Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-11
Graphic Story of Disaster
By Captain of Rescue Ship

Special Gable 20 The Atlanta Georgian.
LIVERPOOL, oct. IA thrilling
story of the last hours Of the Uranium
liner Volturno. which was burned In
mid Atlantic was CLEANED from
wireless message received here late
this afternoon from Captain Barr Of
the Cunard liner Carmania which was
the first ship to respond to the wire
less calls OF the Volturno.
II is an epic of tragedy. II follows:
"On Thursday, while making our
way through a gale, the Carmania
picked up the following faint S. 0. s.
call:
Gone quick; ship acre; fear we
are doomed
That was the plea which came
ascertained the location of the burn
ing ship. which was directly in the
steamer lane. The stokers were or
dered into the engine room and then
began a Wild race OF seventy eight
miles which separated us from the III
fated ship.
Human life was the reward Of vic
tory; death in its most horrible form
the penalty Of defeat.
WGk6 lWCUI1 NUOIS an F1Our.
In spite of the winds which beat
against her and the rolling seas into
which she plunged, the staunch Car
mania worked up to a speed of over
twenty knots an hour. Part OF the
time the raging propellers, spinning
with the speed OF pinwheels were
completely out of the water as the
waves rose and fell.
standing upon the bridge l waited
eagerly the first sign OF the burning
ship. About four hours after we
picked up the first call for help we
could see from the bridge the blurred
ship wrapped in flame, smoke and
fog rolling in the heavy seas.
In the meantime during the hours
that we had been rushing to the
rescue the wireless operator had kept
up an incessant call, notifying all
liners within range of the plight and
position of the Nolturno
Huddled in lifeboats.
THE Nolturno was a seething mass
of flames from her bow to the waist
She was pitching and rolling drunk
emily Huddlcd in the stern of the
vessel in suspended nfeboats. which
they haC been unable to launch, were
a number of passengers.
"All they could do was to watch
dumbly the rush Of the flames. They
were helpless before a fate which
seemed inevitable The wind dashed
the heat and smoke about them, and
they were alternately smothered by
spray and suffocated by smoke.
Most Of the passengers in the
boats were women We could see men
dashed 20 the after rail, facing death
with d kind Of frantic despair. There
were a number OF children i'm the
boats
alternately the occupants wept.
prayed or shouted In their helpless
and apparent doom. II was an eX-
perience TO blot out human reason.
Shortly after we arrived other
liners which had previously ac-
know edge our s. O. s calls came
IN The seas We're very high and q
treacherous wind made IL dangerous
to venture too near to the burning
ship.
sesrchliahts Trained on Scene.
That was the situation when
darkness settled. The Carmania and
the other liners turned their flash
lights upon the seas around the Vol
turno. hoping thus to keep watch for
passengers who leaped or We're
thrown by the violent rolling Of the
ship into the water.
The passengers upon the Car
mania and her sister ships In the
rescue feet crowded upon the decks
and desp ite the wind and rain and
Dangers from mighty comhers which
occasionally swept the vessels, stood
Ut the rail. overcome with emotion
OF the sad scene before them At in
tervals across the water came the
lamentations Of the passengers on the
flaming ship.
'Lifebuoys with lights attached
were thrown into the water in the
hope that they might offer a means
OF support 20 any passenger who had
gone overheard.
Desolste and Gloomy Aspect.
The scene was a deSolate and
gloomy ooe. one in keeping with the
tragic picture which stood before our