Connecticut western news., 1893-06-29

closed in watertignt compartments was still throbbing at full speed, and the great steel phlanges of the twin screws were whirling round up in the air.
 As the vessel sank these screws came nearer and nearer to the water and de scended into the midst of struggling hu- man beings. The vessel sank slowly. and when the screws were low enough to begin to whirl in the water again the suction had increased until there was deepening vor- tex like maelstrom
 At the bottom of this maelstrom the screws were revolving like circular knives. The poor creatures battled in vain against the suction. They were drawn down and thrown against the swift blades.
 Then came a scene which made the offi- cers on the decks of the other warships of the fleet turn away, sick with horror. Screams and shrieks arose, and in the white foam appeared reddened arms and legs and wrenched and torn bodies. Headless trunks were tossed out of the vortex to finger a moment on the surface and sink out of sight.
 All within reach of that vortex lost their presence of mind. Men who knew how to swim ceased swimming and fought with the waters. Men clutched each other in frenzy and struck each other of. The deep cone of whirling water with the swift knives chopping human bodies at the bot tom oft, was & horror to daunt the bravest
 One man who escaped says that he saw In this great vortex at least 50 of his fel- lows fighting with each other and with in- evitable death. In a moment or so the knives disappeared and the vortex began to close up.
 Waves of so1ldins Water.
 The ship was beneath the surface just as the whirl was shallowed almost to the sur face. Then there was 6 muffied sound of thunder, the waters were tossed up and steam burst from them. Again the shrieks and screams burst from the swimmers. The boilers had exploded, the sea had rushed into the furnaces, and the swim mers were beating waves of scalding water
 Thus in less than 10 minutes death in three awful forms attacked the officers and orew of the Victoria-death by drowning death by the knifelike screws and death by scaldinG water. With the first under plunge of the Victoria all the boats were called away from all the other ships, and came straining over the calm sea to save the strugRlers.
 These boats were soon picking up those fortunate ones who had got out of reach of the terrible vortex. So long as the vortex was there the boats dared not venture near but they did lift from the scAlding water several wretohed sailors, who were horri- bly burned. It is thought that more than half of those drowned got out of the ship, but were caught in the vortex or scalded to death by the boiling water
 Tryon Stuck to His ship.
 Admiral Tryon stuck on the bridge and refused to leave it. Just before the Victo- ria made her underplunge he saw what was about to happen and issued an order for each man to save himself, but the order never got beyond the bridge, for ruin de- scended straightway.
 The diver whom he had ordered below to look into the damage was still on deck and dressed for his descent except his helmet He would have been dragged to the bottom by his heavy lead soled shoes had 1t not been for a seaman who stopped to cut him loose from his heavy clothes. The diver was saved, but the man who cut him free was drowned.
 There were many acts of heroism, self forgetfulness and daring.
 The peril of those in the water was in- Is invested with sharks.
 It is the duty of the marines when col lision occurs to immediately go below and close all the watertight compartments. When the Camperdown struck the Vic toria, the Victoria's marines went below tor their duty, and as result out of 100 marines on the Victoria go were lost.