Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-07-07
A BRITISH WARSHIP SUNK
AWFUL NAVAL DISASTER IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN.

The Flagship Victoria Collides With
the Camperdown and Goes to the
Bottom i'm Fifteen Minutes-Over
400 Officers and Men Thought to
be Lost-Gladstone'sA Action.
The British battleship Victoria, flagship OF
the Mediterranean squadron, has been sunk
and over 400 lives have been lost.
The Victoria, which few the flag of Vice
Admiral Sir George Tryon, <. C. B., was
run into of Tnpon by the British battleship
Camperdown, also belonging to the Mediter-
ranean squadron and under the command OF
Captain Charles tombstone. The Victoria
had an enormous hole made in her side,
through which the water poured in torrents.
She began to settle, and before those on
board OF her could cast loose their small
boats the ship went to the bottom, carrying
down with her 463 men. Some of the officers
managed to get out of the suction caused by
the sinking vessel and were rescued. Among
those lost is Vice-Admiral Tyron-
As soon as the officers of the Victoria saw
that there was danger of the ship laundering
orders were given to close the collision bulk
heads. The sailors tried to obey the order,
hut the ship was making water too fast to
allow Of closing the bulkheads, and while
the men were still trying to shut them the
vessel with her immense guns and heavy top
hamper, turned over and carried them down.
The first reports Of the diseaster stated that
about 200 men had been drowned, but later
dispatches showed that the loss of life was
far greater, not less than 343 of the officers
and crew of the Victoria having gone down
with their ship.
The Victoria was q twin-screw battleship
of 1O, 40 tons and "A 900 horse power. She
mounted fifteen guns.
The Camperdown is also first-class twin
screw battleship. She is of 10 900 tons and
II NOV md
Admiral Sir George Tryon was comman-
der-in-chief on the Mediterranean station.
He was made a ViceAdmiral on August 20,
1891.
Rear-Admiral Albert H: Markham, of the
Trafalgar, the flagship of the Rear-Admiral
in the Mediterranean, telegraphed to the
Admiralty from Tripoli, Syria, as follows:
81 regret TO report that while maneuvring
off Tripoi the Victoria and Camperdown
collided. The Victoria sank in fifteen
minutes in eighteen fathoms of water. She
lies bottom uppermOst. The Camperdown's
ram struck the Victoria forward of the turret
Oh the starboard side. Twenty-one officers
were drowned. Two hundred and fifty-fve
men were saved"
The complement Of officers and crew of the
Victoria comprised Gil men and lot marines.
The list of officers drowned includes, be-
sides Vioe-Admiral Tryon, Chaplain Morris,
Lieutenant Munro, Fleet Paymaster Rick
cord, Fleet Engineer Foreman, Engineer
Harding, Assistant Engineers Deadman,
Hatherly and Seaton, Gunner Howell, Boat
swain Barnard, Carpenter Beall, Midshipmen
lnglis, Grieve, Fawkes, Lanyon, Henley,
Gambler and Scarlet, Cadet Stocks and
Clerks Allen and Savage.
The first dispatches concerning the acct
dent led to the belief that the disaster had
occurred off the coast of Tripol, in Northern
Africa. Later advices showed that thescene
of the calamity was near Tripoli, a seaport
town on the eastern Mediterranean, fifty
miles northeast of Beyroot, Syria, and COM
paratively short distance from the Island of
Cyprus.
Prime Minister Gladstone was greatly
shocked when he was informed Of the sink
ing Of the Victoria, and the great loss of life
that had attended the laundering of the YES
sci. He informed the House of Commons of
the accident, and paid most glowing tribute
to the worth Of Yice-Admiral Tryon, who, he
said was one of the ablest and most es-
teemed officers in the service of her Majesty.
Mr.. Gladstone said that there were Gil Off
GERS. seamen and boys, and lot marines on
board the ship. 1t was then feared that of
this total of 71S souls only 255 had been
saved.
The Victoria was a single turret ship,
carrying two 11O-ton guns, mounted in
turret coated with eighteen inches of COM
pound armor, one ten-inch twenty-nine-ton
gun firing aft, and broadside auxiliary ar
mament oftWelge six-inch five-ton guns.
Of artillery of a smaller nature she carried
twenty-one quick-fring and eight machine
guns. Her maximum speed was 16. IS knots.
She could stow 100 tons of coal in her
bunkers, and her radius of action at ten knots
speed, with her full complement Of coal, was
estimated at 1000 knots.
Her armored belt and bulkheads consisted
of compound armor from sixteen to eighteen
inches in thickness. She was built at Els
wick.