Rescue of the Volturna’s Passengers
Friday, October 10, another terrible disaster occurred on the Atlantic. The steamer Volturna of the Uranian line was destroyed at sea, after having been on fire for twenty-four hours. There had been more or less trouble between the company and its employees, and the company makes the claim that the steamer was deliberately set on fire by the explosion of some dynamite bombs. What evidence they have for this the despatches do not say. The distressed steamer sent out wireless messages stating her condition. The Carmania was only seventy-eight miles away, and under forced draft she reached the Volturna in about four hours, but such a storm was raging that it was impossible to lower life-boats for rescuing any on board. Before morning nine other steamers, including one oil-tank steamer, were on the scene. The oil-tank steamer went to the windward and turned two two-inch streams of oil out on the turbulent waters, and this made a way for the life-boats to reach the stricken people and rescue them. 521 persons were taken off in safety. 136 are missing, and it is feared that none of them will ever be recovered, altho there are still hopes that some of them may be found floating on some life-boats that were put out early in the progress of the disaster.