The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-13
MEMBERS OF CREW
ARE FIRST TOLEAVE
BURNING STEAMER
Survivor Tells of Horror
and Panic Aboard
Doomed Liner.
LOSS OF LIFE NOW
LIMITED TO 1856.
Boats Filled With Frightened
People Dashed Against Vessels
Sides or Swamped, and All
Go to Bottom-Cap-
tain and Officers
Behave.

London. October 13-The latest nc
counts of the disaster to the steam
ship Volturno, burned and abandoned
In nifdocean Frfdny morning, confirn
that the loss of life will be limited to
nbout 130. The Carmanin, first of the
rencuing ships to reach the burning
steamer. arrived of Queenstown this
morning. but owing to the gale pro
ceeded direct to FishEuard, where she
~ due to arrive mt II A. NJ.
n graphic story by the solitary sur-
vfvor aboard the Cnrmnnia was re-
ceivcd by wireless and prcsents n ter
rible picture of the horror, the panic
nnd confusion aboard the burning liner.
Walter Trintep0hI, n German, who tells
the story, however. II clearly suffering
from illness and his awful expericnce.,
md his story is too incoherent to be
accepted In every detail.
Most Important, II true, is HIS denial
that two boats got away from the Vol
turno. According to other accounts.
Captain Inch wns the last to leave his
vessel, which still burning late
Friday night and was "a danger to navi-
CATION.
Many Lost In Two Boats.
Forty OF the 1s6 persons lost from
the steamship Volturno in mid Atlantic
were In the two boats which succeed
ed In getting away from the burning
vessel and which. without doubt, were
swamped. Tho majority of the other
persons who lost their lives were ~.
four other boats. which We're smash
against the steamers sides In attem
I to launch them.
| All this occurred before the arr n
of the rCarmania, and the other lin
| summoned by wireless calls for help.
Tile Carmania, with one lone survivor
| of the Volturno aboard, found 1t too
rough to stop at Queenstown, and is
proceeding direct to Fishguard From
that survivor. however. comes thrill-s
Ing story OF the burning OF the steamer,
of the terror, the struggle for the
boats. the, death OF those who went
over the sides and his own desperate
fight for life.
Arthur Spurgeon, passenger on the
Carmania, In wireless dispatch, gives,
a vivid description of the race of the
Carmania and supplements his story
with that OF the survivor. Walter
Trintepohl, n German, who swan to the
Carmania and was rescued in an ex-s
hausted condition. -
In Ships Hospital.
Since being taken aboard the Car
mania. Trintepohl has been in the ships
hospital, threatened with pneumonia
He told his story to Mr.. Spurgeon be-
fore he became seriously i'll, but owing
to his exhausted state and his broken
English, his account OF the disaster was
somewhat incoherent
Trintepohl had been employed at
Barcelona and took third-class passage
on the Volturno to secure n position
offered him in New York.
"All went we'll" said Trintepohl,
until o'clock Thursday mornings
when the fire alarm sounded. We We're
aroused and told to go on deck, as
fire had broken out in the hold. On
assembling, life belts were handed
around. and much time was occupied
In fastening them. We were told that
the fire might son be quenched, but the
captain thought 1t wise for all to have
belts as a precaution.
The fire frightened the children, who
cried bitterly There were many babies
In arms. The fire grew worse. We
saw things blazing down below. About
10 o'clock, there was n cry to lower
the boats
The captain behaved splendidly. So
did the officers, who were English. IL
am sorry to- say that the crew. who
were Germans and Belgians, behaved
very badly. The people rushed about
wildly, and the crew seemed to think
they ought to have first place, and In
stead OF quelling the passengers, they
made the panic worse.
Crew First TO Leave.
THE first officer took charge of the
first boat, but although he wanted the
women and children saved first q ma
jority OF those who entered the boat
were members OF the crew. This boat
was smashed against the ships side.
Just as 1t reached the water, 1t broke
In two and all in it were drowned.
Meanwhile, attempts were made to
lower the second boat / cannot say
who was in charge OF this. but do
know that after the chief steward had
thrown provisions In he Jumped in him.
self. There were more men than Wo- s.
men and children in this boat, which n
did not go down. for 1t was broken
against the ship and all were drowned.
These two boats were amtdshtDs,
Three other boats were put aft. The
fourth officer was in one OF them, but z
| cannot say which one. All was con-
fusion. The ropes broke and the occu
pants were thrown into the water and
drowned or killed.
When the captain saw what had 4
happened. he cut the tackle OF the
launched. ~
we were glad when we saw tho 4
CarInania come for we said; Now fwc
shall all be saved
The firemen rushed up from be-
low and refused to go back The CAPE
tain drew his revolver ard drove them
below, but soon after this the fire @ass
spreading, they We're obliged 70 81
abandon tho engines.
"As soon as tho Carmania was sight 3
ed the captain made all the wninesi X
and children go to one side and tf,sfs2
men to the other slice. He, had bean
compelled to leave the bridge and Ngf
AFT because 1t was too hot. Wonsftss1s
wcpt. shricked. laughed and beGassos
hysterical N "a
= I'VE had NOT thought pt 1904 tst9 ~
in tho afternoon, we eonsidsreff ~ ssSf ssf