The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-11
MARINE TRAGEDY
EXACTS AWFUL TOLL
Of HUMAN LIVES
CONTINUED from Page One.)

mid-Atlantic and that the flames rag
ed so furiously in the gale that the
abandonment Of the steamer followed
on Thursday morning. The steamers
crew fought for hours to save the pas
sengers and crew of the burning
steamer Occupants of the life boats
were thrown into the sea when the
boats were smashed against the
steamers sides, and drowned. One re-
port by way of Liverpool is that 236
Of the passengers and crew of the Vol
turno were missing.
Life Boats Swamped.
1t is learned by the Captain of the
Carmania that two only, out of six life
boats, had succeeded in getting safely
away from the Volturno. The other
four, crowded from steam to stern
with passengers and crew, had been
smashed against the side of the vessel
and their occupants thrown into the
sea.
In spite of the terrific gale raging
when she arrived near the VOlturnO,
the captain of the Carmanfa had one
of his life boats lowered to proceed to
the Volturno to help in the rescue.
The boat was launched with much diff
ficulty for even on the lee side of the
Carma MA the sea was terribly rough
and it was only by extraordinary eff
forts that the small craft was prevent
ed from being smashed or capsiZed as
she left the side of the ship.
First Attempt Futile.
The Carmania's life boat in charge
OF First Officer Gardiner, made a gal
liant but futile attempt to get along
side the doomed vessel. After two
hours battle with the waves, during
which the life boat lost all but three
Of her oars, First Officer Gardiner
returned to the Carmania without loss
of life
Captain Barr then manouvered his
vessel very close to the Volturno. 1t
was found impossible. however, to
pass a lire on board the burning ship
It was a terrifying sight for the pas
sengers and crew Of the Carmania to
see so close to them, the hundreds OF
passengers, including women and chill
dren, in horror and fear and yet be
unable to help them. Some of the pas
sengers dropped into the NOlturnO S
life boats but hundred of them had
gathered at the after end of the Vol
turno, whose crew at the same time
continued in vain to fight the fire at
her forward end.
German Vessels Help.
Captain Barr of the Carmania, in the
meanwhile kept his wireless apparatus
at work, communicating with all the
vessels within the radius of his instru-
ment At four o'clock in the afternoon
the Grosser Kurfeurt and the Seydlitz
came in sight.
The gale gradually dropped off and
each of the succoring ships put out
beats from her davits and lowered
them to the sea. The waves, however,
were so high that although the small
craft made some progress in the Dir
rection of the Volturno, it was impos-
sible for them to get alongside and
they returned to their shops, in most
cases doing this with the greatest diff
f1culty.
At 20 minutes past nine last night
the wireless operator on board the
Volturno had to turn over the con-
nection of his instrument to the re-
serve batteries as the fire had reach
ed the boilers and the engine room
and had put the pumps and dynamos
out of action.
Cries Of Help.
few minutes later cries for help
were heard rising from the water on
board and then a man who proved to
be a Stearage passenger OF the Vol
turno, wearing a life preserver, was
located by means of the search light,
short distance away. He was res
cued.
Other cries were heard but these
gradually died away and no further
bodies or swimming people were seen.
About midnight a ray of hope came.
the flame subsidized and rescuing ships
were at hand.