The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-12
STEAMER BURNS AT SEA
AND 1876 LIVES ARE LOST
The Nolturno, Which Sailed
From Rotterdam on Oct.
2 For New York Is De
stroyed, 521 Being Res
cued by Steamers Which
Responded to Distress
Call.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

London, Oct. 11.-Europe was thrilled
by a wireless message today telling of
the burning of the steamship Nolturno
in the mid-AtIantic with a known loss
of 135 lives and the rescue of 52l. The
survivors are now aboard a fleet or
steamers summoned by The Foiturno
call for help. The Volturno sailed from
Rotterdam OF Oct. for New York
She carried twenty-five first class pas
sengers, 53S steerage and a crew of So
The rescue ships reached the scene
in time to save all but a storm pre-
vented and for hours the great waves
kept the rescuers from the blazing YES
! sell although within a stones throw.
| All night Thursday lifeboats tried des-
| perately to get alongside The storm
| abated Friday morning and the sur
vivors were removed.
! WIRELESS PLAYS GREAT PART.
| Again the wireless played a leading
| mart in the sea drama. BY its means
land through the heroism of those who
| responded to the call the lives of 521
of those on board the Nolturno were
saved.
| The Voltur~no was owned by the
Canadian Northern Steamship Com
pany, but had been chartered to the
Uranium line.
| STEAMERS RESPONDED.
Ten steamers responded to the wire
| less calls for help and fought for hours
during d aging gale to save the pas
sengers and crew Of the burning
steamer which eventually was aban-
| sdoned. Occupants of six life boats
were thrown into the sea. when the
boats were smashed against the steam
| er's side and probably drowned. One
! ST T Two
Of the passengers and crew Of the
Volturno are missing.
The wireless from the Carmania
| said that the Volturno caught fire in
| mi d. Atlantic and that the flames ragged
| so furiously in the gale that the
| steamer was abandoned on Thursday
| morning A few details coming through
| by wireless promise a graphic story of
| the fight made by crews of ten trans
| Atlantic steamers who responded to
the Volturno's call.
| The Volturno sailed from Rotterdam
1 October 2 for New York. It is be-
! lievkd that the steamer carried "a
cabin passengers, $40 steerage pas
sengers and a crew of SO men. The
wireless reports say that 521 passen-
gers were saved, making 200 persons
una ccounted for thus far.
When the Carmania reached the vi
cinity of the Volturno at noon she
found the forward end of the dis
tressed vessel burning ferce1y. The
flaming ship was at the same time
rolling heavily, while her propellers
were fouled with boats tackle used in
lowering her six life boats.
It was learned by the captain Of the
Carmania that two only out of six life
boats had succeeded in getting safely
away from the Volturno. The other
four, crowded from stem to stern with
passengers 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 his vessel arrived near the Vol
turno, the captain of the Carmania had
one of his life boats lowered to pro-
ceed to the Volturno to help in the
rescue. The boat was launched with
much difficulty, for even on the lee
side of the Carnania the seas were
terribly rough, and it was only by ex-
traordinary efforts that the small craft
was prevented from being smashed or
capsized as she left the side of the
| ship.
| The Carmania's life boat. in charge
| of First officer Gardiner made a gal
liant but fUtile attempt to get alongside
the doomed Volturno. After two hours
battle with the waves during which
the life boat lost all but three of her
oars. the rest being broken or torn
! from the hands of the crew, First Of
hcer Gardiner returned TO the Carnania-
Captain Barr of the Carnnania then
n1aneuvered his big vessel very c.ose
to the VoIturno and finally got the
Carnania's bow within a. hundred feet
| of the Volturno's stern.
| 1t was found impossi BILE. however, to
cast a line on board the Volturno or
| to get ANYBODY off her.
1T was a terrifying sight for pas
| sengers and crew of the Carrnania tc
see so close to them the hundreds oi
! passengers, including women and chill
dren in horror stricken fear on the
decks of the Vo1turno and yet be IN
t able to help them.
Most of the passengers got into the
e VoIturno's life boat but a hundred o.
e them had gathered at the after end o
3 the burning vessel while the crew con
d tinued in vain to fight the fire at hel
e forward end.
e Captain Barr of the Carnania in tbs
: meanwhile kept his wireless appara.tu:
r at work communicating with all thf
continued on rage II,