Research information about the shipwreck of the Volturno
On October 2nd, 1913 the S.S. Volturno leaves its dockingplace in the Maashaven (Meuse Harbor) in Rotterdam (Netherlands). On board are emigrants (mainly Jews from Hungary, Austria, Galicia and Russia), who had been accomodated in sheds of the Hotel Uranium Steamship Company located at the Brede Hilledijk, Katendrecht. The ship is headed for New York (U.S.A.) with a planned stopover of one day at Halifax (Canada). The captain of the ship is the Englishman Francis J.D. Inch.
On Thursday October 9th, 1913 at about 05:50 a.m. a fire breaks out on board of the Volturno, which is sailing in mid Atlantic Ocean (at 48-12 north latitude and 34-51 west longitude and according to the New York Journal at 48-25 north latitude and 34-33 west longitude).
The steamship Volturno (an iron cargoboat of 3,581 tons, 375 feet length with a 40 feet mast and a water moving capacity of 26 feet) had been built in 1906 by the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. in Glasgow (U.K.), by order of the Uranium Steamship Company (British) and it was administrated by the Canadian Northern Steamship Co. Ltd.; the latter firm dealt with transport of emigrants between Rotterdam and the United States. The number of passengers on board cannot be established unambiguously, because the original manifests listing crewmembers and passengers went down with the S.S. Volturno. The following numbers have been mentioned: |
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There were 654 persons on board: | There were 657 persons on board: | |||||
1st class: | 21 | passengers | 1st class: | 24 | passengers | |
3rd class: | 540 | passengers | 3rd class: | 540 | passengers | |
crew: | 93 | crewmembers | crew: | 93 | crewmembers | |
There were 653 persons on board (this is probably the correct number): | ||||||
1st class: | 21 | passengers | ||||
3rd class: | 538 | passengers | ||||
crew: | 93 | crewmembers | ||||
No univocal figures are known about the number of persons saved: | ||||||
Number of persons saved: | Number of persons saved: | |||||
493 | passengers | 460 | passengers | |||
29 | crewmembers | 25 | crewmembers | |||
522 | persons saved | 485 | persons saved | |||
131 | persons died | 168 | persons died | |||
Persons who were rescued were partly housed in Rotterdam in a sanctuary named "Montefiore" located at the Westzeedijk (Baan 63). The doctor of "Montefiore" is Mr. J. Voorzanger. Photographer Meylink located at the Coolsingel (Rotterdam) has made and sold postcards with the portraits of the victims. As a result of the disaster with the S.S. Volturno and from conversations with survivors who had been lodged in "Montefiore" a report has been made by the "State Committee of Inspection of the Passage and Transportation of Emigrants". |