Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-09-23

A British IrOn.CIad Sunk Off the
Irish COast-Dreadful Collision in
n Fog.
New York Herald. l6th.l
The following particulars Of the dread
ful collision off Bray Head, Ireland,
which resulted in the sinking of the
British iron-elad Vanguard, are taken
from the Dublin papers on September 3:
On Wednesday, shortly before midday,
six of the seven iron-clads, which all
through the week attracted such hosts Of
visitors, weighed anchor in the Kings
town roads and steamed in the direction
of their new destination, Queenstown
harbor. Two hours afterward the Van
guard, one Of the finest of the leviathans,
was run into and sent to the bottom by
her consort, the Iron Duke. The details
Of the great naval catastrophe, which
will create intense excitement through
out the empire, are few and sparse, the
officers and men of both vessels pre-.
serving reticent silence which battles
the most eager inquirer. AS if to make
confusion worse confoundcd, while all
accounts concur in representing the ac-
cident as having taken place at ten min
utes to one in the afternoon on Wednes-
day, the official telegram of the admir-.
atty fixes the event at twelve hours later.
However, after collating accounts OBJ.
tained from the best authorities, the fol-
lowing appears to be the most probable
account of the occurrence: The ships
left their anchorage at about half past
eleven and steamed toward Queenstown.
Scarcely had they left when they were
enveloped in dense fog. AT a quarter
to one clock in the day, about an hour
and half after leaving the roads, the
feet we're off Bray Head. The lookout
Of the Vanguard which was then going
only five or six knots an hour, suddenly
saw through thesfogss
LARGE MERCHANT SHIP RIGHT AHEAD.
To avoid q collision with this vessel
the Vanguard ported her helm. The
result of this maneuver was to present
the broadsde of the ship to the bow of
the Iron Duke, then about n cables
length behind. The Vanguard's officer
must have thought there was time to get
out of the Iron Dukes way, but he was
mistaken, for suddenly the Vanguard
people saw through the fog the jibboom
ofthe Iron Duke not fifty yards off. Both
captains gave the word to reverse engines
and back, but it was too late, and the
Iron Duke ran into her consort with
tremendous force, striking her amid
ships with her plow or ram, and dashing
in her side almost from keel to bulwarks
The bows of these vessels are, we need
scarcely say, provided with iron rams"
for the express purpose of sinking an
opposing vessel by single blow and
the event showed that TIE Iron Duke
was only too well fitted for her deadly
task. Her iron beak ground to powder
the armored broadside of the Vanguard,
and in a second
THE WATER POURED THROUGH THE
ORIFICE,
the engine fires we're extinguished and
the vessel began rapidly to fll. There
we're some 45O human beings on board
the Vanguard, and as the waters rushed
into the hold their situation was a terri.
BILE one. There was no time to even
think of saving property, and it is un'
derstood that not q single article, valua-
BILE or otherwise, belonging to the ship
was rescued from the wreck-in fact
officers and men arrived upon the deck
of the Iron Duke possessed only OF the
clothes in which they stood and what
| n,,or ,aualrty or M Ia n hlas tho, 49, hovo
had about their persons before the oc-
currence. There was no time to run
down to remove clothing or other pro-
perty, and nobody thought of doing so,
all being intent upon seltpreservation.
/ The utmost discipline and GOODNESS pre-.
vailed, although hope is said to have
deserted the crew; but they looked what
seemed an inevitable fate sternly in the
face. and the stronger men endeavored
TO support and cheer their weaker ship
mates. Both vessels we're powerful
rams" but tho Iron Duke was by far
the more powerful of the two, and the
fearful effect of her crushing weight
upon the broadside Of her consort may
be imagined. The irst-named vessel
suffered insignificant damages, her bow
spirit and fore-gear, or "head.gear' as it
is called, having only been carried away,
while
THE VANGUARD sUCCUMBED
with guns ammunition, sccoutrements,
large stands of small arms, and in fact,
with all the appointments of hrSt-class
man-ofwar, whose construction cost
e5e0 900. The sunken vessel has been
occupied for several years as the guard
ship at Kingston. No lives have been
lost, and the crew escaped unhurt, with
the exception Of three men, who re-
ceived some contusious during their
transit 10 the Duke. The walls OF ia.
vorite dog, who alone met watery
grave, were heard above the general din.
! Atthe time Of the collision it appeared
that, owing to the density OF the fog, the
Iron Duke aud Vanguard at oil events
we're not proceeding at a speed OF more
! than five or six knots an hour. On leay'