Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-16
Awful Story Of the
Recent Sea Disaster

/ AOluUIl, OCl, Ios7-Ero1 ly VI lBS dOV
persons lost from the steamship Vol.
turno in mid-Atlantic were in the two
| boats which succeeded in getting
away from the burning vessel and
which without a doubt were swamped.
The majority Of the other victims lost
their lives when four other boats were
crushed against the steamers sides
in an attempt to launch them.
The only survivor that has yet told
his story says the English captain and
his English officers behaved gallant!y
in the face of death, but declares the
German and Belgian crews acted cow
ardly.
Thrilling Story of Survivor.
The Carania, with one lone surviv-
or of the Volturno aboard, found it
too rough to stop at Queenstown and
| is proceeding direct to Fishguard.
From that survivor, however, comes
a thrilling story of the burning of the
steamer, Of the tesSJr, the struggle for
the boats, the death of those who
went over the sides and his own des-
perate fight for life.
Arthur Spurgeon, passenger on the
Carmania, in wireless dispatch, sup.
plements his own description of the
Carmania's race to the burning YES
sci and the rescue of the passengers
of the Volturno by the story told him
by the survivor, Walter Trintepohl, a
German, who swan to the Carmania
and was rescued in an exhausted con.
dition. Since being taken aboard the
Carmania, Trintepohl has been in the
ships hospital, threatened with pneu.
monia.
Rescued, III from Exposure.
He told his story to Mr.. Spurgeon
before he became seriously i'll, but
owing to his exhausted state and his
broken English, his account of the dis
aster was somewhat incoherent. Trim
tepohl had been employed at BARGE
Iona and took third-class passage on
the Volturno to secure position Of
fered him in New York.
"All went well,D said Trintepohl,
until 6 o'clock Thursday morning,
when the fire alarm sounded. We
were aroused and told to go on deck
as fire had broken out in the hold.
On assembling, life belts were hand
ed around. Much time was occupied
in fastening them. We were tcld that
the fire might soon be quenched, but
the captain thought it wise for all to
have belts as precaution.
"The fire frightened the captain,
who cried bitterly. There were many
babies in arms.
The fire grew worse We saw things
blazing down below About 10 o'clock
there was cry to lower the boats.
Captain Proved a Hero.
The captain behaved splendidly.
So did the officers, who were English.
am sorry to say that the crew, who
were Germans and Belgians, behaved
very badly The people rushed about
wildly, and the crew seemed to. think
they ought to have first place, and in
stead Of quieting the passengers they
made the panic worse.
The first officer took charge OF the
first boat, but although he wanted the
women and children saved first, a ma
jority of those who entered the boat
were members of the crew. This boat
was crushed against the ship's side.
Just as It reached the water 1t broke
in two, and all were drowned. Mean
while. attempts were made to lower
the second boat. j cannot say who
was In charge OF this, but / do know
that after the chief steward had putt
provisions In, he jumped in himself.
There We're more men than women
and children in this boat, which did
not go down, for it was broken against
the ship and all were drowned. These
two boats were anidshsps. Three
others were put out on the aft. Tbel
fourth officer was in one Of them. but
cannot say which one. All ras COZ
fusion. The ropes broke and the peo-l
pie were thrown into the water and
drowned or killed. When the cap