Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-13
Captain Of Rescuing Ship
Sends Further Details
# Disaster.
ORDER WRECKAGE SUNK
British Cruiser Sent From the
Scotland Coast to Destroy
Blazing DereIiCt.

On board Grosser Kurfurst, at sea,
wireless TO Cape Race-With los sur
vivors on board from the Volturno,
burned at the waters edge in a gale
IN mid-Atlantic, and abandoned Fri
day, the Grosser Kurfurst is approach
Ing New York. Passengers and crew
Of the Kurfurst witnessed a thrilling
scene for when they arrived in the vi
Cinity Of the Volturno they found the
Nolturno burning entirely. Crew and
passengers we're helpless in the heavy
seas. II was learned by wireless from
the burning vessel that the flames
were started by an explosion in the
forward hold at Z o'clock Thursday
morning, ships time. Upon the arrival
OF the Kurfurst the flames we're leap
ing so feet In the air through the
batchways. Steerage passengers we're
killed by the explosion and fire. Six
boats were lowered Immediately after
yards from the Volturno's davits
Three of them. still empty, smashed
against the vessels side, one with 40
passengers. capsised while being
launched, and all were lost.
NbiONb
Two others. with from 60 to SO on
board, got away, but apparently were
lost in the mountainous seas. The
Carmania was the first of ~ liners
TO reach the scene in answer to the
wireless. During the day time the
flames in the hold were kept more
or less under control, but about 8
O'Clock Thursday night the fire reach
ed the coal bunkers, and 1t was found
necessary to close the bulkheads
Rumps-s~eEe--aRabl to. worlkz-at-full
pressure and the flames broke out
through the entire forward part of the
vessel At $40 Thursday night an
other explosion on the Volturno caused
panic among passengers and crew.
Three boats of the Kurfurst rescued
32 persons washed into the sea. All
those remaining on board the Volturno
were crowded together at the after
end Of the vessel and taken of safely
after daybreak Friday. Second Officer
Lloyd of the Volturno, one of the
heroes. fell 20 feet while repairing
the wireless apparatus on board his
vessel, continued to fight the fire all
day. and at o'clock in the evening
made a perilous trip to the Kurfurst
in small boat with three others from
the Volturno. The little craft, sink
ing, was picked up by life boats from
the Kurfurst- The total saved is be-
lieved TO be 523.
New York. Oct. 13.-The North Ger.
man Lloyd line today received the fol.
lowing wireless from Captain Spangen-
berg OF the Grosser Kurfurst:
''Nolturno was found in a total burn
ing condition. The fire commenced
with a heavy explosion in the bow, re-
sulting in the death OF several passen-
gers and crew. Eleven vessels sur
rounded the Volturno. a heavy north
west storm and high seas prevailed.
Two boats from the Grosser Kurfurst
remained in the water all night. but #
was almost impossible TO approach the
wreck. During the night 80 persons
were saved by the two boats and at
dawn 6S more. One OF the Volturno' S
boats containing five men was picked
up and the men taken aboard imme-
diately after the rescue. The total
saved by all ships was 523. About one
hundred are missing.
Although the total saved by the
Grosser Kurfurst is given as 105,
tn classified list OF rescued accounts
for but 1O4. When we left the Car.
mania and La Touraine were search,
ing for the two Volturno boats full OF
passengers, but success was improb
able. Almost all OF the volturno's
boats were smashed by the seas when
lowered. The wreck is drifting and
dangerous TO shipping. We continued
our voyage after losing "a hour"
COMMANDERS LAST MESSAGE.
London. Eng. Oct: ls.-The messagC
received by the Carmania from Com
mander Inch OF the doomed Volturno
before he abandoned the burning yes
sci. follows:
Cannot something be done to hell
us? We must abandon this ship. He
plates are buckling. Stand close by
as I may have TO jump for IT,"
Inch handed this to the wireless op
orator OF the Volturno just before h.
was driven out OF his room by tn,
flames. Shortly after the Volturni
was a raging furnace
The British cruiser Donegal was de
spatched today from the west coast o
Scotland 10 destroy the blazing ders
lict, Volturno.
SURVIVOR TELLS STORY.
Arthur Spurgeon, a passenger on tn
Carmsnia. in a wireless dispatch. sur
plements his own description Of tn
trip Of the Carmania TO the burnin
(continued on Page Ten.)