Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-15

Ear. York Oct. l3.--Captalh hIa IalioA2 Inch whose steamer, the NCItuIhos 9s 7.----ae at sea with the loss oI loo 7.-.- T.7d his story of the disaster IO- r.-hr Ir is plain seaman La-e: pue r 5- f line by line the horrors oL -1.-'S ,-lS disaster and the terrible oIoeal eIIi 5 7l 7-l --r#.n naSsengerS and crew pass 0I e1
 brought out all the more cleaIly peL 7 ,..= r..--.-lsa of the marked directness ana simplicity with which the story Is
 .-' Cause of Fire Not Stated.
 r-.-- ifs beginning. where the out hr-.E aT the fire which speLeN LIlS doom of the NClturno IS recofueus I-e narrative runs without the aple.I l,.s.ilt ellt omission of any salient Iacts eACepC ono sa rna Do5nt where the plazlhS shin -y-..e. sbaudoned-the last reIna4i- - i'm. rasseuger having been Jdhen olf and fle captain and what was iIi
 -h. crew having boarded me WdL.lIl9 T....,1--a The omission is that Cap rain TucIs does not say what ca-1seu tllS fire reporting simply that Lne tLLleL officer advised him at iD mlhuleS p0 fore o'clock on the mornlns VL CC.' ~ uf it's existence below ana t-aI e ny minutes later the flames had burst rh-orrf- tha forward matches and were rapidly spreading.
 Watch Below Burned to Death.
 Although all possible measures were rf once taken to subdue the ufe, the captains story shows that IL was even then too late to save the watch beIoM' The men were trapped in the IofecaStle and burned 10 death there their IelIoW sailors being helpless to aid them.
 Then came explosions which wrecked part of the midship section or l1e steamer. The situation was plainly re~0rnfre. q desperate The call for help 1ly wireless had gone out as soon as The flames shot through the IOrWaIo nstches and the crew doing it's fight in- best to stay the progress Of the bl.-e until assistance should come. Two Boats. Smashed, Third CapsIzed
 ff looked then as if there was no possible chance To save the steamer and although the seas were running r5-l and the VolturnO was rolling heavily the captain had boats pro visioned and sung out. Boats Nos , and 15 were smashed IS the slnple way Captain Inch describes the nfst result of the attampt to launch the life craft But Chief Officer Miller's boat loaded with cabin passengers, got zNya. but it ca psized. throwing eVeyr- body out and when it eventually lighted itself Miller and several or Ehc crew got into it. Captain Inch says nothing about the passengers and presumably they perished.
 Another boat. described as No, b, commanded by Fourth Officer LangseI, also got away filled with steerage pas
 
 Of the fate of these boats when he 1eIe-raphed. and so far as is known, DO one else does Although a wide spread search has been made for them br steamers that were on the scene shortly afterward and by others nott- fed by wireless, no trace of the boat has been discovered and the people from the steerage probably met thei1 late in the waves
 The Captains Message.
 The text of Captain Tnch's message io the Uranium line office here fol- lows
 -At 6.50 a. m. October 9, 1913. lati- .ude 4qI2 north longitude 34-51 west. fire was reported in hold number one bv Chief Officer. At 6.55 a. m. flames were burning through the number one matches setting fire Co the forecastle and aI deck fittings. J slowed the ship down and kept her before the wind to enable us to put The steam exJineuiShers in operation. also three rre hose from deck connections. The flames were gaining rapidly, reaching the height of the foremast light and 5mprisoning the watch below. who were burned to death in the fore castle.
 Launching the Lifeboats.
 "A series of explosions now oc- rr-rred wrecking thc saloon and hos Tfrsl amidships the compass and steering gear being also dama eed by 1s.~ explosions. l gave orders ito get ARfp bv wireless as soon ss the flames J,,rs.f fl.raugh the matches.
 "1t seemingly being imposSIb blc 10 save tine ship. ! had boats pr0yisioucd and swung oUt. The ship was rolling heavily Boats Numbers 13 and 5 were smashed. but Number 2 was lowered iu the water with cabin pas Ez-rerS and Stewsrdess in charge of Chief Officer H p. Miller After this boat left the ship she Capsized, throw ing her ocCUps ufs into the water. She afterwards lighted herself and sey- eraI of the crew got hack into the boat. the chief officer being one Of them The number six boat was low cred and got away safely filled with Eteerage passengers in charge of Fourth Officer Langsen. The number seven boat on being lowered was caught under the stern G the ship. the boat being completely wrecked.
 Arrival Of carmania. Meanwhile the chief engineer, two aeamen and myself fought the fire and apparently subdued the flames. I xave orders to send no more boats away. as ] had received word from the Carmania that she waS~hoping to be with us by II a. m. Life belts were served out and put on each passenger. ] ' he passengers became calmer. Fooa was served cut to them. -'At 9 a. m. the bunker was found to b. ablaze. IL being impossible to stop The fire in the bunker on account of gases. the watertight doors were closed and water poured down the 1 tzn1nber TWO hatch onto the lire. but Fhs. fire Was gaining all thc time. at n a- tu. the Calmania arrived . Rnd lowered a boat but coud not | Peach tilr ship on account of high 1 S~as Asked CaTInania To look for the ! efflnber two boat The steamer Seyd- | nfz arrived and lowered boats which | AnuId not reach us About D. m the | fs7rFuanla returned and tried to reach i fse ship with life raFts bat all drifted I b.St OUT bow too far away.
 Other Steamers Arrive.
 Several steamers had arrived by | Eusk The kroonland put away boats [ sHIrh made four attempts to cotee | S Sio-csidc bu3 were swept away each | SiF7e.
 Al s.so ?. n. the sslcen and chart l