The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-10
CHOPPED TO DEATH.
AWFUL FATE OF VICTORIA
VICTIMS.
Heartrending Scenes at the Wreck Of
the British Flagship near
Tripoli.

English fleet came in sight of Ell Nina,
a port and town Of Tripoli. 1t was
coming from The northeast and making
directly for the harbor. Five big iron
clads, the Victoria, Camperdown, Edin
burgh, Nile and Sanspareil, were drawn
up in full front The Victoria was in
the center, the Camperdown was on
her left and the Edinburgh on her
right
When they were within five miles of
shore Vice Admiral Sr George Tryon
signaled to turn and form in double
line. This ment that the Victoria and
Camperdown were to go ahead little
and describe turn, the Victoria turn
ing to the left and the Camperdown
turning to the right. Then they would
advance side by side in the direction
from which they had come, and the
others would swing into double column
order and advance, two and two, be-
hind the leaders.
When the order was given the dis
lance between the ships was less than
two cable lengths. The execution of
the order was easy enough for the ships
further away from the center, but ex-
tremely difficult for the Victoria and
Camperdown. In turning, their bows
would pass within a few fathoms of
each other, even if the movement was
executed with the greatest precision.
This movement is rarely made, and is
chiefly for the purpose of training ship
commanders to move expedltiously
away from shoaling water.
Whether, because Admiral Mark
ham of the Camperdown could not be-
lleve this movement was to be tried
when the ships were so close together,
or because he thought Admiral Tryon
had miscalculated his distance, he did
not understand it. The Victoria and
other vessels had not hesitated. The
Victoria began to turn at once, as she
still held to the signal. The Camper
down no longer hesitated, but also be-
gan to turn. The brief delay, however,
had been fatal. The Victoria had
nearly turned and the Camperdown,
swinging round, bore down upon her.
Both Admirals were quick to act.
Admiral Tryon swung the Victoria SO
as to receive at the smallest angle the
blow which both officers saw was in.
evitable, and Admiral Markham did the
same for the Camperdown, besides re
versing her screws The twelve-toot
ram of the Camperdown struck the hull
of the Victoria just in front Of her
armored 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 to the
great iron wedge SO nightly propelled.
There was smashing of wood and
iron plates and the ram and eight feet
of the bow of the Camperdown crushed
twenty feet into the bowels of the
Victoria. The Camperdown was
halted by the heavy armor of the Vic
toria, and as her screws were reversed
she at once began to back away AS
all the other vessels were moving to
get into double line behind the two
leaders, they were bearing down upon
the entangled ships, and catastrophe
involving ali the ironclads was i'm
minent. Only the GOODNESS and prompt
action Of the other commanders pre-
vented general disaster.
The V,ctoria's bow was now pointed
full toward the shore. 1t seemed that
Admiral Tryon did not realize the ex-
tent Of the damage to the Victoria.
As no accident of exactly this kind had
happened before, he could not know
what the effect OF the hole in the com
partment was to be. He no doubt
thought that as only one compartment
was damaged, the others would keep
his ship afloat, SO when the Camper
down and other ships signaed to man
the boats, he replied that he did moi
need them.
The Victoria began to forge straight
for shore under full steam. 1t is one
of the rules of the British navy that i
a ship is in danger of sinking and the
shore is not far away she must be go
into shallow water, SO that if she goe'
down she may be raised again, 81
Admiral Tryon was making for shore
and was widening the distance between
the Victoria and the other ships
When the Comprehension struck thu
Victoria Admiral Tryon, the navigating
officer, two signal officers and the mai
at the wheel were all upon the bridge
either in full view or in the charthouse
Most of the crew were on the torwar'
deck loungng about, trying to kee
cool under the blazing sun of clear
calm day With the crash they rushe,
into the battery and as far aft as poss
Bile, but when the two vessels separate,
all returned to their places The dis
cipline was perfect, The Admiral ant
his officers remained steadfast upon tn
bridge, setting an example. So goo
was the discipline that within hv
minutes after the blow diving suit ha
been brought on deck and the dive
was getting into i, to obey an order t
90 below and find out the extent Of tn
damage,
The untangling and getting undt