SS Volturno (1906)

The burning Volturno

Registration Number: 123737

The Volturno (II ) was a 1906 put into service passenger ship in the British shipping company Uranium Steamship Company, which was built for the transatlantic traffic and passengers, cargo and mail from Rotterdam via Halifax to New York did. On October 9, 1913 destroyed the middle of the North Atlantic a fire the ship, with 136 passengers and crew members were killed. It was the most devastating and meistpublizierte Shipwreck since the Titanic sinking 18 months previously. The fire on the Volturno is also one of the greatest tragedies caused by fire ship.

The ship

The Volturno had a checkered history. It was built by the Scottish shipyard Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Glasgow on the River Clyde for the Italian shipping company Navigazione Italo - Americano, yard number 448. She ran on September 5, 1906 from the pile and was completed the following October. The construction cost 80,000 British pounds (after damaligem monetary value ). It was originally planned as a pure cargo ship. The Italian shipping company named the ship after the eponymous Italian river that flows at Gaeta in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

On 11 November 1906, the ship was, however, purchased by the Volturno Steamship Company, a sub- division of the British retail group DG Pinkney & Company, based in Sunderland. They kept the name of the ship. In March 1908, the Volturno was chartered by the New York & Continental Line was founded earlier in the year for two crossings. In February 1909 she was chartered by the North West Transport Line for passenger traffic from New York to Rotterdam.

On March 30, 1909, the Toronto-based shipping company Canadian Northern Steamship Company bought the ship, they gave ( briefly called Uranium Line) on 4 April of the same year in the service of its newly established subsidiary, Uranium Steamship Company. For this company, the steamer still operated the route Rotterdam - Halifax- New York. The Volturno remained to the end in the service of Uranium Line.

The last ride

The fire

On Thursday, October 2, 1913, the Volturno was in Rotterdam at another crossing to New York. The ship was under the command of 36-year old Captain Francis James Daniel inch. There were 564 passengers (24 first class, 540 third class) and 93 crew members on board; a total of 657 people. Among the passengers, many Eastern European Jews who wanted to emigrate to America, but also British, German and French businessmen, honeymooners and holidaymakers were. The passenger list of this trip saw a large number of children. To charge included many highly flammable items such as chemicals, oil, peat, carpets, straw and large quantities of wine and spirits. On the third day of the trip, on Saturday, October 4, were held fire and boat drills on board. The Volturno was equipped with 19 lifeboats, 1511 life jackets and 23 life buoys and was thus as a safe ship.

One week after the expiry, on Thursday morning, October 9, 1913, was the westward steaming ocean liner in the middle of an Atlantic storm. It was raining hard and high waves beat against the hull. In the dining rooms while the preparations for the breakfast had begun. At 5:50 clock broke on the ship from a fire whose cause is unclear. It was probably triggered by the discarded cigarette a steerage passenger. As a steward approached, the man should have thrown the cigarette through a slot in the ground in order to pay any penalty must. The cigarette was thereby ended up in a storage room and put the luggage in stock there in flames. This has never been conclusively proven, but often cited as the cause.

The fire spread at breakneck speed in the hold, and soon reached the boiler rooms. As the flames broke there, a massive explosion rocked the ship, when the boiler blew up. Four crew members were killed by it. Then they spread out over the upper passenger decks. At 6.00 clock the fire alarm was triggered. The explosion had awakened the passengers, that broke out in panic and run around and began to look for life jackets. Dozens jumped in panic from on board, because they preferred the drowning death by fire.

Captain Inch immediately ordered the fire -fighting measures. Having had to be determined that the fire was not brought under control, was inches from about 08.00 clock radio emergency and ordered the easing of the lifeboats. This proved to be due to the heavy seas as very risky and difficult. The first two boats that were left women and children occupied at water were thrown by the waves against the hull, threw their occupants into the sea and were drowned. One was crushed by the sagging rear of the Volturno. None of the occupants survived. Inch then ordered a cease disembark. Two more serious explosion could shake the ship, destroying the machines and the compass and let the lights go out. The Volturno drifted now maneuver by storm.

Rescue and doom

To the call of the Volturno total of eleven businesses near ships that were on their way to the scene of the accident and who arrived in the next 24 hours consecutively reacted. The first ship was the passenger steamer Carmania the Cunard Line under Captain James Clayton Barr, who arrived around noon. Barr took over the management of the rescue operation and directed the other vessels that formed gradually a circle around the burning Volturno and attracted swimmers from the water.

Other rescue ships were, among others, the Czar of the Russian American Line ( rescued 102 people ), the Devonian of the Leyland Line ( rescued 39 people ), the La Touraine Compagnie Générale Transatlantique ( rescued 40 people ), the Kroon land of the Red Star Line ( rescued 90 people ) and the two NDL steamer Great Elector ( rescued 105 people ) and Seydlitz ( rescued 46 people ). Some ships had their own boats each, but the strong wind and the waves undid these rescue attempts.

" The first radio operator aboard the largest ship, the" Great Elector ", had immediately taken the lead in the hand, and he knew how to use his excellent command until the termination of the emergency action. "

The evacuation process dragged on until the early morning hours of October 11. The tanker Narragansett Standard Shipping Company of New York distributed oil as a wave calming oil at the crash site in order to smooth out the still rough seas. In this way it was easier to get to the lifeboats to the Volturno. Captain inch was the last to leave the ship. 09.00 clock the Volturno was evacuated and all the boats had been taken. A total of 521 survivors were rescued. 136 people were killed in the disaster lost their lives, many of them by the unfortunate lifeboats.

"That so many lives could be saved, is in the main, the almost superhuman achievements of Funktelegraphisten on all ships due to 50 hours continuously served their apparatuses. The Bordtelegraphisten ( the Volturno dV ) but was pronounced a special recognition for his prudence and efficiency of Seemannsamt. "

The eleven rescue vessels took out back to their original courses and took the survivors to shore. The wreckage of the burned and abandoned Volturno was allowed to drive. On the evening of 17 October, the Dutch tanker Charlois discovered the still fuming unmanned wreck. Captain Schmidt did not know what had happened and had a boat to the Volturno translate to check if anyone was on board and needed help. Since he found no survivors, and was aware that the drifting wreck posed a risk to other ships, he let it sink on the morning of October 18.

Investigation

The incident was of an investigative committee of the British Board of Trade, chaired by the British Wreck Commissioners Hamilton Cuffe, 5th Earl of Desart investigated. The Committee issued its final report on 17 January 1914. The results were surprisingly positive, the crew of the Volturno and especially the captain were praised for their behavior. They had tried everything to contain the fire to get help and to rescue the passengers. Everyone did that Erdenklichste what was in his power, thus fulfilling his duty. Was condemned or criticized anyone. The Board of Trade also recorded numerous crew members of the rescue vessels for their use of the Medal of Honor Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea ( often shortened Sea Gallantry Medal called ).