Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1913-10-16
over 200 LIVES
LOST AT SEA

WIRELESS BRINGS AID TO MANY
MORE-FIRE IN MID-OCEAN.
New York, Oct. 11.-(Special to
Alert. .)-Fire in a raging storm in
mid-Atlantic Thursday destroyed the
liner Volturno, on her voyage from
Rotterdam to New York, with the
loss of more than 200 lives, :
Again the wireless played a lead
ing part in the tragic drama. BY it's
means and through the heroism of
the crews of ten vessels who re-
sponded to the call Of the Volturno's
operator, the lives of 521 of those on
board the doomed ship were saved.
Rescue Vessel Tells of Horror.
Cape Race, Oct. 14-With 105 sur
vivors on board from the steamship
volturno, burned to the waters edge
during a gale in mid-Atlantic and
abandoned on Friday last, the Gros.
ser Kurfuerst is approaching New
York.
The passengers and crew of the
Grosser Kurfuerst witnessed some
thrilling scenes when their vessel,
called by distress signals from the
Volturno, arrived in her vicinity.
I'VE found the Volturno burning
fiercely and her crew and passengers
helpless in the heavy SEAS" the ship
says. 1t was learned by wireless
messages from the flaming vessel that
the fire had been started by an ex'
plosion in the forward hold at Z
O'Clock on Thursday morning, ships
time.
On the arrival of the Grosser Kur,
fuerst, the flames from the hold of the
Volturno were leaping eighty feet into
the air through the hatchways. 1t
was learned that fifty or more of the
Volturno's crew and steerage pas
sengers had been killed by the ex
plosion and the fire.
Altogether twelve liners were
brought by the wireless distress sig
nails within hail of the Volturno.
The Cunard liner Carmania was
the first of these. She reached the
scene at about IL o'clock noon. Their
followed the Seydlitz, the Grossel
Kurfuerst, the Kroonland, the New
York, the Devonian, La Touraine, the
Narragansett, the Minneapolis, the
Asian, the Rappahannock and the
Car.
allow the taking off of the Volturno's
passengers when the rescuing yes.
sells came on the scene.
Panic Among Passengers.
During the day time the flames
from the hold of the Volturno were
kept more or less under control, but
about 9 p. m. Thursday the fire
reached the coal bunkers and it was
found necessary to close the bulk.
head. The pumps thereupon were
unable to work at full pressure and
the flames broke out through the en-
tire forward part Of the vessel.
At 9:40 p. m. Thursday another ex-
plosion OCCURRED on the Volturno and
caused q panic. among her despairing
passengers and crew.
The Grosser Kurfuerst launched
three boats and rescued thirty.two
persons who had been washed into
the sea. One OF the rescuing life.
boats was out for six hours and was
nearly lost.
All those remaining on board the
after. end OF the vessel we're taken
or, safely after daybreak on Friday.
Second Omcer Lloyd Of the Voltur.
NO was one Of the heroes Of the dis
aster. He fell from height OF TWEEN.
ty feet while repairing the wireless
apparatus on board his vessel, but
continued to fight the IRE all day and
at o'clock in the evening made a
perilous trip to the Grosser Kurfuerst
in q small boat with three others
from the Volturno.
The little craft was sinking when
she was picked up by one of the life.
boats from the Grosser Kurfuerst.
The total number Of those saved il,
believed to be 523.
DEATH OF COL. "A. d. KERLIN.
Devils Lake, Oct. 13.-The city of
Devils Lake is today shrouded in
following the sudden death