New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-27
Capt. Barr, of Cunard Liner,
Breaking Silence of II Days,
Says He Did His Best
for Burned Vessel.
FIRST ON SCENE; HELPLESS
Skipper, Answering Critics,
Tells of Sea Battling Efforts
own Lifeboat Wrecked IN
Gale-Picked UP Grew
from the Minneapolis.

After a silence of seventeen Gays
Captain James c. Barr, master OF the
Curard liner Carmania, made a state
ment yesterday regarding his manen-
vres around the burning steamship
vo,turno in mid-Atlantic on October
and TO-
He was the first Of the ten rescuing
captains 10 catch the rs o s. from the
Volturno. He brought the Carmania 10
the burning vessel before any other
vessel had arrived and his was the first
steamship to lower a lifeboat in the
furious seas and northwest gales that
prevailed at the time.
The lives of his chief officer, Mr..
Gardner, and the eight sailors with him
in the lifeboat were saved by the mer-
est chance, the skipper said, and, hav-
ing risked their lives once, he did not
want to repeat the performance IN the
weather that prevailed at the time.
The lifeboat was continually swamped,
and when eventually picked up by the
Carmania had only two oars and the
stump Of another remaining out of the
eight with which the boat was origi-
nally equipped.
It was not known until Captain Barr
made his statement yesterday that he
had saved the lives of the first officer
and eight men from one Of the Mime
apolis's lifebcats that had been afioat
Eve hours after a fruitless effort to
get the passengers on the Volturno to
jump.
"The Most Careful Skipper"
Captain Barr is sometimes called the
most careful man in the transatlantic
service. He will seldom undertake
anything unless he has weighed his
plans we'll and is confident of the out
come.
1t was generally believed he would
maintain his silence when he brought
the Carmania in yesterday from Liver
pool. as he had positively refused TO
utter a word when ne arrived in Eng
land after leaving the scene of the dis
aster.
Critici had cropped up here and
there for his inability to save more
than one person from the Volturno, but
this had come from passengers on
other assisting steamships and not
from captains or officers engaged in
the work of rescue.
In his statement Captain Barr said:
ION Thursday, October 8, in latitude
47:55 north, longitude 35:1S west, at
a. m, I received this message from The
Volturno: IS o s; position, latitude
1912 north. longitude 34:51 west. Nos.
and holds blazing furiously. Please
come at once. / replied, Coming full
speed and steered for her.
Il advised the engineer 10 mako all
speed. cot boats ready both sides,
guess maps run, ladders in place and
four picked boats crews ready.
The weather was gale from the
north northwest At 10 a. m. | Mar
conied the Volturno; Hope to reach
you by 3 p. m. G. NJ. T. My intention
is to stop close 10 windward and pick
up boats from you ! had received ad-
vice that he had 500 persons on board
and 100 away in boats.
we reached the Volturno at about
noon 1t was blowing a gale, with
heavy seas, and she was rolling heay-
lily and lifting propellers clear out of
the water. 1t seemed a hopeless task
TO get a boat to her, but ! resolved to
try one and sent the first officer, f.
Gardner, away with eight men. The
Continued fifth page, fifth column.