The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-12
A BRITISH WARSHLP SUNK
AWFUL NAVAL DISASTER IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN.
The Flagship Victoria Collides With
the Camperdown and Goes to the
Bottom in Fifteen Minutes-Ovcr
400 Officers and Men Thought to

Bottom III El1tcen MlnuCeS-OScr
400 Officers and Men Thought to
be Lost-GIadstone'sh Action.
The British battleship Victoria, flagship Of
the Mediterranean squadron, he's been sunk
and over 400 lives have been lost.
The Victoria, which flew the flag Of Vice
Admiral Sir George Tryon, X. G. B., was
run into OF Tripoli by the british battleship
Camperdown, also belonging to tho Mediter.
ranean squadron and under the command OF
Captain Charles Johnstone. The Victoria
had an enormous hole made in her side,
through which the water poured in torrents.
She began to settle, and before those on
board OF her could cast loose their small
boats the ship went to the bottom, carrying
down with her 46S men. Some OF the officers
managed to get out OF tho suction caused by
the sinking vessel and were rescued. Among
those lost is Vice-Admtral Tyron.
AS soon as the officers OF the Victoria saw
that there was danger Of the ship laundering
orders were given to close the collision bulk
heads. The sailors tried to obey the ORDER
but the ship was making water too fast to
allow OF closing the bulkheads, and while
the men were still trying to shut them the
vessel, with hor immense guns and heavy top
hamper, turned over and carried thcm down.
The first reports Of the dseaster stated that
about 200 men had been drowned, but later
dispatches showed that the loss OF life was
fur greater, not less than 343 OF the officers
and crew Of the Victoria having gone down
with their ship.
The Victoria was 4 twin-screw battleship
OF 10, 47O tons and $4,000 horse power. She
mounted fifteen guns.
The Camperdown is also nrst-class twin
screw battleship. She is OF 10, 600 tons and
II, 500 horse power and carries ton guns.
Admiral Sir George Trycn WIS comman-
der-in-chiof on the Mediterranean station.
He was made Vlce-Admiral on August 20,
1891.
Rear-Admiral Albert II. Markham, of the
Trafalgar tho flagship OF the Rear-Admiral
in the Mediterranean, telcgraphed to the
Admiralty b ON Tripoli, Syrn, rs follows
~ regret to report that while manGuvring
off Tripoli the Victoria and Camperdown
collided The Victoria sank in fifteen
minutes in eighteen fathoms OF water. She
lies bottom urperInost. The Camperdown's
ram struck the Victoria forward of the turret
on the starboarG side. Twenty-one officers
were drowned. Two hundred and flfty-fve
men were saved"
The complement of officers andcrsw OF the
Victoria comprised GIL men and lot marines.
The list of officers drowned includes, be-
sides yico-Admiral Tryon, Chaplain Morris,
Lieutenant Munro, Fleet Paymaster Rick
cord, Fleet Engineer Foreman, Engineer
Harding, Assistant Engineers Deadman,
Hatherly and Seaton, Gunner Howell, Boat
swain Barnard, Carpenter Beall, Midshipmen
Inglis, Grieve, Fawkes, Lanyon, Henley,
Gambler and Scarlet, Cadet Stocks and
Clerks Allen and Savage.
The first dispatches concerning the acci-
dent led TO the bcief that the disaster had
occurred OF the coast OF Tripoli. in Northern
Africa. Later advices showed that thescene
OF tho calamity was near Tripoh, seaport
town on the eastern Mediterranean, fifty
miles northeast OF Beyroot, Syria, and a COM
paratively short distance from the Island OF
Cyprus.
Prime Minister Gladstone was greatly
shocked when he was informed OF the sink
ing OF tao Victoria, and the great loss OF Life
that had attended the foundering Of the ves-
sci. He informed the House OF Commons OF
the accident, and paid most glowingtribute
TO the worth of Vice-Admiral T.yon, who, he
said, was one Of tho ablest and most es-
teemed officers in the service OF hcr Majesty.
Mr.. Gladstone said that there were Gil Off
GERS, ssamen and boys, and 107 marines on
board the ship. 1t WAS then feared that OF
this total OF 718 souls only 255 had been
saved.
The Victoria was single turret ship,
carrying two llO-ton guns, mounted IN u
turret coated with eighteen inches Of COM
pound armor, one ten-inch twenty-nine-ton
gun lring aft, and brondside auxiliary ar-
mament oftwelve six-inch 1ve-ton guns.
OF artillery of a smaller nature she carried
twenty-one quicll-Aring and eight machine
guns Her maximum speed was 1911 knots.
She could stow 1900 tons OF coal in her
bunkers, and her radius OF action at ten knots
speed, with her full complement OF coal, was
estimated at 1000 knots.
Her armored belt and bulkheads consisted
OF compound armor from sixteen to eighteen
inches In thickness. She was built at Eli
wick.