Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-10-22

,# When the Carmania reached the vi
cinity Of the Volturno the forward end
OF the distress vessel was burning
flercely. The flaming ship was roll
ing heavily, while its propellers were
fouled with boats tackle used in low
ering the six lifeboats.
It 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 "a and
drowned. s. hi
Il Cifeboat Driven Back. !s
In spite of the terrific gale raging
when the Carmania arrived near the
volturno, the captain had one Of his
ilifeboats lowered to proceed to the
Volturno to help in the rescue.
The Carmania's Hfeboat, In charge
OF First Officer Gardiner. made a gal
liant but futile attempt to get along.
side the Volturno. II #5s +
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. 4 =: !,
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 Ia
Touraine. q IF.
The gale abated slightly toward
night and each Of the rescue ships,
as soon as 1t was possible for 1t 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 perished
miserably with ten ships, as brilliant
as summer hotels, standing all around
them. NJ $ ssss
Rsseues Begin ut 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 f% a chance to
lower boats. At daylight their oppor-
tunity came. III
y All OF the waiting steamships had
part In the rescue. The sea in the
neighborhood OF the yolturno G 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 5lifeboats. f55s
Survivor 81 elIs Of Disaster.
4 London, Oct. 14-C. F. Hart, me-
chanical manager Of the Daily Mail.
who was = passenger on the Cunard-
or Carmania, Ngave description OF
the burning Of the volturno. The mes
sage is as follows: 1.-THE slifeboats
took on in quick succession the pas
sengers from the Volturno as they
slid one by one down the lifelines.
Day break saw two other additions
to the rescue heet, the Russian-Ameri-
can liner Gear and the tank steamer
The latter came at full
speed and quickly took up q position
TO windward OF the Volturno. In
lew moments two large streams Of oil |
we're pouring over the side of the Mar
and this materially Gained
The waters and was of invaluable as
sistance in aiding the small boats to
AXE on the passengers and crew. The
Ill was directed toward the stern OF
The burning vessel, for It was from
this end Of the ship that the survivors
we're being taken. n
Passengers Are Taken on. u
"By nine o'clock Friday morning
Ill OF the passengers who remained
IN the volturno, SCI, had been safely
AIKEN OF and transferred to the ten
vessels summoned by wireless. Each
If the ten vessels then went on .
hort cruise in different directions in
n EFFORT to md the llfeboats which
lad been launched from the Volturno
before assistance arrived. No trace
II these we're found, however. and Ut
lie hope is held out that any OF these
ooats escaped, as they we're manned
" passengers, the crew remaining on
,oard to fight the flames.
3'''If the passengers In these lifeboats
AVE been drowned the loss OF life
viii total 1876. 3
Wireless Saved Many Lives. 4,
THAT the entire complement of 657
were not lost, and sea trag-
,dy second to the Titanic disaster re-
,dfded, was due entirely to the wire
ess and the prompt response Of Cap
ain Barr Of the Carmania. Captain
Barr showed wonderful executive abil-
ty in taking command Of the situa-
ion after he arrived and in carrying
,ut the rescue Of those persons who
.ernained on the burning vessel. Great
credit must be given to the crews
which made up the international res
cue squadron. The crew of the Vol
;urno have reported that nearly all OF
he bulkheads on their vessel re-
NAMED intact during the fire except
hose in the forward holds, which
gave way only when the fire centered
about them. Had these bulkheads
not been in excellent condition the
volturno would have been Quilted by
Ore before the Carmania could have
her, and before one Of the
could have escaped with
their lives in the terrific gale which
was raging when the fire broke out.
The moderating Of the gale early Fri
day morning just as the rescue squad
ron had about abandoned hope OF
reaching the stern Of the Volturno
also played a prominent part In max
Ing the rescue possible 4,
Dying Man Directs Funeral Plans.
Basking Ridge, N. PINNED be-
meath a fellen tree, Emery Payne, a