The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-27
GRAPHIC TALES
OF DISASTER
ARE RELATED
Rescue Ships Speed Toward
Rio de Janeiro and Are Due
There at Midnight
EXPLOSION rs CAUSE
Passengers on Mafalda We're
Celebrating Joyously When
Accident Occurred

Bahia, Brazil, Oct. 27.-(AP)
Belief that Captain Simon
Gull, commander of the Italian
steamship Principessa Mafalda.
perished with his ship off the
coast Of Brazil was expressed by
members of the ships crew who
landed here today aboard the
rescue ship Mose1la.
Rio Janeiro. Oct. 27.-(AP)-Res-
cue ships sped toward this port to-
day carrying hundreds who were
snatched from death when the Ital-
ian liner, Principessa Mafalda, sank
after an explosion 80 miles off the
coast Of Brazil, opposite Porto Se-
gura. about 600 miles north of here.
Indications were that the rescue
ships, the first Of which is due here
at midnight tonight, picked up all
but 68 of a total of 99S passengers
and crew of 24O aboard the NATAL
da.
Survivors Of the disaster told
graphic stories to the commanders
of the ships which rescued them and
their accounts were forwarded by
wireless. The exact number of vic-
Tins was not included in these ac-
counts.
Passengers Were Joyous
The passengers, 800 of whom were
Italian cmigrants bound for South
America, were in high spirits as the
Mafalda approached the coast.
Supper had been served and there
was singing and dancing as the full
fillment of the dream of a new
homeland neared. The merry cele-
bration was greatest in the third
class quarters, where the cmixrants
travelled.
Suddenly the ship came to an
abrupt halt. The Mafalda's radio
frantically called S o S. The near
est ships responded to the call un-
der forced draught and relayed it to
bring others to the rescue. The
radio operator in later message
said that a fatal accident had oc-
Cured aboard the Mafalda because
of dryness in the boiler. plates. Ex-
perts here were inclined to believe
that the boilers exploded due to an
improper water supply.
Officers Remain Cool
Dancing and rejoicing among the
turned to CONSERVATION
and trembling. The GOODNESS of the
ships officers prevented a panic.
The orchestra, which had played for
the merry making, began playing
tho Italian national anthem with a
more serious purpose in mind-the
quieting of the fears of the terror
stricken passengers.
Captain Simon Gull, veteran of
the seas, stood on the bridge, out
wardly undisturbed, barking his or
ders. The officers and crew directed
the passengers to the life boat sta
ton and assisted them in donning
life preservers.
The crew laughed and joked to
quiet sobbing women and terror
stricken children. Lifeboats swung
from the davits and were lowered in
to the sea, fortunately calm.
Heartening news came from the
radio operator. The French steamer
Formosa had replied to the S o S.
She was rushing to the scene at full
speed. Other ships wirelessed that
they were responding to the call for
help. Cheers arose from the deck
as despair turned to hope.
First Ship Comes Within an Hour
About 8 o'clock, less than an hour
after the S 0 S call had been picked
up, the Formosa hove. in sight. It
was already dark but the night was
clear. Lifeboats dotted the surface
Continued on page two)