for the boats and scrambled in
The officers used their fists, but We're
overpow When Captain Inch
saw the performance repeated in the
second boat he drew his revolver and
threatened to kill the first sailor who
5nterfered with the passengers
Sailors We're needed, however, to
man the oars, and when the call was
given for men to take charge of the
fourth and fifth boats there was a
rush forward which overwhelmed the
officers in charge.
CAPTATN NEARLY BURNED
TrintepohI. the first of the yoltur-
nos survivors to reach land. was in
the hospital when the Carmania
reached Fishguard. He was threat
ened with pneumonia and was still in
a deiirious condition at times. Dur
ing lucid moments he had added to
his first story of the disaster He
said that when Captain Inch finally
left his ship the shoes had been
nearly burned from his feet. He was
in an exhausted condition. not having
slept or eaten in SO hours.
The hull of the VoIturno was steel,
and this held and intensified the heat
of the fire The huh became red hot
from stem to stern above the water
line, and the after deck was so hot
that all the survivors suffered from
badly burned feet
The waves dashing on the heated
hull caused clouds of steam to arise,
which made the passengers fear they
would be scalded.
SAYS LIFEBOATS ARE LOST
Captain Barr, commander of the
Carmania, which served as the flag
ship Of the rescue squadron, said
there was no hope that either of the
lifeboats that left the Volturno be-
fore he arrived could have escaped.
The sea was so high that they prob
ably went down in a few minutes, he
said.
Certainly if there had been any
chance we would not have left the
scene" he told the newspaper men
who boarded the Carmania
There was a great cheer as the vast
throng waiting for the Carmania
caught sight of Captain Barr upon
i
British seaman. rushing through a
gale to the Volturnos rescue, had en-
rolled his name on the pages of Eng
lish history alongside that of Cap
tain Rostron Of the Carpathia, who
in the same manner dashed to the
aid of the stricken Titanic.
Cheer after cheer rolled out for
Barr. and they ceased only when he
left the bridge while the passengers
hafr, 4.aIr n-f.<
TO London. This was done rapidly.
so that the Carmania might lose no
time in departing for Liverpool
Captain Barr refused to take the
role of hero and when newspapermen
besieged him, he said:
Il must refuse tc make any state
ment after the nerve SCATTERING ex-
periences of the last few days I've
not had much sleep since Thursday.
have been on the bridge for the last
p hours
The vessel sailed at BIS D. m. for
Liverpool, where it is due at mid
night
Through a gale almost as severe as
that when she rushed to the rescue
of the burning liner Voiturno, the
Cunader Carmania crept slowly into
this port this morning. As soon as
dawn came the sea front was crowded
Win HAUUIcOS u men, women anu
children. residents of Fishguard and
friends or relatives of the Volturno's
passengers, who had hurried here for
the latest news Of their loved ones
Shortly before the arrival OF the
Caymania the wireless operator on
board that ship sent a radiogram say
ing that 521 passengers of the Vol
turno had been saved and 136 lost
Arrival of the oil tank steamer
Narragansett made possible the res
cue OF the survivors aboard the Vol
iurno on Friday morning.
OIL SAVED PASSENGERS
Nine steamships were around the
Nolturno at daybreak Friday. These
We're the Carmania the Kroonland,
La Touraine, Grosser Kurfurst. Min
neapolis. New York Ga tank), Seyd-
litz. Rappahannock and Devonian To-
ward daybreak the Narragangett ar
rived with the Car.
The former came at full speed and
took position slightly to the wind
ward Of the Volturno, 1t began at
once to pour oil on the sea, using two
large lines Of hose, which sprayed oil