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). Fire started at the front part of the ship, after which an explosion occured which caused the immediate death of about 80 to 90 persons, among them a navigating officer, passengers and other members of the crew. The radio operator then sent out a distress call. The Volturno had 19 lifeboats and 6 wooden rafts on board. At that moment there was a heavy storm from the north-north-west and the sea was high. Three lifeboats were lowered into the water, which were crushed. For a survey of the rescuing ships, see the separate information about this. 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 representative of the Uranium Steamship Co. Ltd., address: Boompjes 76, Rotterdam (with main office in New York) is Mr. R.B. Timsley. It has been said that the British government ordered the cruiser "Donegal" to sail out in order to destroy the wreck of the Volturno, but according to other sources the Dutch tanker "Charlois" of the American Petroleum Company sunk the wreck of the Volturno on October 18, 1913, by opening an outlet. 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:
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".