Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-16
CAPTAIN OF VOLTURNO
TELLS STORY OF DISASTER.


Captain Francis Inch, whose steam
ship, the Volturno, was burned at sea
!, Thursday and Friday with the loss OF
1876 lives. told his story of the disaster
last night.
1t is plain seaman's tale, but In It,
line by line, the horrors of the disas-
ter and the terrible ordeal through
which passengers and crew passed are
brought out all the more clearly per-
haps, because Of the marked dtrectness
and simplicity with which the story Is
told. ,.
Captain Inch sent his story Of the
disaster by wireless last night from the
Kroonland, on which he is being
brought to this port, to the officers OF
the Uranium line here.
Chief Officer Reports Blaze.
Captain Iinch's narrative reads:
AT $50 a. m. Oct 8. 1918, latitude
49.12 north, longitude 34.51, the fire
was reported in hole No. l by chief
officer At 6:55 a. m, flames were
burning through No. matches, setting
fire to the forecastle and all deck fit-
tings. I slowed the ship down and
kept her before the wind to enable us
to put the steam extinguishers in OPP
Grafton; also three fire hose from deck
connections.
1.-THE flames we're gaining rapidly,
reaching the height Of the foremost
light and imDrisoning the watch below,
who were burned to death in the fore
castle ..-.
= Hospital is Wrecked.
"A series of explosions now occur
red, wrecking the saloon and hospital
amidships, the compass and steering
gear being also damaged by. the explo-
sions. gave orders to get help by
wireless as soon as the flames burned
the matches.
ut seemingly being impossible to
save the ship, had boats provisioned
and swung out. The ship was rolling
heavily ..s
"Boats Nos. 10 and were smashed
but No. 2 was lowered in the water
with cabin passengers and stewardess
in charge OF Chief Oflcer H. P. Miller.
Boat Rights Itself.
'.After this boat left the ship she cap
sized, throwing her occupants In the
water. She afterwards righted her
self and several of the crew, got back
into the boat, the chief offcer being
one of them.
''The No. 8 boat was lowered and got
away safely filled with steerage pas
sengers in charge of Fourth Of1cer
Langsell. The No Z boat on being low
cred was caught under the stern OF
the ship, the boat being completely
wrecked.
meanwhile the chief engineer, two
seamen and myself fought the fire and
subdued the flames.
II gave orders to send no more boats
away, as I had received word from the
Carmania that she was hoping to be
with Gs by IL a. m. Life belts were
served out and put on each passenger.
The passengers now became calmer.
Food was served out to them.
AT 9 a. m. the bunker was found to
he ablaze. It being impossible to stop
the fire In the bunker on account OF
gases. the water-tight doors were
closed and water poured down the No.
> hatch onto the fire, but the fire was
gaining all the time.
Tho carma nia Arrives.
"A+ II a. m. the Carmania arrived
ana lowered a boat, but could not
reach the ship, on account OF high seas:
Asked Carmania to look for the No.
boat. The steamship Seydlit7 arrived
and lowered boats, which could not
reach us. About p. m. the Car
mania returned and tried to reach the
ahip with life rats, but all drifted past
our bow, too far away,
Several steamers had arrived Dy
drsk The Kroonland put away boats,
which made four attempts to- come
alongside but were swept away each
time. .MIs's.r .l
@ Pumps and Dynamos Step.
.At $40 o. M the salon and chart
house were flaming. The deck. bridge
and all before the funnel were blazing
f7ercely. Pumps and dynamos stop
ned for want Of steam Marconi oper-
ators worked with the accumuiator un-
til IL o. m, when the magazine on the
bridge blew up, carrying the aerial
away.
Several boats by this time were
laying of the ship and induced passen-
gers to jump, and they were rescued
bv boats. At IL o'clock, midnight the
weather was overcast and squally.
Operators were suspended, 1t being too
dark for boats to see. ..a
Fire Eats Way Aft.
1.-The fire meanwhile worked through
tho 1vomen's steerage to the after end