The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-04
THE RAM IN NAVAL FIGHTS.
Tale in Which the Victoria Was Made
the Victor.

Tale in Which the Victoria Was Made
the Victor.
The appalling calamity which befell the
Br itish battleship Victoria has served as
startling reminder of a sea tale. written
soon after that great vessel was launched,
by the wel-knOwn naval expert, II. O Ar
mold Forster. in which hefgives a SUPPOSE
tiliOus account of naval battle in which
he represents himself as taking the Vic
toria, W hich he called the Majestic, into
action.
Naval officers very generally commented
upon the fact that in this graphic account
the Victoria should have been described
as defeating her enemy by a powerful
stroke of her terrible ram. sending her to
the bottom. very much as she herself was
destroyed.
Here is an extract from this interesting
narratives:
Suddenly amidst the din of the firing,
and easily distinguished above the thunder
Of the guns. came the report of fierce,
rapid explosion. followed by an instan-
taneous cessation of the enemy's fire. 1t
was impossible to see what had taken
place, but the fact remained beyond
doubt, and instantly determined to avail
myself of it. l turned to the lieutenant
and babe him transmit my orders through
the ship. The orders were simple.
"'Lay both guns ahead, full speed, aud
prepare to RAM
81 was convinced that for time at any
rate my adversary has lost control of his
ship. We were now separated by dis
lance of less than 300 yards. and still the
same apparent indecision marked the
movement of the enemy, who was moving
slowly, with almost full broadside pre-
sented to us and somewhat on our star
board bow.
Suddenly she appeared to gather full
way. and her head began to come in
slightly toward US. But it was too late !;
the time had come. moved my hand and
the officer by my side flashed my will to the
great turret guns.
"On both sides there were roar and
crash, the thunder of the torn ado with the
shock of the earthquake. Swept and shat
tered by the point-blank discharge of the
terrible artillery TO which she had been
exposed. the Majestic still held her course,
and her course was that on which / had
launched her. On either side the last bolt
greater power was now to give its de-
cision. and from that decision there was
no appeal.
"Our opponent lay between US and the
southern sun, and can at this moment re-
member the instant when the low bow of
the Majestic entered the shadow cast upon
the water.
Then with deep, grinding. terrible
crash the ram did its work. We had struck
the enemy about fifty feet from her bow
and the slight change in her direction
made the blow slanting one. The Ma
jestic shivered from stem to stern. ard l
could actually see the iron work on the
bow ripping and splintering as it forced its
way into the opposing side. But it was
not thsre that the fatal wound had been
given. Far underneath the water line the
protruding ram had struck blow from
which NO human power could save the
victim.
For moment all was still save for the
sound of the stretching and rending of the
iron; then, suddenly. with steady but a
certain heave. the great ship seemed to
bow down toward US. watched her for a
moment, long enough to see the surface of
the deck as it showed up with the heel of
the ship, and then l knew no more. The
strain was over
my work was done, and 1t was not till a
month later opened my eyes in Haslar
Hospital and came back once more to the
land of the living. Within a quarter of an
hour after the ram of the Majestic struck
her the last vestige OF that splendid ship
had sunk beneath the waves, her hull abso-
lutely broken in two by the force of the
collision. We had time to save 100 of her
crew with the greatest difficulty"
Gladstone Not Lame.