The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-28
996 SURVIVORS
ARELANDED AT
TWO S, A. PORTS
Tales Told of Brilliant Hero
ism, as Well as of Wild
Panic and Suffering
CAPT. GULL WENT DOWN
All Survivors Are Destitute
Many of Them Have Lost
Members of Families


Members of Families
Rio JaneirO. Oct. 28.-(AP)-
Latest estimates Of the number
who pcrished in the sinking Of
the Italian ship Principessa Ma.
falda. place the victims at 3l5.
Survivors of the disaster. who
arrived here today on the
French steamship FOrmOsa, de.
clare that the commander of the
Mafalda. Captain Simon Gull,
committed suicide.
Rio Janeiro, Oct. 2S.-(F)-Moro
than 200 persons, many Of them
women and children, were still miss
ing today from the ill-fated Italian
liner. Principessa Mafalda, which
sank off the Brazilian coast Tuesday
night in the midst of narrowing
scenes Of suffering and panic.
Through the veil of confusion and
contradictory advices from the scene
OF the disaster, came more definite
reports today when the Dutch liner
Athena. carrying 531 survivors, and
the French liner Formosa, with 353,
arrived here. The French steamer
Mosella landed 80 passengers and %
members of the ships crew at Bahia
yesterday, thus accounting for 936
Of the 1856 souls aboard the strick-
en- Italian steamer.
Rescue Figures Vary
EvnvS <knv ~ncc.,~
the agents Of the Mafalda at Buenos
Aires placing the number saved at
932 while the Italian embassy 1T Rio
Janeiro placed the number ct 925.
Through the medley Of stories,
some Of them almost incohcrent,
poured out by the exhausted sur
vivors. came tales of brilliant her.
oism, of wild panic and Of suffering
and terror in the darkness Of Tues
day night.
The cause Of the disaster was OBJ
scured in conflicting stories told by
those snatchcd from the jaws of
death. Some declared that the ship
had been torn by an explosion while
others said that she simply had
foundered in from four to five hours
when water swept into her screw
shaft hold.
Some. still haunted by the terror
of the night. told of seeing sharks
tearing at the bodies Of victims, but
other survivors scoffed at this, de-
claring they had seen no sharks.
Captain Goes Down With Ship
Captain Simon Gull, veteran COM
mander Of the sunken vessel, went
down with the ship. That much ap-
peared certain although reports as
to how he died varied. On group Of
passengers said that he committed
suicide, another that he had been en-
quilted in the sea crying viva Italia"
as the waters swept over the bridge
from which he had directed rescue
operations. With him died his radio
operator, locked in the radio room
and at his post until the end came.
Many Of the survivors declared
that the life boats Of the Principessa
Mafalda were in bad condition and
that some of them shipped water,
while others were swamped by the
crowds in them as they were low
cred. The Italian embassy denied
that the life saving apparatus was
faulty, issuing statement stating
that the life boats had a capacity
for 1923 persons while only 1885
places were needed, and that they
had ben inspected in Genoa before
the Principessa Mafalda sailed for
South America.
Rescue Crews Praised
All the survivors were lavish in
their praise Of the crews Of the res
cue ships. Many Of the sailors
aboard the Athena jumped into the
sea, risking their lives in order to
save the victims f1oundering among
the debris and calling for help. II
it had not been for the speed with
which the Athena and Formosa
answered the frantic S @ S Of the
Mafalda, passengers said, the dis
aster would have assumed frightful
proportions.
The horror Of Tuesday night was
reflected in the faces Of many OF
those who were landed today. One
woman, who lost her seven-months-
old son, was almost insane with
grief, while another woman. who
lost . five-year-old boy, went mad.
Two Spanish women lost their hus-
bands. and, with others who had lost
relatives. moaned in grief and DESC
lation.
All the survivors are destitute,
having lost everything. when the
ship rank. Most Of the third class
passengers were Italians bound for