St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-03
One Was Made in Turning
British Battle Ships in
the Mediterranean.
Intimation That the Com
mander-in- Chief Himself
Made a Blunder.
Seeing a Collision Was Inev-
liable, the Captain Tried
to Back Up.
The Victoria Refuses Assist
ance, But Disappears in
Thirteen Minutes.

LONDON, July "A midshipman from
the Victoria arrived at Calais early this
morning with Rear Admiral Markham's
dispatches concerning the collision off
Tripoli. He was brought by special
steamer, the Maid of Kent, to Dover,
and was conveyed thence by special
train to London, He drove directly to
the admiralty Office, where the admi-
rally board. notified in advance of his
coming, received and read the dis
patches at once. The board decided to
publish the dispatches in full forth
with. The first dispatch was dated from
the warship Camperdown on June %.
1t says: 1T is with the most profound
regret that have to report the total
loss of her majesty's ship Victoria, in
Yolving the irreparable loss of the COM
mander-ln-chief. Vice Admiral Sir
George Tryon, % officers, and 1856 men,
under the following circumstances:
The Squadron,
consisting of her majesty's ships Vic
toria, Camperdown, Nile, Dreadnaught,
lnflexi5le. Collingwood, Phaeton, Ed
inburgh, Sanspareil, Edgar, Amphion,
Fearless and Barham, left Beyrout about
10 o'clock this forenoon for Tripoli.
Shortly after the squadron formed sin
gle columns line abreast, and proceeded
at the rate OF about eight knots an hour.
When about five miles from the
anchorage off Tripoli, the signal was
made at 2:20 in the afternoon to form
columns of divisions in line ahead, dis
posed abeam to port-the columns to be
six cable lie ngths apart. We proceeded
in this formation until 1928, when the
signal was made from the Victoria to
the first division to turn sixteen
points to port and to the second
division to turn sixteen points
to starboard. As the columns were
only six cable lengths apart. it was not,
therefore, in my opinion, possible
within the maneuyering distance to eX-
ecute such an evolution. directed the
flag lieutenant to keep the signal,
which we were repeating, at dip, as an
indication that the
Signal From the Victoria
was not understood. l then directed
him to signal with the semaphore: DO
/ understand it is your wish for the col
nmns to turn as indicated by the signal
now hylng?' But before my order
could be carried out the cOmmander-in-
chief Semaphored me to know what l
was waiting for. 1t then struck me
that he wished me to turn sixteen
points as indicated by the signal, and it
was his Intention to circle round the
second division, leaving them OH the
port hand. Having the fullest conf
dence in the great ability of the COM
mander to maneuver the squadron with
out even risk of collision. [ ordered the
signal holSted as an indication that l
understood. When the signal was
hauled down, the helm of the Camper
down was put hard aport. At the same
time the helm of the Victoria was star
boarded. l watched very carefully the
helm of the Victoria as indicating the
purpose of her signals. As the two
ships turned toward each other, ana,
seeing that the helm of the Victoria was
still starboard, | directed the captain of
the Camperdown to go full speed astern
with the StarDOard screw in order to
decrease our
NzEcle Oh L urn1nS.
"Seeing a collision was inevitable,
L then ordered him to 90. full speed
astern with both engines, but before
our speed could be materially checked,
the stem of the CamperdoWn struck the
Victoria on the starboard bow about
twenty feet before the turret and
crushed into the ship almost to the CEN
ter line, the fore and aft lines of the
ships at the time of the collision being
inclined towards each other at an angle
OF about eighty degrees. 1t was, |
think, quite two minutes before the
CamDerdOwn was able. although going
with full speed astern with both
Engines, to yet clear of the Victoria
The water-tight doors of the Camper
down had been closed by my orders be-
Sore the collision occurred. Seeing the
critical condition of the Victoria. which
seemed to be settling down by the head,
boats were Immediately prepared and
the boom boats were got ready to be
hoisted out, when the open pennant was
hoisted by the Victoria and the signal
was made not to send boats. A very
few minutes later she keeed over to
Starooard, and, turning bottom up
wards. disappeared. The time that
elapsed between the occurrence of the
collision and the disappearance was
only
About Thirteen Minutes.
.'Shortly before tie V ctoria turned
over the men we're seen jumping over
board. Observing this, Immediately
ordered the signal made to send all
boats to the rescue, and directed the
Barham and Fearless to close in at once
TO save life, steaming up in the Camper
down at the same time to succor the Of
ficers and men struggling in the water.
The combined efforts of the ssCadron
resulted in the saving of 30 ofrs and |
about 262 men, but regrets3SI no less |
than % officers and about 556 men, the |
majority of whom were In all probabil- |
ity below at the time, were lost.
'Ihe sea was smooth, and there was |
only light breeze at the time of the |
accident. The injuries to the CAMPER |
down are serious. but hope that with the |
assistance of the artifcers of the SQUAD |
ron they may be temporarily repaired so |
that she may be sent to Malta and |
docked,''
Here Rear Admiral Markham gives |
detailed and technical description of |
the injuries sustained by the Camper- |
down.
The Books Lost.
u regret that the ships books of |
the Victoria were lost. In fact. moth |
Ing OF Importance has been recovered so |
far.
Fer some hours after the sinking of !
the Victoria tile water remained agitat- i
ed oyer the wreck. The screws were |
revolving as she sank. / remained in