The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-11
Unable to Help Owing to the
Raging Ocean.
HER LIFE BOATS SMASHED
When an Attempt Is Made to
Lower Them.
Many Rescued From the Water
by Other Crews.

F1SnRuarQ, OCI. LII lIc III a
storm in mid-Atlantic on Thursday de-
stroyed the liner Volturno on her voy-
age from Rotterdam to New York with
a. loss of life of either 1856 or 236 of her
messengers and crew. Ten other liners.
called by wireless to the rescue. were
standing by impotent to avert the
seas.
Again the wireless played leading
part in the drama. By its means and
through the heroism of those who re-
sponded to the call, the lives of 81 or
those on board the vessel were saved
The volturno was owned by the Ca
madam Northern Steamship company
but had been chartered to the Uranium
line.
officials of the latter company de-
clared this morning that those on
board included "a cabin and $40 steer
age passengers with a crew of 80,
making a total of 657. The wireless
dispatches received from the Carmania
saw that 521 had been saved and 236
had lost their lives. This makes to-
tai of 757. or just 100 more than the
number on board as given out by the
company.
Checking from all available sources
| would indicate that an error in the
wireless transmission of the figures
| had been made and that the lowest to-
! tai, 1876, is correct.
| F-ishguard. Wales, Oct 11.-Wireless
| messages from the steamer Carmanla
| report that the steamer Volturno with
| several hundred passengers aboard
| from rotterdam for New York, was
| abandoned afire at sea.
! Ten steamers responded to the wire
| less calls for help and fought for hours
| during a raging gale to save the pas
| seneers and crew of the burning steam
| or which eventually was abandoned.
occupants of six life boats were thrown
! into the sea when the boats were
! smashed against the steamers sloe'
| QGand probably drowned One report py
! way of Liverpool is that 236 of the
| passengers and crew of the Volturn"
are missing.
Captain Barr of the Carmania re-
| ceived the distress call Of the Volturno
| when rs miles distant in latitude 1878
| north. longitude 34.33 west. The Car
mania crowded on full steam and with
| extra stokers made over 20 knots an
| hour in the teeth of the gale
Caught Fire in Midocean.
| The wireless from the Carmania said
| that the Volturno caught fire in mid
| Atlantic and the flames ragged so fur
!
| of the steamer followed on Thursday
morning. A few details coming
through by wireless promise graphic
| story of the fight made by the crews
of ten transatlantic steamers who re-
| sponded to the Volturno can.
: The Volturno sailed from Rotterdam
| on October 2. for New York by way OF
| Halifax, where it was due to stop next
| Monday 1t is believed the steamer
carried "a cabin passengers, $40 steer
! 81
The wireless reports say that 81 per-
sons were saved, making 200 persons
| unaccounted for thus far.
| When the Carmania reached the
| vicinity of the Volturno at noon sne
! found the forward end of the dis
! tressed vessel burning fiercely. The
| flaming ship was at the same time
rolling heavily while her propelleTs
| were foulcd with boat tackle used in
| lowering her lifeboats.
Lifeboats Smashed
| It was learned by the captain of the
| Carnania that two out of six life
boats had succeeded in getting away
| from the Volturno. The other four
| crowded from stem to stern with pas
sengers and members of the crew had
| been smashed against the side of the
vessel and all their occupants thrown
| into the sea and drowned.
! In spite of the terrific gale raging
| when She arrived near the Volturno.
| of his lifeboats lowered to proceed to
the Volturno to help in the rescue
| The boat was launched with mucn
difficulty for even on the lee side OF
| the Carmania the sea was terribly
! rough and it was only by extraordi-
nary efforts that the small craft was
| prevented from being smashed or cap
sized as she left the side of the ship
The Carmania's lifeboat, in charge or
| First officer Gardiner, made a gal
liant but futile attempt to get along
side of the doomed Volturno. After
| two hours battling with the waves
during which the lifeboat lost all but
| three of her oars, the rest being brok-
en- or torn from the hands of the crew,
First officer Gardiner returned to the
Carnlania- which he succeeded in
making without loss of life or broken
limbs among the members of his
boats crew.
Aid Was Impossible.
I Captain Barr of the Carmania then
maneuvered his big vessel very close
to the VoIturno and finally got the
| fContinticd on Page Two.l