Griggs courier., 1893-06-30
A NAVAL HORROR.
The British Battleship Victoria
Sunk In the Mediterranean Sea.

The Disaster Results from . Collision Will
the Csmperdown-Four Hundred Lives
! Lost-Among the Drowned Il
| Vice Admiral Tryon.
| DEATH ON THE DEEP.
LONDON, June "a. - Her majesty.
great twin screw pattleship Victoria
flying the flag of Vice Admiral George
c. Tryon, K. c. B., commander of the
Mediterranean station, was sunk in 1s
fathoms of water off Tripoli, and at
least 400 of her officers and crew
went to the bottom with her. The
disaster was due to the fearful bungline
OF either her own officers or those OF
the battleship Camperdown. In broad
daylight, during q maneuver, she
was run into head on by her compan-
ion ship. and in less than quarter
of an hour she had disappeared in the
waves, carrying with her all on board.
Twenty-one officers, including Vice Ad.
miral Tyron, are reported drowned,
and the great fighting ship lies use-
less wreck, bottom side up, beneath
the waves.
The information so far received is
scant, but enough news has come
from Syria to make it apparent that
the disaster is one of the most horrible.
as well as one of the most disgraceful.
that has ever befallen the English navy
Tripoli, near where the accident hap
pened, is about 70 miles from Damas-
Gus. 1t has small harbor, which is so
shallow as to be notoriously un-
safe. 1t is supposed that the Victoria
found a lack of sea room in put
ting about as the Camperdown came
on and the latter boat hit the flagship
squarely on the starboard side with her
ram. The Camperdown was moving
under a high steam pressure and the
effect was such as would have been
made with an ak on plank.
The plates of the Victoria inst for
ward of the turret were torn apart and
perfect flood poured into the hold of
the flagship. She began to sink inn
mediately. The engines of the Camper
down were reversed at once, but not be-
fore she had hit the Victoria a second
time and completed the work of de-
struction. Every effort was made to
save the ship, but the Victoria settled
SO fast that this was seen to be impos-
sible, and the men, losing all discipline,
cast loose the small boats and attempt
ed to reach the Camperdown. Only
three of the boats got free of the sue
tion of the sinking ship. The rest were
overturned and many of the occupants
of these were drowned with the men
who were cooped up in the battleship
beyond all chance of rescue. Vice Ad.
miral Tryon is said to be one of those
who went down with the ship The
Victoria hardly moved forward after
the blow. The water poured so rapidly
into her engine-room that the fires were
extinguished before the engineer had
time to speak.
The Camperdown was in command of
Capt. Charles Johnstone. Every effort
was made by her officers and crew to
save the wretched men of the Vic
toria. All her boats were put
out and many of the Victoria men
were picked up in the water be-
sides those taken from the fortunate
boats of the flagship. The number of
saved is given at $50. The officers of
the Victoria are reported to have acted
with great bravery and GOODNESS.
Most of them stuck to the ship
till the last, trying to steady their
men and cast loose the boats The
action of the younger officers is especial
ly commended. Many of them went
down with the ship. The Victoria
sank evenly rll the water in the star
board side pulled her over, when she
capsized completely, with her keel in
the air.
The Victoria was battleship of TO-
40 tons and 14,O00-horse power and
mounted fifty guns. She was built
by the Armstrong; and was regarded
as one of the crack fighting machines
of the British navy. Her model is
now in Chicago at the exposition.
She was selected as Sir George
Tryon's flagship when Tryon was made
vice admiral, and assigned to the Medi-
terranean station August 20, 1891. The
Camperdown is also of the Mediterrane-
an fleet and is a slightly smaller boat
than the Victoria She is Of 10000 tons
and 11,500-horse power.
Admiral Tryon's Record.
[vice Admiral Sir George Trvon, who went
down in the wreck of the British battleship
Victoria, was one of the bestknown men in the
British navy. He had vast experience, his serv-
ice beginning in the days before steam WAS q
prominent feature In naval architecture and
running through all of the various phases of oe-
velopment that were marked by the substitu-
tion Of steam for sail power, of iron
for wooden hulls, of steel for iron, of
turrets for brosdsides and of arroor for
thin sheathIng. He was man who had
earned the highest honors within the gift of the
British nation. His name first appears on the
naval list away back in the days Of the Crimean
war, where he served in the naval brigade be.
fore SebastUpol during the winter of f853-54 in
the trenches, where he was wounded. He was
present at all OF the operations before Sebasto-
pol and at the capture OF Kinburn. He re-
ceived' medals for distinction and was specially
mentioned in dispatches for services as di.
rector Of transports during the Abyssin-
ian war in 1863 He was private Sec
retary to the first lord of the admir-
atty from 1871 TO 1874. received vari.
GUS orders Of knighthood and won the approval
OF the government for the manner in which he
discharged his duties os the coast Of Tunis and
ln.the Sfax commission Of inquiry in 1881. He
became acting permanent secretary in the fol.
lowing year. In 1884 he became commander In
| chief on the Australian station. and after
brief attempt at u parliamentary career was