Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-11
Special Cable 20 The Atlanta osoraIan.

opcSiS NaplS 10 ne Atlanta AeoF0ldns
LIVERPOOL, oct IA thrilling
story of the last hours of the Uranium
liner Volturno, which was burned In
mid Atlantic, was CLEANED from
wireless message received here late
this afternoon from Captain Barr. Of
the Cunar6 liner Carmania which was
the first ship to respond to the wire
less calls of the Volturno.
1t is an epic of tragedy. 1t follows:
"On Thursday, while making our
way through a gale, the Carmania
picked up the following telct S. o. S.
call:
Come quick; ship afire; fear we
are doomed
THAT was the plea which came
out of the storm. We Immediately
ascertained the location of the burn
ing ship, which was directly in the
steamer lane. The stokers were or
dered into the engine room and then
began a wild race OF seventy eight
miles which separated us from the ILL
fated ship.
Human life was the reward of vic
tory: death in Its most horrible form
the penalty Of defeat
Make Twenty Knots an Hour.
In spite of the winds which beat
against her and the rolling seas into
which she plunged. the staunch Car
mania worked up to a speed of over
twenty knots an hour. Part of the
time the raging propellers. spinning
with the speed Of pinwheels. were
completely out of the water as the
waves rose and fell
Standing upon the bridge | waited
eagerly the first sign OF the burning
ship About four hours after we
picked up the first call for help we
could see from the bridge the blurred
ship, wrapped In flame. smoke and
fog, rolling in the heavy seas.
In the meantime during the hours
that we had been rushing to the
rescue the wireless operator had kent
up an incessant call, notifying all
liners within range of the plight and
position Of the Nolturno.
Huddled in llfeboats.
THE Nolturno was "A seething mass
of flames from her bow TO the waist
She was pitching and rolling drunk
emily. Huddled in the stern Of the
vessel in suspended lifehoats, which
they had been unable to launch were
number of passengers.
"All they could do was to watch
dumblv the rush Of the flames They
were helpless before a fate which
seemed inevitable The wind dashed
the heat and smoke about them, and
they were alternately smothered by
SPRAY and suffocated by smoke.
Most Of the passengers in the
boats We're women We could see men
dashed to the after rail. facing death
with a kind Of frantic despair There
were a number Of children in the
boats
"Aiterpately the occupants wept.
prayed Or shouted in their helpless
and apparent doom. 1t was an eN-
peTience to blot out human reason.
shortly after we arrived other
liners which had previously ac-
knowledge our s. q. s. calls came
UP. The seas We're very high and a
treacherous wind made Il dangerous
to venture too near 10 the burning
ship.
Searchlights Trained on Scene.
THAT was the situation when
darkness settled. The Carmania and
the other liners turned their flash
lights upon the seas around the Vol
turno, hoping thus to keep watch for
passengers who leaped or We're
thrown by the violent rolling Of the
shin into the water.
Tho passengers upon the Car
mania and her sister ships in the
rescue feet crowded upon the decks
and despite the wind and rain and
dangers from mighty combers which
occasionally swept the vessels. stood
at the rail overcome with emotion
al the sad scene before them. At in
terYals across the water came the
lamentations of the passengers on the
Gaming ship.
"Lifebuoys with lights attached
were thrown into the water in the
hope that they might offer a means
Of support to any passenger who had
gone overheard.
Ossolate and Slocnv ASPECT.
- The scene was a desolate and
gloomy one; one in keeping with the
tragic picture which stood before our