New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-02
THE STORY OF THE VICTORIA.
HOW THE SHIP WENT DOWN.
LITTLE BY LITTLE THE DETAILS OF THE
HORROR ARE MADE PUBLIC.
EFFORTS OF TIE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT TO
SUPPRESS THE FACTs-SURvIvORs WHO
HAVE REACHED MALTA DESCRIBE THE
COLLISION AND THE AWFUL
SCENE WHICH ENSUED.


COLLISION AND THE AWFUL
SCENE WHICH ENsUED
London, July 1.-Imporant dispatches have
been received at the Admiralty Office from Rear
Admiral Albert II. Markham in which il is said
hc places the blame for the dsfstcr which bcfell
the battcship Victoria where. in his opinion, II
belongs, The Admiralty officials refuse to divulgc
the contents Of these kilograms to the press until
after the court-martal shall have been held at
Portsmouth to ascertain every fact connected with
the loss Of the batlcship. Every effort is being
made at Malta TO keep in sccluson the survivors
Of the disaster who arrived there yesterday, and
to prevent them from talking about the collision !
The Government will be questioned in the House !
of Commons Monday to the reasons for the
attcmp, TO maintain secrecy.
Valctta, Malta, July Notwithstanding the
efforts that being made by the naval author-
ties here 10 prevent the survivors Of the Victoria
disaster from giving any information concerning
the loss of the vessel, your correspondent has sue
cccdcd in obtaining from Trustworthy sources
full story of the casualty the first report covering
all the details of the accident that has been sent
10 the United States Most of the men seen de-
cline for obvious reasons 70 have their names
published. but the trustworhnesS Of the inter
views following max he entirely depended upon.
A sub-oaIccr who attached T. ri" Victoria
says: "1he feet was manocuvring when Nice
Admiral Trvon siqnallcd TO the first division to
turn sixteen points 10 port. and TO the second
to turn sixteen points 10 starhoard. TIL" object
of this manoeuvre was to bring thr ships in
position for anchoring Vicc-Admiral Tryo1
either forgot or mstool the distance between the
two columns, which Were six cable lengths $500
feet apart.
The leading ships having turned toward each
other in a circle the diameter Of which was three
cable lengths 4 800 feet a collision was newt
able The Camperdown struck the Victoria on
the starboard side, midway between her catheads
and the turrct When Rcar-Admira Markham
saw that his ship WIS bound 10 strik" the
Victoria he signalcd for the Camporlown's on
zines 10 be reversed II was too late. however,
TO check the Campoldowns headway, and she
s,ruck the Victoria fearful blow Not only ana the
ram of tho CampordoHn penetrate the fag'nlp' put
her forccasflc wa, showed ten feet under the
forecastle of the Victoria bugle call was
sounded on the aag,hip calling all hands 10 their
stations. and the order was given to close the water
tght doors in the bulkheads mlnut" before
the collision occurred The Campcrdown, how
ever. wa swinging rap dly toward tho Victoria ana
those on the flagship scarcely had tim" 10 r'a'h
the COMMITMENTS before the vessels came To-
rc,hcr Then the water. rushing INTO the snip 4
through scvcfal OF the forward doors preVeh'r'
accoss 20 those compartments. The officers "h" 1
,-cr in m, wartiroo:n felt the shock. which was |
trcluen lou- ana heard tho sound OF 'e"rhs
from aud the rushine OF the water inhoard
A bugler sounded the collision aiarh' wv
though everybody aboard the ship knew no was
,r imminent danger. there was not the slightest
,rocc Of a panic Perfect discipline was NAM
tanned and every order ob"ycd as soon a. i
cl
,or action. and Captain Maurice Bourke. hag cap
tain of ,hc fleet made inspection 10 ascertain
,,b,, hnlthcnd doors were closed. All hands
were then ordered to fnll in on the port side OF
,h. .hip The collision mat and boom wer" got
out. An attempt was made 10 place the mat
over the hole In the iorecaS'lc. nut II ihH"
| While this was being don" Commander J"lh'o"
WAS engaged in getting the boats ont. Inc
ronid and increasing list the ship was making
made this task n ,li,icllt one HE port sldc OF
the shin ~a- crowded wlE men, their a""i'tV
| ulainlv snowln2 in thrlr g. unf"nfnf'' nav p'r-
/ fect order was maintained The men VINO m
/ been condemned 10 imprisonment were prouS'''
/ from ,hc brig and the sick were conveyed from
the hospital one man who Had been b'lo" ior-
wand a, the time of the collision had both les
broken hy teing hit bY the Camp"rdown'S ram
THE Victoria lay with list ol from twenty
% tventy-Gvc degrees for about two minutes
She was settling by the head at the tim" sud
lonlv thc water rushed tr1mih the mnIn de'k
| or,s and in less than ten minute. after the SHIP
| want down In the Last few minu'cs sh" h""lcd
ovcr with frghtful raplIty hat rlntchlh9
s,anch,ons and anytin. else that woni hoi"
them the men hung on. no one attempting "
lca,e thc sh:p NrrA lmirl llyon ~" 'a'
all hope was gone and gave tn" ORDER Jump,
save yourselves. Then. and not till th'n' din
,ho ,ncn break ranks They climbed into tho
weather ncttings. crying, shes going down. ana
scrambled TO get hold of something on IN" upper
side OF the ship The men who were III '"'
stern above the port propeller, wh'h was re-
yolving rapidly, were, when th'N lump''' '"'''"
to Jump close 10 IT. some ana not eva" '
hl,Jes and were instantly killed. lhos" stu
an IN, STERN seeing their iat", cried stop the en-
cine. for Gods sake" Tins, of course" conih
not hc done as il was impossible. oven had any
an. do,cd TO enter the cnainc room. Tie siSh'
~ mon meeting their death by being hit by the
screw was "A horrible one
"Nony who lumprd went down hrn'a'h III"
y.ter but rose again In the mean time the WV
,oria had turned bottom mp. and III -" n''-
mcuts she plunged dowf. bow first carrvlhg VIII"
her many of the men who were siiil chhsnhs I"
her they having cambcrcd toward her k'l do
! sh. Turned slowly over after getting uo"n VII
her side About four hundred got clear ol the
sbip before she sank. but many OF theih were
.truc, bv floating wIcrkagc aff'rward. and 80
injured that they drowned. The air that escape
| from, the shin as she went down caused ailN' '"S
that would float 10 come to the surface wlih ire
| mcndous force and the men struck by th" up
coming articles were in many instances never seen
aftcryurd. For two hundred yards around the
snot where the vessel sank the water was u s'c'h-
inc mass. the men in it being whlrled around hait-
| cholcd and dashed among the wreckag" Tor a
minnie or two Among those who were Killed
by the propeller was LicutCN' mt Phiiip y. Munro
Some Of those who met their death III inns way
| ,.a.a tarrihlr manrlod and many legs and arms