The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-18
VICTORIA COURT MARTIAL.
-,r oFtICI.tL INVESTIGATION OF
THE GRE.iT DISASTER
rourke Te-unss Ia Hiu Own Defence
All tao Survivors Sny They Have No
-. u, Make .Arniust ANY One

tao survivors rny They Have No
Large. to Make Against Any One.
r,,rr-,. Malta. July 1.-the court martial
..,,,r,el 70 :ry Capt. the Hon. Maurice A.
n.,-r,. SnH Commander Hawkins Smith.
,.b. arriving oIlccrs Of the British bat
-, Ali, ;ir;orla. which was sunk In collision
.,,n IN, british battle ship Camperdovn
,,n,sd to-day witt tho reading By Judge
,Iyootte Elckird VI the irst despatch sent by
;ssr Nln,r.l Markham. whose Tag was on
,h. ,,amn,rdown at tho time OF tho accident
s,..,u,,ins the loss Of tho Victoria to the Adj
r,i,,tr. and tho subsequent despatch for
.,,I,d 10y tho Rear Admiral A letter
-rF,,sn BY Rear Admiral Markham on July l
v,s also read In this letter minor points In
An. DISPATCHES were corrected. and the state
,,.nt n, 30 that In reuly to Vice Admir- al Try
,b,s question What are you waiting for "
,isoaIIeJ ater the Vice-Admiral saw that his
nrder for the fatal manTuyre was not being
oh.rei. Hear Admiral Markham had sig n alled
,h., he did not quito understand the Tice-Ad.
nrais order
The Jut,ce Advocate also read a letter adj
dressed 10 Rear Admiral Tracey. in which
Cnrt, EoLrkc said that in his opinion the en-
sfnes of both the Victoria and Camrcrtlown
we're put th;ec-Iuarters instead OF full spced
.stern teiore the collision. Cart. Bourke in
This letter aid he concluded that the telegraph
indicators in the engine room dsvlated from
tho Indicator on the bridge, and thus tho sig
nal from the ridge had been misread by the
engineer on watch.
Constructor Newman OF the Malta Dock
ysrd testified that tho last time the Victoria
Vas in tho dockyari her water.tight chambers
and s,uttles were N perfect order.
Can't. Luurbe was then placed upon the stand
IN III, own defence. he repeated the story of
the accident as already told In these de.
FAN rsmmanier Hawkins. Smith went to
Vice Admlra! Tryons cabin and received their
ORDERS from him as TO the man Pnvres to be
carried out Cant. Bourke repeated the CONVEX
sa,on that then took place regarding the dis
tanco from each other to be observed by the
eriti, Ally liked the distance at six cable
I-ngths agrn-i with tho suggestion Of tho
S,aI Commander that it should be eight cable
sat the hass designated six cahlr lengths. and
when the ce-Adrlirafs attention was called
O Sats 30 BSurks aided that he saw when tho
chips began TO swing toward each other that
there was, not sufficient distance between
s screw IL 10 order that the shipShould MAKE a
a srSi Ii both ensines we're ordered iuI speed
disaster TIE Victoria had turned twelve or
thirteen points when she was struck.
Capt. Bourke described at length the efforts
made to save the shin after the collision. de-
lished He said that his DISPATCHES to the Ad-
nraty truly described all the details of tho
Disaster He had no complaint whatever to
make regarding the conduct OF any OF the sur
yivors.
Capt. winsIoe. the prosecutor: asked the
Bourkss narrative Of the disaster. or il they
All the survivors answered. Nothing" in
chorus
In the course OF Capt. Rourke's examination
Prosecutor Winsloe 2sked him.
When stan Con- d mHnder nawk ,hn.
caIle lengths would be the better distance in
which to form the columns than six cable
lengths did you say anything in regard to the
subject zee
He then said that atter the conversation in
the AdmiralS cabin. Sir George Tryon went
out and sat on the st-rnwalk. Fleet Lieut..
Clifford came TO the witness and said that the
cables was to be siGnalled. Can't. Bourke re-
minded Vice Admiral Tryon that he certainly
had said the distance ought to be moro than
The Admiral turned to Lieut. Clifford and
Lieut.. Clifford then left the cabin. Capt.
Burke and Vice-Admiral Tryon remained to-
Capt; Bourks a. first declined to say what
passed between them after Lieut.. Clifford left
Tho President reminded the witness that he
must make a full statement. Otherwise he
would ineulrate himself Capt; Rourke then
sau mat ne called sir Georges attention TO
the fact OF the Iictoria's turning in q circle OF
scorsr,ls The ADMIRAL replied:
Let It remain at six cables"
Stapt bourkr then went on deck.
Cart Bourke displayed extreme reluctance
10 say What passed between himself and Adj
p mir Iryon. ~ the ground that Tryon. il he
tons PVT ~ tho Prosecutor he said that he
signals were h"isted. He did not then say any
Hhg TO Admiral 1rgon. no was tai king Jocu-
Issxplained that til" Sictori.'s turning e d.
", nndsr 20 yards. with the extfeme helm
Si3h degrees I he helm was usually used at
m fysr1-S nnd gave an estimated circle ot
was practically the same.
Gait. Minslnr the Prosecutor-Did you ask
te!n' v, to reyess ths port sore" when the
Alt l.ourke-Directly after the signal was
h ha down and the helm was put over. the
sLn,rrme helm. addressed the Admiral thus:
do Mr shaII zone very close to the Camper
Mildly Isny"1. and H' tod him to take the CAM
lection, when / addressed the Admiral he
Hsi$ 70 him: We, Sster do s sG"si We
ihme W. w Ssss ts a ing heeeivins no
answer: ] again "ddresssi the Xdmirai re;
wang HglrEly two or three times: May | |
80 art-rn iu.l speed with the port screwf |
AT! AZ last s.t,, the Admiral said Yes. The
sp%rd as'ern. Very shortly afterward | |
,frfe'' both screws full speed Rstern. |
irahnot say exactly what was the relative |
usntlhS ol The two vessels. but tho Camper |
gown certainly was on the starboard bow. We |
S ma tnILed eight, points. The approximate
UNI VII, between hauling down the signal aud the |
C.isLon was three and q half to four minutes. |
~ me moment II the collision both telsgrarhs |
inuI'atrd iull speed nstern. Icannot say. how
yer, what the ngin-s were doing. The ships |
va! mad NOT heen checked appreciably. Di.
.s Alter the collision the engines were
Sapt. Bourke was examined at great length
rg.rrrn ng the Nictoria's bulkheads de ex-
PANIED with the aid Of models. exactly what
Mas I9Hr and what was the nature OF the dam
ses; Hegayea an order. he said. to close the gun
Etts but though, that it was not executed.
tnheSomwander-i n-Chlef had at once hailed
meeamrrrdown. he said. and had ordered her
i o.g a'trrn. Everybody had come up from be-
, s except the poor fellows in the engine
ffSms IN. He had heard no order to abandon
Se s,hhIp and he did not know that any order
hih be"n given for the engineers to come up. |
~ should say that ten minutes had ~lapsed
ne'xeen the collision and the sinking. Tho |
greatness Of the m orta nj wno IN. -