Arizona republican., 1913-10-15
GIVES NO CAUSE
 FOR THE FLAMES
Says Roughness of Weather Prevented Safe Launch ing of Boats Which Had Been Provisioned and Made Ready.
IAssocIATEp PRESS DIsPATcHl

NEW YORK. Oct 14.-Captain Francis Inch, whose steamer the Vol turno burned at sea with a loss of 15C lives told his story of the disas- ter tonight It was a plain seaman 5 tale, but in it, line by line the hor- TOTS of the disaster and the terrible ordeal through which the passengers and crew passed were brought out an the more clearly, perhaps, for the marked directness and simplicity with which the story was told.
 His narrative runs without appar- ent omission of any salient fact, but one. Captain Inch did not say what caused the fire reporting simply that the chief officer advised him ten min utes before o'clock in the morning of October 9 of it's existence below and five minutes later the flames burst through the forward hatches spreading rapidly.
 A call for help by wireless had gUne out as soon as the flames shot through the forward matches and the crew did it's best to stay the progress of the blaze until assistance could come. It looked then as if there was no possible chance to save the
  running high and the Volturno was rolling heavily the captain had the boats provisioned and swung out The Volturno's master covers in a few words the progress of the fire through the night and how when the rescue steamers came up he failed. because of the heavy weather. to get the boats of the burning liner launch nf tFo ed overheard and were picked up by attending craft.
 Captain Inch sent his story of the disaster by wireless from the Kroom- land on which he is being brought to this port to the officers of the Uranium line here. Captain Inchs narrative reads:
 It was $50 o'clock October g. when fire was reported in Hold No. l by the chief officer and at 2:55 flames were burning through Num- Der one matches setting fire to the forecastle and all deck fittings. I slowed the ship down and kept her before the wind to enable us to put the steam extinguishers in operation and also three fire hoses from the deck connections. The flames were gaining rapidly. reaching the height of the foremost light and imprison- ing the watch below, who were burn cd to death in the forecastle
 "A series of explosions now occur red, wrecking the saloon and hospi- tai amidship, the compass and steer ing gear being also damaged by the explosions. I gave orders to get help Fy wireless as soon as the flames Et rned the hatches.
 Seemingly being impossible to save the ship. I had boats provisioned and swung out while the ship was rolling heavily. Two boats were smashed but another was lowered to the water with cabin passengers and a stewar- dess in charge of Chief Officer H. P Miller After this boat had left the ship she capsized throwing the occu- pants into the water. Afterward CT CIV got back into the boat, the chief officer being one of them. Number boat was lowered and got away safely, filled with steerag ge passengers in charge of Fourth Officer LangseH Number boat while being lowered was caught under the stern of the ship and the boat was completely wrecked.
 Tn the meanwhile the chief engi- neer, two seamen and myself fought the fire and apparently subdued the flames. I gave orders to send no more ------------------