Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-11
First News of Disaster.

First News of Disaster.
Wireless messages from the steamer
Carmania brought the first news of the
disaster.
Ten steamers responded to the wireless
calls for help and fought for hours dur
ing a raging gale to save the passengers
and crew of the burning steamer. which
eventually was abandoned. Occupants OF
six lifeboats were thrown into the sea
when the boats were smashed against the
steamers side and probably drowned.
The wireless from the Carmania said
that the Volturno caught fire in mid-At-
lantic and that the flames ragged SO furi-
ously in the gale that the abandonment
of the steamer followed Thursday morn
ing.
Bound for New. York.
The Volturno sailed from Rotterdam
October for New York by way of Hail.
fax, where 1t was due to stop next Mon
day.
1t is believed that the steamer carried
twenty-four cabin passengers. $40 steer
age passengers and crew of ninety
three men.
Capt Barr of the Carmania received
seventy-eight miles distant, in latitude
1925 north, longitude 34.33 west. The
Carmania crowded on full steam and
with extra stokers made over twenty
knots an hour in the teeth of the gale.
Boats Crushed in Launching.
When the Carmania reached the vicin-
ty of the Volturno at noon she found
the forward end of the distressed vessel
oh
at the same time rolling heavily, while
her propellers We're fouled with boats,
tackle used in lowering her six lifeboats.
1t was learned by the captain of the Car
mania that two only out OF six lfeboats
had succeeded in getting safely away
from the Volturno. The four others
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
the captain of the Carmania had one
of his lifeboats lowered to proceed to
the Volturno to help In the rescue. The
boat was launched with much diff
Guilty, for even on the lee side Of the
Carmania the sea was terribly rough,
and it was only by extraordinary ef-
forts that the small craft was pre-
vented from being smashed or cap
sized as she left the side of the ship.
Futile Effort at Rescue.
The Carmania's lifeboat, in charge of
First officer Gardiner. made a gallant
but futile attempt to get alongside the
doomed Volturno. After two hours
battle with the waves, during which
the lifeboat lost all but three of her
oars, the rest being broken or torn
from the hands of the crew, First
officer Gardiner returned to the Car
mania, which he succeeded i'm making
without loss of life or broken limbs
among the members Of his boats crew.
Capt Barr Of the Carmania then
Unanswered his big vessel very close to
the Volturno and finally got the Car
n,ania's bow within a hundred feet or
the Volturno's stern.
1t was found impossible. however. TO
cast a line on board the Volturno or TO |
get anybody of her
Unable to Give Aid.
1t was a terrifying sight for the pas |
sengers and crew Of the Carmania to see
so close to them the hundreds of pas
sengers, including women and children.
in horror stricken fear on the decks of
the Volturno and yet be unable to help /
them.
Most of the passengers got into the