The sun., 1913-10-27
CAPT. BARR ANSWERS
YOLTURNO CRITICISM
"GOOd Nights Work and Proud
of IT," Says Commander
of Liner Carmania.

Capt j e. Barr Of the Cunarder Car
mania. the first steamship to respond to
the call for succor from the burning
Uranium liner Nolturno, arrived yester-
DAY from Liverpool with the official re-
port OF his action, which evoked criti-
cism here and abroad.
Before leaving Liverpool Capt Barr
turned over mis- report 10 the British
Board OF Trade and yesterday gave copies
OF it to the ship news reporters in the
ships smokingrooin, prefacing 1t with a
verbal statement telling Of the methods
and difficulties OF launching and manae-
sns lifeboats and the manPuvring OF big
turbine ships in a seaway. At the end
of his remarks on these themes he said.
calmly and with positiveness
II feel that II was a good nights work,
ana | am proud of il. No mariners have
criticised my action. only passengers and
they do not understand"
When a steamship Is stopped in
strong wind and seaway, Capt. Barr
said. she falls off. or comes to. until
she falls In the trough OF the sea. roughly
AT right angles to the direction Of the
wind
Winds Hold On ships Hall.
The wind having always fshold on the
ships hull. pushes her through the water
Her sidcNise motion is called leeway IN
a stopped ship IL is called drift AS II is
much easier to push a ship endways than
sideways and as the propellers act as a
drag she gets a little forward motion in
addition 70 the big side drift and conse
Vu,ntly her stern has II tendency to lie
d little nearer to the wind than her box. .
Now, let us consider the boats. As a
boat has relatively a small grip on the
water. she should and IN smooth water
sh" would IL kept stopped drive faster
than the ship; but In "A seaway. as the
boat is sheltered from the wind except
when on the crest of a wave, the ship
drives faster than the boat.
From this you will be able to see the
importance of the snip being to windward
of the boat. especially II the boat be
heavily laden. or from any accident she
Is not able to use all her oars. In a heavy
s''a "A ships boat attempting 10 run before
II would bc easily capsized. so II becomes
necessary ~ keep the boats head to the
sea.
Tells Of Effort to Rrscue.
IN true sailor lingo capt. Barr told
how he made his first effort TO take off
passengers of the Nolturno
we reached the Nolturno at about
noon he said. 1T was blowing a gale.
heavily and lifting propelers clear out
Of water, II seemed hopeless task to get
:. boat to her. but | resolved to try one
and sent the first officer, Mr. +. Gard-
ner away with eight men. The boat got
we'll away. but wa~ in difficulties as soon
she got from under our lee lie could
not reach the Noturno I tried to short
turn the ship. but she would not look at II.
so | had to make bold sweep to get to
wiudward and drop down on him. 1t
was two hours before we got him along
side again.
Catt. Barr related how he. dropped life
RATS down to the Volturno and how. "as
his ship was hard to manpuvre he could
do no more under the existing conditions,
He used oil to comb down the Crests for
other lifeboats, From where he lay. he
said. he could not fetch the Nolturno''
40 he sent no boats, as he could not get
closer without upsetting the whole
scheme" Of rescue.
After telling of hauling ABOARD a boat $
! crew of the Minneapolis, exhausted in an
effort 90 lay alongside the Nolturno. Capt
Barr said Dawn was showing and as
| could not back. had to come outside the
fleet with speed and round for my posi-
ton. by which time We had enough day
light to see the Nolturno clearly and ths
other two boats ! had seen had been
picked up. The DevonIan and two other
steamers were close under the Nolturno's
lee using their boats. tried to run in
and get some boats away but had "a
turn out for the Devonian and again for
La Touraine when | did get close in
and could see that all the people were
off the Nolturno and no more boats were
, required The sea was much Quicter and
the Narraeansett was close in and put
ting oil overheard
The carnania brought here forty-thre,
survivors of the Noturno picked up by
the Devonian They were met by Gen
oral Manager Thomas of the Uranium
Line and sent To the Clara de iIrsch Homo
aud the Hebrew Shelterlnc and Immi
grant Aid Society.