The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-07-08
NET AN AWFUL FATE.
AUTHENTIC STORY oFTHE VIC
TORIA'S LOSS.
Five Hundred Men Caught In the Mse'
strom Caused by the sinking Ship ant
Drawn within Reach of the Screws
Where They Were Cut to Pieces.

Whtre Ihey were Tut 10 iieeos.
NEW YORK. June 2s. extra edi.
ton of the World, contains special
cable from Tripoli, syria. giving the
first full details of the sinking OF the
flagship Victoria. They are as fol-
lows:
About o'clock last Thursday after
noon the English fleet came IN sight
of FL Nina, the port and town of Tri-
poll. 1t was coming from the North.
east and making directly for the har-
Dor. The five big ironclads-Victoria
Camperdown, Edinburgh, Nile and
Sans Paroil-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 Sir George Tryon
signaled to turn and form in double
line. This meant that the Victoria AMI
Camper own were to go ahead little
and describe turn-the Victoria turn
ing to the left and the Cam perdown
turning to the right-then they would
advance side by side in the direction
from which they had come, the others
would swing into double-column order
and advance two and two behind 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 ships
farther away from the center, but ex-
tremely difficult for the Victoria and
the Camperdown. In turning, their
bows would pass within a few faith
oms of each other, even il the move
ment was executed with the greatest
of precision. This movement is rarely
made, and is chiefly for the purpose of
training the ship commanders to move
expeditiously away from shoaling wa
tiers.
Whether because Admiral Markham
OF the Camperdown could not believe
this movemement was to be tried VIXEN
the ships were SO close tog ether, or
because he thought Admiral Tryon
had miscalculated the distance, he
didn't set about executing Admiral
Tryon's order, but signaled that he
didn't understand it.
The Victoria and the other vessel
had not hesitated. The Victoria be-
gan to turn at once, as she still held
to the signal. The Camperdown no
longer hesitated, but also began to
turn. The brief delay, however, had
been fatal.
Tne Victoria had nearly turned, and
the Camperdown, swinging around,
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
vinclble and Admiral Markham did
the same for the CamperGown, besides
reversing her screws.
The twelve-foot ram of the Camper
down struck the hull of the Victoria
just in front of the 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 a smashing of wood and
iron plates, and the ram and ght
feet of the bow of the Camperdown
crashed twenty feet into the DO wells
of the Victoria. The CAmperJown
was halted by the heavy amor of the
Victoria, and as her r.ws were re-
versed she at cnce began to back
ANY,.
The victoria began to forge straight
for the shore under full steam. IL is
one of the ru es of ire Brit sh navy
that If a ship is in danger of sinking
and shore is not far away she must
be got into shallow water, SO that f
she goes down she may be raised
again. So Admiral Tyron was maxi
ing for the shore ind was widening
the distance between the Victoria and
other ships.
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 strugglers. These boats 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 scald-
ing water several of the wretched
sailors who were horribly burned, 1t
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.
aInin - n,~x,x