The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-10-18
Third officer Waldron Dlsselnnan OF
the Volturno Relates
Experiences


by the first explosion on the vessel
Thursday morning and either perish
ed AT once or we're burned alive. This
news was brought to port today with
the docking of the steamship Grosser
Kurfuerst bearing 105 survivors OF
the disaster.
It came from the lips of Waldron
Dissolman, third officer of the Voltur-
no, one of the rescued.
The Grosser Kurfuerst locked in
Hoboken this afternoon. Committees
of the Red Cross and Jewish organi-
cations and friends and relatives OF
the dead and living awaited her COM
ing. Ten automobiles and an ambu-
lance we're on hand to bring the I'M
fortunates to places of temporary ref
uges in Manhattan.
In broken English, D.sse man a
quiet hammered man of about 30 years
told of his experience during tie Is
hours he was aboard the fire swept
vessel. The cause of the fire he es.
tablished as an explosion OF n drum
containing chemicals or oil in the for.
ward part Of the vessel.
DIsseIman's story
II was just going to the bridge"
he said, when the first explosion &C.
Cured. The volturno trembled as If
she had been struck by heavy
shell. Almost Immediately other
drums began to explode. There was
a rapid fire Of explosions that sound
ed like cannonading.
Capt. Inch was on the bridge. |
heard him shout out to man the life
boats. The passengers came running
sprang to the davits. A gale was
bowling and the seas were sweeping
in great rollers around us. The pas.
sengers crowded the rails so that the
sailors had difficulty in lowering the
boats. Meantime the small drums and
cases of chemicals were exploding by
the dozen every minute. No one
thought the ship could last five mi.
nutes.
Flames swept up from number one
compartment forward and leaped to
the forecastle. Within a few minutes
it was blazing. The gale famed the
blaze.
First Boat Lowered
"A boat was lowered and made
away. 1t seemed as If it would cap
size every minute. We lost It time |
after time in the trough of the sea.
Another was smashed against the
davits before It could be lowered. The |
carpenters boat, filled with men, wo.
men and children. put off Each boat
required a complement of sailors to
man 1t and as each got away it left
us with fewer men to lower the re.
naming boats.
1 helped lower the third officers
boat, When It struck the water a
heavy sea hit 1t and swept several of
the women overheard. The chief of.
nicer was swept overheard too, but
ne held on and climbed back. saw
MIN take out an oar to steer the boat
away from the ship as IL was in dan.
ger OF breaking to pieces against the
Volturno at any moment. He used
the oar to advantage and the boat
drifted away.
The fourth officers boat was low.
cred next Aboas 25 passengers were
In It, We let 1t down clear OF the
snip and saw 1t far away about ten
minutes afterward That was the last
time that boat was ever seen. so far
as ! know.
Boat Bottom Side Up
ran to the starboard and saw
another boat full Of people. We did
not lower that however, as the cap. |
tain said that the sea was too high
and boat could not live in It. |
turned around and saw the carpenters
boat Heating 100 yards or so away.
II was bottom up.
Then I went to boat No. Q Az the
captain said we might try to lower
that Meantime the explosions were
dying down. found that No. had
already been Wiped by the gale
against the davits, and that its bow
mad been smashed. / do not know
why' but I lowered the empty boat.
II got away clear OF the ship. II was
q pity that 1t was broken.
The captain then gave the order
to fight the fire 1 went on the bridge
lie coupled the hose 10 the pumps
and stretched lines of It.
Working the Wireless
we had been working the w,re,ass
ior nearly an our. Finally we got
H.