Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-24
SOME POSSIBLE CAUSES SUGGESTED.
The Victoria Has a Longitudinal Bulk
head, Which May Have Proved D1sad
vantRgeOus


The Victoria Has a Longitudinal Bulk
head, Which May Have Proved Disad-
vantRgeOus.
LONDON, June 23.-An interview was
had to-day with Lord George Hamilton
10 ascertain his views as to the disaster.
he said that without doubt the
Cam perdown's ram had cut away the
plating on the Victoria outside OF sew
eral Of her transverse bulkheads. Had
this not been the cause the bulkheads
could have been closed and the water
kept in one, or at the most two, COM
partments, and the vessel would have
still ioated. But with the plating torn
off or cut away outside OF several OF
the bulkheads tho inflow OF water
would have been enormous and there
would have been no time, even II II
would have availed anything, to close
the bulkheads.
Lord George Hamilton further said he
thought that with the plating torn OH,
the water must have entered the ship In
solid mass, and thus entering on one
side, caused the vessel to capsi5e almost
i'm mediately. The blow from the Camp
erdown, he thought, must have been
delivered slantingly to do the damage
he thought had been done. The damage
would be all the greater to ship with
her bulkheads pierced. She would thus
be worse of than ship with no bulk
heads.
The collision, he said, was as yet a
matter OF conjecture, and he declined
to express an opinion on this point.
An interview was also had with the
Right Hon. Arthur Bower Forwood, a
well-known ship-owner, senior partner
Of the firm of Leech, Harrison q For
wood, Of Liverpool, and Forwood Bros.
s. Co., of London, and who was for
merly Secretary to the Admiralty.
Mr.. Forwood said it was a wonder
that such an accident had not occurred
before. The Victoria had
A LoNGITUDAL BULKHEAD
running through her, besides number
running across ship. She was thus d.
Vided into compartments on each side OF
the longitudal bulkheGd without COM
munication between them. In his
opinion, what had occurred was this:
The Caperdown had struck the Vic
toria a ripping blow, glancing alongside
aud opening out the plates above sew
eral Of the compartments. The water
was then admitted into number OF
the compartments on one side OF the
ship, causing her to capsize by her
great weight. The longitudinal bulk
head was good thing in its way, Mr..
Forwood said, but 1t did not serve to
avert disaster.
The immediate cause of the collision,
he added, cannot now be exactly stated.
The squadron appears to have been
manouevring, probgbly within space
of three miles, leaving a small area Tor
each vessel to move in. A misleading
of signals may have caused the acct
dent. The accident to the Victoria has
never been equslled in fatal results In
the annals OF recent times. The foun-
dering Of this newest type OF warship
calls to mind a somewhat SINH
lar accident, similar as FAR as
great loss Of life is concerned, that be-
fell the English line Of battle ship,
Royal George H., 1882 In that year the
Royal George, carrying los guns, was
lying of Spithead. She had been keeled
over for repairs, when sudden gust OF
wind caused her to keel over until the
sea entered her open port. She filled
and went down with all on board, in
Gliding Rear Admiral Kemenfeldt. A
number OF women were on board at the
time aud they too were drowned. Al
together about six hundred persons lost
their lives in the disaster.