The Meeker herald., 1893-07-01
FOUR HUNDRED DROWNED.
The English warship Victoria Sunk In
Collision and Nearly all Her
Crew Drowned.

A most terrible calamity has befalien TIC
British battleship Victoria of the Nediter-
ran.an souedron and hundreds OF lives were
Inst. The Victoria, which few the nag OF
yice Admiral Sir George .yron, H. q. b.,
VA. run into of Tripod. oy the British battle
shIu Camperdowa, also belonging 10 the
Mediterranean squadron and under the COM
mapd OF Captain John johnson, on the 23rd.
The vessels with others were maneuvering
within comparatively small space near
Tripoli. The vessels were almost at right
angles when the Victoria was struck by the
ram of the Camperdown. Those on the
ylctoria's deck at the time of the collision
scrambled away, and were rescued by boats
ffom the CamperdoWn and several other
vessels. The men below had no time to reach
the deck The sudden reellng Of the We
toria caused her to begin to MI Immediately
and no escape was possible. She went down
in nineteen faihoms OF water, bottom up
wards.
As soon as the officers of the Victoria saw
that there was danger Of their ship founder
/ Ing. orders were given 10 close the collision
bulkheads in order TO keep the water In the
| compartment ram. The sailors tried 10 obey
! the order, but the ship was making water too
I fast to allow OF closing the bulkheads, and
while still trying to shut them the vessel, with
her Immense guns and heavy top hamper
turned over and carried them down.
The Victoria was n twin-screw battleship
Of 10. 40 tons and 1900 horsepower. She
mounted flftcen guns. The Campcrdown Is
also flr.t-class twin-scrcw batteship She
T Is 10. 600 tons and II 500 horsepower and car
RED ten guns.
The complement OF officers and crew OF
the Victoria comprised Gil men, besides
/ whom there we're 1O7 marines. The list OF
I officers drowned Included Vice Admiral
[ TyIon aud twenty-one others.
/ \ change had been recently made in the
/ commander attached to the Victoria, Charles
| l.. ottley having been detached and succeed
/ ed by Commander Fellicome, who was saved,
as were also Captain Hon. Maurice A Bourke
aud fifteen other officers.
I Two hundred and fifty men are thought tC
have been saved. but all attention is devoted
[ to recovering the dead bodies.
The news Of the calamity has caused the
most intense excitement, not only among
those who had friends OF board the ill-fated
sblp. but among all classceof the population
/ The admiralty Office In Whitehall IS besleget
I by relatives and friends OF the officers and
crcN, reporters seeking further details OF the
disaster and througs of people attracted by
curiosity. So dense was the throns In Tho
vicinity that the admiralty officials were com
PEELED to summon the police to restrain III,
crowd.
Al. official telegrams In regard to the los
Of the ship viii be sent at once to the queer
at Windsor castle. A. soon as her majest!
received Rear Admiral Markham's dispatch
which was Immediately forwarded to her, sh'
gave orders for the posiponement of the stat
ball, that was to have taken place at Buck
ingham palace that night,
Mr.. Gladstone was greatly shocked whei
he was Informed of the sinking of the Vic
torla and the great loss Of life that had n,
tended the foundcrIng of the vessel. Tn
prime minister Informed the House of Com
mons OF the accident and paid most glow
ing tribute 10 the worth Of Vice Admlra
Tryon, who, he said. was one Of the ables
and most esteemed officers In the service o
her majesty.
The los, of the Victoria ia looked upon n
confirming the opinion Of many un-"' officer
are entirely too unwieldy for serious mancuy
erlng of seaboard. Naval engineering ha
not progressed as rapidly as naval architcc
tnrc, and the stupcndous mass Of the 10000
ton warship cannot be controlled with III
ease the navy officer generally desires. Their
Is but little doubt that the loss OF the Vic,ori
was mainly due to this defect. II is probab.
that either the Campcrdown or the Viciori
could could not lessen the impetus receive
from its engines when required.
anything has been done 10 nulllfy the deadl.
action Of the "raU.i the navies of the worl
have given hardly thought to lifc-boat drill
q proof OF which Is seen IN connection wit
the sinking OF the Victoria.