The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-07
FIRST DETAILS OF
 1. SEA DISASTER BY WRECK SURVIVOR
People in Panic Dashed Hither and Thither as Waves Swept
 Ship and Two Hundred
 Lives Were Lost
By Assnciaaed Press


 Corunna, Spain, January 6.-The first comprehensive narrative of the wreck of the Spanish steamer Santa Isabel in which more than 200 persons perished, was given today to the Associated Press by Pedro F'al, pilot living at Buenos Aires, who was passenger aboard the vessel with his wife and the latter E brother, Luis Malde. They were return ing to Argentina
 We were asleep when the accident happened said Fal "The shock awoke the passengers, who Immediately threw clothing around themselves and rushed tc the decks We found people flashing hfther and thither and the waves sweep ing over the decks
 The captain tried to calm the pas sengers, but without success Boats were torn from their davits, and soon the electric lights failed owing to the flood ing of the machine room when the engineer opened the valves to avoid an explosion. The wireless operator thus was unable to reply to inquiries reIa- tive to the position of the steamer
 The obscurity and fog increased the panic. The captain ordered the launch ing of boats. The Island of Salvora was only 300 yards away. At that moment the main mast broke killing many, while others threw themselves into the sea.
 On the first attempt to launch the boats, the crew made a rush for them and succeeded in getting one away, in which only the first officer, the doctor. the chaplain. the super-cargo and one of the crew embarked. The moment it touched the water it was smashed on the rocks and all in it were drowned.
 "A few minutes later the passengers launched two boats the members of the crew having scattered and giving no Aa1 tN ALN .,.t.. ....f-. pr,r-- were overturned. Then the remaining boat got away after terrible struggle for a place in it. It carried 70 of the passengers but soon capsized. A num- Der of the occupants, however, succeeded in reaching Salvora.
 "T, with my wife and Made, remained with the captain and 30 others on the forward deck, which was still out of water. The cold was intense and the cries of the drowning were heard all around. We remained thus until o'clock Sunday morning when we saw the steam CT Cabo Triana passing nearby. We made signals by burning paper with gasoline lighters, but apparently we were not seen
 ALL WASHED OVERBOARD
 Some moments later an enormous wave washed everybody overheard sep arating me from my wife, whom, how ever, I found in the water am a powerful swimmer and secured a float ing plank. which fixed under my wife's arms We remained in the water for several hours when a fishing boat con- taining three rowers picked us up. A few hours later boats began arriving from Ribeira, and we were taken aboard bruised from head to foot
 1T lost all the money I had with me and also 12,50o pesetas and 1,5oo gold pesos which l had left with the super cargo. The captain of the vessel was an extremely skillful seaman He took every precaution when the fog started and steamed dead slow. It was the mountainous seas that drove the vessel towards the cliffs
 Among the rescued was Chilean priest, Antonio Garcia Deez. The cap- tain of the Cabo. Triana has been placed under arrest for not going to the as sistance of the Santa Isabel. He ad- mits that he saw the signals but in- stead of reporting this on his arrival in port, he went to bed and said nothing about the matter until the next morn ing