New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-20
THE LOSS or THE VANGUARD
THE BRITISH PUBLIC INDIGNANT.

HE BRlllSll PUBLIC lNl)NINNNl'
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER sruDIoUsLY SUPPRESSED
-TROU BLESOME QUESTIONS ASKED-EX-NAVAL
CONSTRUCTOR REED on WATERFRONT COMPARr-
MENTs.
IFnoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
LONDON, Sept. 4.-Our cousins have been hit very
hard this week. The sinking of the Vanguard by
the Iron Duke is such a shock 10 national pride as
comes but seldom. To all appearance, one of the
most unseamanko things ever done at sea- pre-
cisely the kind Of accident John Bn would think it
natural should happen to Frenchman. Happen
ing in his own case he thinks it most unnatural,
and is exaspcratcG by il. Before all thlngs-or all
but One-the true Englishman is a true seaman.
The Duo dAumae, who lived here many years,
used to say he found there two things Of which
it would never do to speak lightlythe British Bible
and the British Navy. The veriest cockncy living,
born in and never yet ont Of the sound of Bow Bells,
sincerely believes that his march is DER the mountain
waves and his home on the deep. where he wOnld
be sea-sick. And now he has to submit 10 be told
that in his waters, a voyage from Kngstown
| in Ireland to Queenstown in the same, "A calm
night, one huge ir0n-clad runs into another and
sends her to the bottom. 1t is done ceverly that
nobody is drowned. The shricks of despair and
rage which fill the air do not come from st.
Georges Channel, but from The Daily Telegraph.
IL is too shocking, ridiculous, and ruin
ous,' cries the jeremiah Of Flcct-st., adding
in It's bitterly satircal way: "The Wicklow herring
boats work in Il fog without running each other
down, but here is Her Majesty's squadron a few
hours out OF harbor the course laid the pcrls
known. the vessels under full command; and yet we
must show Europe such lubbery spectacle as this
of one British man-of-war successfully ramming the
other and sending to Dayy Jones half
million of the nations property" No lives
have her lost along with " our murdered ron-ciad"
1t would be less ridiculous if a hundred or two blue
jackets had gone down. And the feelings of the ID. T.
lead it TO ask whether skillfu scamanshp is really
no more in this age of ironmOngcry."
Al that is known about the collision can be stated
in sentence. The Vanguard attached to the re-
serve squadron of the Channel fleet stcaming seven
knots an hour in a thick fog down ST. Georges
Channel and just off Wicklow, toward l o'clock of
Thursday morning, Sept. >, put her helm a-sarboart
to avoid ship 'imy on the starboard bow, thus
checking her way and bringing her right across the
bows OF the Iron Duke sister irOn-clad, with ram,
which was following hard after, and which of course
ran into the Vanguard The blow fell at the junction
of two water-tght compartments and Laid oDcn her
side. The boats Of both ships saved ;hc crew o. the
Vanguard $50 that there were at least cooiness ana
discipline on board which sunk in an hour. The
greatest efforts arc made prevent further nopna-
lOn Ttd'ilIllg lit press ti'J o"S'tS'A"'
other ma crial facts are known.
The Iron Duke and Vanguard were sister ships
each double-screw, armor-platcd vessel, nearly
900 tons burden 500 horse power, and carrying II
guns. The Vanguard was built by Laird Bros IA
name not unknown TO us at Brkcnhcad. and cost
over million dollars. With all her fitting and
property on board a. she sunk, her value Is
computed at rot less than two millions and
a-lalf Nothing Was saved but lie. She was
one of the fastest and strongest ships in the Navy,
and there are only ten more as good. How came
she to grief! Why should two ironc.ada be stcamins
so close to each other in dense fog that one cannot
starboard her helm without bringing the other
instantly down on her! Why were no sig
nails heard What business has squadron
to be ia close order IN such circumstances,
and gon. at such speed What business have
thcy T. be Stcaming seven knots IN fog down
channel which is a great highway throngcd with
craft and why should ship bu.li in wat"r-tight
commitments 20 to thc bottom in L. than al hour
after collision
These axe questions easy 10 ask, which Wl'l per-
hap+, prove less easy TO answer There will be
court martial or more than the inquiry will be
strict and meantime there is not much use in specu-
laing about the matter Bat it looks as if-suppos-
ing orders to have been ojeycd-not the
captains OF the two shps only, but Nce-Admral
Tarl.ton who commanded the fleet, will come
in for share of the blame-wl at any rate, be
called on for his answer 10 some OF the questions
above suggested Mr.. T.. J. Reed sends to Tie lines
this morning an explanation from lis point OF view
about the compartments He assumes las Is stated
in the acconuts) that the Vanguard was hit where
a buikhcad divides two compartments and tells Us
there are few ships ailoat which could stand having
two compartments filed at once He intnnatcs
also that the communications between these and
other commandments were probably open. They
would only be closed, according to Mr. Reed, when
the ship was going into action. One would rather
like 10 know, if this be true Of ships of war;
low far it is true of passenger steamships, ard
whether the noIlinally water-tight compartments
are usually thrown into one by open doors and
valves. If that be so, what is the secrriy we have
all been trusting to, worth :
There = talk of raising the Vangrlrd-a stupen-
dous lift, for she weighs some 1000 tons. One firm
have already photographed the Admiralty they would
ike 10 try Il. W. :.