The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-18

l Tn cozy little home at 472 Nichols street, resting after his strenuous pas sage from Antwerp to New York on | the Red Star Line Kroonland, which rescued the greatest number of sur ivivors of the Volturno sea tragedy, was found one of the real heroes of that grim disaster-Napoleon H. Gill, third assistant engineer. Though little lzSeen upon one of those great liners such as the Kroonland, and even less mentioned in the press accounts far down in the depths of the great hull, among the vital parts are the men whose Judgment, skill and constancy protect the human freight equally with the navigating officers upon the bridge and decks-and in time of disaster To- cated as they are below the water line are called upon to perform feats of bravery far more hazardous than that oftimes credited to those who are seen by passengers
 Such was the case when passengers from the Volturno were taken from that burning hulk and transferred across seas that ran mountainous high and shivered the mighty greyhounds of the sea from stem to stern
 Notrone of the several hundreds Of passengers brought to the Kroonaand was landed on deck At the risk of life and limb upon the part of the engineer corps whose duty it is to attend to all details below decks, they were taken into the side of the vessel just above the water-1fne.
 So high was the sea running at the time Of rescue that no human being could be taken up the steep sides of the ships standing by. In the roll of the sea the bodies would have been crushed to a. pulp before they could be hoisted up the 75 feet which sepa- rates the lower deck from the water line. It was therefore found necessary by Captain Kriebohn to call for volun- teers from the engine-c crew and mak- ing one big Water-tight compartment in which those who risked their lives might live or die, to open the cargo ports, or door-1ike sides and with ropes hurled to the waiting Hfe-boats pull the Volturno passengers aboard while the compartment was literally under water.
 Six officers and men standing to their waists in water, with little air to breath hauled on the ropes bring ing women, children and aged men to safety, while mom entarily their own lives were endangered by the surge of the inrusTing water and the terri ble suction as with lurch the water was again drawn outward. And among these Gill worked without fear or thought of his own fatigue or chill.
 Detailing his experiences today Third Assistant Gill said: ''1t seemed as if the voyage was destined to be a series of incidents, as almost before leaving Antwerp we broke a valve spring in the engine-room and had to work steadily to make the necessary repairs. We were rolling in heavy sea on the morning we first received the wireless call of the burning yes sel. had just completed trimming ship so as to overcome the pounding we were receiving from the Windward when I noticed that we had heeled way over on the opposite side. One of my men remarked that the wind had changed but felt that the course had been changed. Later word was brought to us that we were to speed with all power for a burning vessel some 104 miles distait. ordered ev cry ounce of pressure put upon the boilers and came alongside about 5 3 0 in the evening. The Carmania and several other vessels were then stand ing by. From out ports we could see that the entire forward part of the doomed ship was burned through. The passengers were huddled aft and the fire was raging through the deck structure. Later it got to the cargo which it completely burned and made the vessel, ride high upon the seas and roll terribly as if empty. I learned later from an officer that but four or five were killed by the flames, these suffering in an explosion of ana1ine which confined them in the forecastle from which escape was cut off. Those who perished were mostly first class passengers who insisted upon taking to the Hfe-boats which when lowered caught by one davit-rope and were swirled beneath the stern which rising and falling crushed the heavy life boats like paper under foot.
 There were about 52- passengers in each of the three life-boats which made the attempt and but one was res cued. The first boat to reach the Vol turno I believe to be one of the Kroonland's. This was the second one launched from our ship, the first be- ing smashed against the side. It came back later with the report that no passengers would jump. Later when an oil ship had calmed the waters by pumping oil about, and a special swinging derrick had been rigged which cast the passengers far out from the VoIturno's side they risked the jump.
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