The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-10-17
MANY LIVES
ARE LOST ON
BURNING SHIP
SIX LIFEBOATS OVERTURNED AS
RESCUERS WORK.
OTHERS COULD NOT HELP
Passengers on Nearby Vessels See
Women and Children Perish in
Flames While Powerless to
Render Them Succor.

that the steamer N%olturno. with several
hundred passengers aboard, from Rot
terdam for New York. was abandoned
afirc at sea.
Ten steamers responded to the wire
less calls for help and fought for hours
during a raging gale to save the passen.
gers and crew of the burning steamer,
which eventually was abandoned. Oc-
cupants of six lifebuats were thrown
into the sea when the boats were smashed
against the steamers side. and probably
drowned. One report by way of Liver
pool was that 236 of the passengers and
crew of the Nolturno were missing.
Captain Barr. of the Carmania, re-
ceiyed the distress call of the Nolturno
when IS miles distant. in latitude 1925
north, longitude 1886 west. The Car.
mania crowded on fun steam and with
extra stokers made over twenty kpots
an hour in the teeth of the gale.
The wireless from the Carmania said
that the Nolturno caught fire in mid
Atlantic, and that the flames ragged 80
furiously in the gale that the steamer
was abandoned on Thursday morning.
A few details coming through by wireless
promise a graphic story of the fight made
by crews of ten transatlantic steamers
who responded to the Nolturno's call.
The Nolturno sailed from Rotterdam
on October , for New York, by way of
Halifax, where it was due to stop next
Monday.
1t is believed that the steamer carried
q cabin Passengers, $40 steerage pas
sengers and IA crew of ninety-three men.
The wireless reports say that 521 per-
sons were saved, making 200 persons nm
accounted for thus far.
When the Carmania reached the vicin-
ity OF the Nolturno at noon She found
the forward end of the distressed vessel
burning tiercely. The flaming ship was
at the same time rolling heavily. while
her propellers were fouled with boats
tackle used in lowering her six lifeboats.
1t was learned by the captain of the
Carmania that two ONLY out of six life
boats had succeeded in getting safely
away from the Nolturno. The other four,
crowded from stem TO stern with passen-
gers and members OF the crew. had been
smashed against the side of the vessel
and all their occupants thrown into the
sea and drowned.
The Carmania's lifeboat. in charge of
First Officer Gardiner, made a gallant
but futile attempt to get alongside the
doomed Nolturno. After two hours bat
tie with The waves, during which the
lifeboat lost all but three of her oars.
the rest being broken or torn from the
hands of the crew, First Officer Gardiner
returned TO the Carmania.
In spite Of the terrific gale raging when
his vessel arrived near the Nolturno, the
captain of the Carmania had one OF his
liieboats lowered to proceed to the Vol
turno to help in the rescue. The boat
was launched with much difficulty, for
even ON the lceside of the Carmania the
seas were terribly rough and it was only
by extraordinary efforts that the small
craft was prevented from being smashed
or capslzed as she LETT the side OF the
ship.
Capt Barr, of the Carmania, then ma
neuvercd his big vessel very close to the
Nolturno, and finally got the Carmania's
bow within a hundred feet OF the Vol
turno's stern.
II was found impossible. however. TO
cast a line on board the Volturno or 90
get ANYBODY of her.
1t was a terrifying sight for passen.
GERS and crow of the Carmania to see 50
close to them the hundreds Of passcn.
GERS. including women and children. in
borror.stricken fear on the decks of the
yolturno. and vet be unable TO helm them.
Most Of tbe passeno.rs oot into ,hc
Volturno's lifeboats, but a hundred of