Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-07
Heroic Fishermen on TraWIers
Rescue Nearly 800
Persons.
.RUNO FLOATS 2 HOURS
THEN GOES TO BOTTOM
Casualty Happened in the North
Sea-Drowned Passengers Were
Russian Refugees.

GRIMBSY, England, via London. Sep
TENDER Z, 2:30 a.m.-Nearly 800 per-
sons. rescued from the Wilson liner
Runo by trawlers when the steamship
sank in the North sea, a victim of a
contact mine at o'clock Saturday
afternoon, were landed at Grimbsy and
Hull Sunday. The prompt work of four
trawlers. the Silancion, Strethon,
Cameo and Prince Victor, saved the
lives of nearly all those on board.
Wilson line officials say that all the
crew and all but twenty-seven Of the
passengers are safe in this port. The
Silancion picked up 1873 survivors
practically all she could hold. The
Cameo saved nearly a hundred and the
other two trawlers seventy.
The Runo was bound from Hull on
the long trip across the North sea to
Archangel and her passengers were
mostly Russians from America, who
were returning to Russia with their
women and children. The boat hit the
mine in mid-afternoon Saturday dur
ing fine weather. The explosion was
terrific and a large portion of the
ship was shattered. while several pas
sengers were injured and one was
killed.
1t was extremely fortunate that the lit
tie fleet of four trawlers homeward
bound. with their holds full of fish,
CHANGED to be passing almost within hail.
ing distance OF the Runo at that mo-
ment.
The trawlers, regardless of the conse-
quences to themselves, in view Of the
possibility that there were other mines
in the neighborhood. pushed through the
wreckage and picked up sailors and pas
sengers who were clinging to sticks and
RATS. These were people who In the
first panic had jumped overheard or had
been blown into the sea. Others were
gathered from the decks of the fast
| sinking ship.
The Runo when she struck the mine i'm
mediately tilted at an angle which made
It difficult to launch the iifeboats Only
two were launched. survivors said, and
| these. after reaching the water. were
both overturned by the frightened people
trying to get into them.
Floated for Two Hours.
The Runo, after settling by the head
somewhat, remained in that position for
nearly two hours, her bulkheads holding
her afloat until O'Clock. when the bulk
heads suddenly gave way. elevating her
stern high in the air for a moment, after
| which she slipped quietly into the depths.
| MANY of the survivors. injured by n.y.
| ing debris. were taken in amouiances on
arrival. 1t is believed all will recover
| The work of the trawlers is declared Dy
the Runo's crew to have been one OF the
finest episodes of its kind in the history
of the sea The trawler Shannon was the
first on the scene. The Runo's people
were forward and the Shannon had dif-
ficulty in getting near on account OF ths
peculiar upward tilt given the ship.
| Az the passengers generally understood
little English, the orders to them were
not understood, and this accounts par
TALLY for the panic and for the failure te
get Off more lifeboats- One of the stew.
ards who landed here said he rushed
Into the steerage section after the ex.
ploson and that it was wrecked AND
splintered. He noticed that some of the
passengers were badly wounded.
Work of Heroes.
| After the efforts to launch the Runo's
lifeboats had failed the crew OF the
Silanion threw out all their lifelines,
picking up women and children first as
far as possible. The Strethen arrived on
the scene Immediately following and
saved thrty-two persons who were cling
ing to wreckage in the sea. The mate
| of the Strethen fastened rope about his
| waist and was lowered alongside the ship
| to the water level, where he was able TO
pick up many of the injured
! When the Prince Victor came up her
| crew went overheard. some in boats and
some swimming. The chief engineer
dived overheard and saved woman and
| a child. One of the rescued women gave
| birth to child few minutes after being
| saved.
| Most of the passengers suffered some
what from shock and exposure, but re-
storatives and warm food were given
them under direction of the Runo's sur
geon on the trawlers. Before reaching
here most of the victims were transferred
to the passenger steamer Solway. which
brought them into the Royal Yacht basin
here, where they were met by Mayor
Tate. the town clerk and the Wilson
| lines local managers, who constituted
| themselves a committee to look after the
welfare of those injured. the sick and
! the destitute. Later it was decided to
send all the refugees to Hull on the Sol
way.