The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-06-28
SIGNALS misunderstood.
How the English War Vessel
Went to the Bottom.
Horrible Death in Three Forms
Threatened the Victims.
Drowning. scalding and swiftly Revolving
screws Tho signal Not Understood-
An Attempt to Execute Turn
Wfthout the Proper Space.

last Thursday afternoon the English
feet came In sight Of Tripoli The fvs
big ironclads, Victoria, Camperdown
Edinburgh, Nile and Sans PARCEL, wers
drawn up full In front The Victoria
was In the center, the CampcrdowI
was on her left and the Edinburgh OF
her right. When they were within fiv,
miles Of shore Vice Admiral Tryor
signalled to turn and form In double
line This meant that the Victoria ane
Compendium were 10 60 ahead and dc
scribe turn the Victoria turning 4
the left and the Campertlowp tnrning Il
the right, then they would advance sid,
by side fn the direction for which they
had come, tho others would swing into
double and advance two and two be
hind tho leads When the order was
given tho distance behind tho ships
was less than two cable lengths The
execution Of the order was easy enough
for ships further away from center
but extremely difficult for the
eVictoria and the CnmperdoVn
In turning their bows would pass
within few fathams of each other
Whether Admiral Markham, of Tho
Campcrdown, could not believe this
movement was 10 be tried when The
ships were 50 close togetheror because
he thought Admiral lryon had niseal-
cnlated the distance lie did nat rel
about executing the order, Int MFG
nailed that he did MOI understand il
The Victoria and the other vessels
had not hesitatel Tho Victoria
began 70 turn at anee as she still
held to the signal The Canrer,l0wr
no longer hesitated hut also began te.
turn. The brief delay. however hae
been fatal The Victoria had nearly
turned, aud the Camperdnwn swing
ing around, bore dowpipan her both
admirals were quick 70 act Admiral
Tryon swung the Victoria 50 as to M,
rive at the smallest angle the blow
which the officers saw was inevitable,
would strike, and Adm Markham did the
same besides reversing her serews The
twelve-foot ram struck the Victoria just
front Of the armorea bulkhead and
plunged into the thin plates Of her
starboard side, The armor ends at the
bulkhead and the forward part of the
Victoria above the water line was
mere cardboard 70 the great
iron wedge. There was a smash
ing Of wood and iron plate, and the
ram and eight feet Of the bow Of the
Camperdown crashed into the bowels
Of the Victoria. As all the vessels were
moving TO get into double line behind
the two leaders they were bearing
down upon the entangled ships and
catastrophe involving all the iron clads
was imminent.
The Victorias bow was not pointed
full toward the shore 1t seems that
Admiral Tyron did not realize the ex-
tent Of the damage to the ship He nc
doubt thought that as only one com.
partment was damaged the Others
would keep the ship afioat, so when
the Camperdown and the other
ships signalled their offers Of
bows he replied that he did not need
them A moment more and new peril
more horrible descended upon them.
The great engine deep in the heart OF
the hull and inclosed in water tight
compartments was still throbbing at
full speed and the great steel fanges
Of the screws were still whirling in the
air. As the vessel sank the screws
came nearer and nearer to the water
and descended into the midst OF human
beings. When the screws were
low enough to begin to whirl IN the
water again the suction had increased
until there was deepening vortex like
maelstrom. At the bottom OF this
maelstrom the screws We're revolving
l -..s... Una Z YEA 4 /. 4