VOLTURNO FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 4

VOLTURNO FIRE.

A GRAPHIC STORY. BY THE CARMANIA'S CAPTAIN. THRILLING EXPERIENCES. The following. story of the binning of the VoHorr.o and tho rosette of the passengers who wer® saved is tol-cl -by Captain Barr, of tlio. Cimard liner Carmania. Captain Ban's narrative is plain and modest, but it suggests vividly ail tho horrors of the hurtling ship throughout the dark, stormy nifjht, and tlio ft-ne seamanship and bravery of ih.oso who effected the .rescues. "'Upon getting a wireless message that the Volturno was on fire," said Captain j Barr, "I immediately mad.o all speed to. reach her. Tito message caffio at 8 a.m., and WO arrived in her vicinity a little_before Moon. J at once mado an exairiinatiott as closely as 1 could of the Vol tone's condition, and I was able to ascertain that sh.o was in .sore straights. I had como from the north-west, and tho sea was a heavy one. The Vol* turno's propellers wefo continually emerging from the water, and tho davit gear was hanging over the side of the vessel. I heard Whoil I had arrived that she had 500 people -on board, and that 160 wore in the btats; Although I decided that it was ail almost hopeless thing to lower -i' boat, I felt I had to try it, and 1 tried o.n<3. Before ton minutes had passed a heavy fiea took her away, but wo Had a very good sailor on t'hat boat, and ho managed to get back. In a Heavy Soa, "Tho ship did not 'manoeuvre well in the heavy, sea, and it had to make a heavy swell in order to got away from tho difficulties. Tlio seas were driving along very quickly and Strongly. Tho boat we had lowered managed again,, largely by reason of the splendid seamanship of tho .man in charge., to get to lee-. ward, of lis, and wo picked the crow up. After wc had her hoisted up I asked the captain of the Volturno if he could hold the fire, and if I had timo to run to the north-west to look for tho. missing boats, His reply was, 'Yes; but don't go too far.' Bofore I had got more than ten. miles distant 1 received an urgent ltiessaie from tlm Volturno, asking me to go back. I received a. suggestion''from tho chief officer to try find drop some of out life-rafts. I acted upon this suggestion, and went to leeward for the purpose of dropping the life-rafts.. The captain of the Volturno had tried to drop some of his boats, but they had been lost, and were no good to anybody. Then I hacked astern, and got my stern within 100 feet of 'him. The Volturno's captain wanted me to got a. line aboard, and ho threw lifebelts over for_ me to grab. It was an awkward pesition, and them Was a great possibility of my rainniiiigiiiim. A lino would not have been a bit of use, and lift lino nvftdc woiild have stood the strain.

' "Tim German steamer Grosser Kurfurst had taken Up a position under the Volturno's lee, and maintained it very well. There was: evidently a very gotiil man o.!i the ship., I got to windward of him—tire position I' wanted. I had previously told the Volturno tnan? that I would remain to windward, so that if ho had to abandon liis vessel j

would. drift down, and liavfe tho h'es.i chance of' picking up (lie passengers. I also suggested to him (ati<i this was jfly own • ideal;..iliiit. the ..lifelines 'and lifc-y 'huoys'.'should ho fastened togother.-' SO' that tho people could cling to tins lifebuoys, and this would ..enable me, itt. drifting down on them, to have a mush hotter chance of picking them up. 1 . ,' the '.First Explosion. ; "About 9 o'clock there was an explosion on the -Volturno, and flames showed up with hf illitajcy . The ■sea was lit tip by th'o electric lights. I used t a searchlight. "About this time, in answer to urgent. appeals from the \ oltnrnO. the- German . ship tried lier boats. 1 believe the captain lof that vessel was the first man to use his boats,, and great credit is duo. to him. Ho asked me by the Mgrs6 cade to look out, pointing out that- !ie could hardiy niiss me, as the Carmaiiia )va-s.so Well lighted. ._ "1 ke.pt using the searchlight in order to locate Uio boats, and by this means I was instrumental in . picking ottt . tt good: maiiy. ' •■ "I'Voni my _ position to windward it was not possibles' to lla-Vo sent boats, and oven, if it had been I would Jiot have sent them, because I had taken

up tho position with tho definite, object, if the volturno had to bis abandoned, of drifting down on them and saving the people. "J. took up my position, and at about 4.30 I picked out tbr.ee boats Jjy tlio searchlight, and steamed towards the foremost. It pulled alongside of ine, under illy lie, but when it came close, in atteiiiplihijs to get alongside, it was broken up by tho sea. "I hailed the man. in charge of another boat to come alongside. He asked jne to move further alofig, and said ho would try to gel aboard. 1 did so, and ho told mo the boat was one belonging to the Miiui.oapolis. "He said he had been alongside the Votturno, but added that the pooplo would not jump, and the boats could ■not remain alongside the burning vessel an account of th 6 sea. . The boat came alongside, but was crackcd in doing so. I told the raeir to abandon fhoir boat, and came on board. Tho commander of the boat fell overboard, but by means of a rope which ho. had round hifflj wc gat him aboard. _ Two or three smaller vessels had wired ip me that they were coming along, and 1 tried to get close in, hut was somewhat hampered by tho ships manoeuvring. Eventually I got closo to tho Volturno, about half-past 8. "Previous to this, about 7'o'clock, I sent a message to all tho ships thai tho Carmnnia had tried to send a boat out., and tried to drop rafts, all o£ which had failed. '

"Tiro point- will, no doubt, arise in many people's winds," TPJnarked Captain' BarrJ "that it is curious, seeing that tlio Carmanta was first to arrive atj tliqf seene, that sh.® has only ono rescued person oii board- _. "I have given j'ott mj* narrative in detail in order to show you how I was employed during tho night. Ido not. think I could have done more." In answer to questions, Captain B.arr said hp Was obviously in ft position to direct the other vessels, and he thought it hotter to direct, them than to rush in with the object of'' saving passengers. He had heard from one of the boatmen who got near the Voltunvo that the people crowded on that ship were as quiet as though terror were upon them. "I think that in the circumstances," ho added, "the captain of tho Volturno acted very bravely, considering that he was one against so many terror-stricken people,"