The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-14
CARMAN|A CAPTAIN
!. TELLS Of BURNING
Of SHIP V0LTURNO
Seemed Foolish to. Launch
boats for Rescue But His
Men Were Eager to Make
the Attempt. He Says
Passengers on Vessel Tell of
Courage Of Captain Barr and
Of Captain Inch. of the Vol
turno--Heroism Saved Lives
,of Hundreds

Barr, of the Carmania, stood in the
smoking room of the CarnIania this
morning at ! O'Clock, and told your
correspondent the story of how the
passengers of the Volturno were
rescued.
The Carmania arrived here at ] A.
NJ Captain Barr was almost too
weary to talk He was heavy eyed.
His face was deeply lined from sleep
iessness and exhaustion. He smoked
cigarettes nervously as he talked.
Il won't pin myself to any time for
this interview" said the captain. be
cause / m "A very tired man. III do
the best / can.
at was about o'clock on the
morning OF October 10Th. when ] got
a message from the Voliurno. which
said that she was aflre and wanted as
sistance Immediately ] changed the
Carmanias course and ordered all
possible speed.
just Before Noon.
I'VE arrived little before noon, I
saw that the volturno was smoking
badly forward. saw that II was EVIL
IDENTIFY big ere. All OF the Noltur-
nos people were crowded nj the after
end. A north northwest gale was
blowing. and / could see the Noltur-
nos propellers lifting completely out
Of the water. There Was a consid-
cradle number of boats still on the
after deck, and had learned en- route
that FIVE hundred people were still
aboard her The wireless had said
sae..- th++s o had ss-Ass.- ~
boats 1t seemed a foolish think to
fassz Ff4
such circumstances, hut ! felt that
We had tn make a try 10 help them.
II thought Of sending out four
boats. Ny men were SO eager 10 60
that there would have been more than
enough volunteers TO man four boats.
| was glad afterwards that l sent only
one. Ii was dropped close to ieeward.
/, | steamed cut vf Its way. II had bad
time from The start. The gale was
very high and great rollers nearly
ca nslzed. the boat more than once.
There were good sailormen In that
{ boat. and they saved the situation by
working q sea anchor.
Z -'The Carmariia didn't maneuver
sweil in the heavy see- and ! had 70
make wide sweep after the lifehoat
i had hattled fiereeiy with the wind
] and waves. and had been forced &c
I return towards the Carmania 1t was
With the greatest difficulty that we
got IL aboard. We nearly lost mar
/ in doing 90.
perst Too Too Far.
~Then asked the captain of this
yolturno If ne could control the mrs
while | ran northwest 10 search foi
hts missing boats There were two life
boats from the voiturno that had es-
capped destruction when some of this
passengers and some of the crew at
tempted to ieaee the burning ship be
fore the Carmania arrived. The Vol
turno thought that these boats hao
kept on top of the water and had beer
driven by the gale a long distance
when / asked Captain Inch what
should do. he said. Yes. go ahead, bu
for Gods sake don't 20 too far.
at O'Clock the SeydiitZ came II
sight l Marconied her and asked hel
TO stand by while ! went TO look foi
the missing iifeboats. ] had not gon.
ten miles before the Velturno sent ms
an urgent appeal to come back. turn
/ ed about Immediately. | called a con
sulta ton OF all my navigating officer,
for the purpose OF getting suggestions
as to the best thing to do In the wa,
of life saving expedients. acted or
the suggestion OF nay chief officer. Mr.
Gardiner, to lower life RATS and steam
down to ieeward as. closely az we coult
get But the yolturno couldn't move
her engines backward or forward, 81
the RATS drove close under her bow
and were lost I backed astern ant
got within One hundred feet of the Vol
turns
Captain Inch wanted mo to try ant
get line aboard but II was utterl,
impossible. No line could have stoos
such strain In a sea like that. Mean
81 arrival
taking up a position under the Vol
turno's lee. have nothing but prais
for the men aboard that vessel.
His own Idea.
Presently l got to windward. tn
position had wanted before this.
told the volturno's captain that II h
had to abandon his vessel, which
thought likely, would suggest that h
use life lines ~and life buoys as pas
sengers might be picked up that wa,
eax .er than II they were in boats. How
4 ever. this is an idea you'll not ind IL
the text books. but it's my own ife
OF what could have been done.
About o'clock Thursday nigh
there was an explosion on board tn
volturno. and the whole center and for
ward end OF the ship seemed to be on
blaze. Captain Inch sent up distres
rockets. All the while ! was thinking
Of the danger Of driving under my let
In case OF her laundering II woul
have made the rescue more difficult. a
the sea would drive anything at leas
"A two miles an hour. So I kept well I
Ewindward All nay eicctrics and search
+ lights WERE blazing.
4 Then the Kurfuerst commenced I
lower boats, which was very heroi
| indeed. Her captain asked me 10 loo
out for them II they missed the Vol
turno l turned the searchlights o
them and kept 1t on them all the tim.
a number OF boats were In the sea a
|. II o'clock when cries were hears
i Many Of the other vessels lowered boat
, during the night A host from .th
N minneapolis came near TO smashtn
lagainxt the Carmania's side In IA
{ | darkness
y After daylisht there was Erss