Morning journal and courier., 1893-07-03
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
From All Quarters.
WRECK OF THE VICTORIA,
Admiral Markham Tells His
Side of the Story.
new YoRks MONUMENT DEDICATED.
Thousands of Veterans on
Gettysburg's Fields.
4 RELIGIOUS war IS IMMINENT.
Great Excitement Reigns
in Danbury's Circles.
4 RELIGIOUS war Is IMMINENT
ADMIRAL MARKHAM EXPLAINS.

! LII DNbA ~ ~ ~ NJ OANSs
ADMIRAL MARKHAM EXPLAINS.
He Tells of the wrecking of the VIC
| toria-He Did not Wish to Obey
Admiral Tryon's Orders, but Was
Obliged to do sO-Nearly -Four
Hundred Lives Lost.
LosDoN, July "A midshipmsn from
the Victoria arrived at Calais this morning
with Rear Admiral Markham's dispatches
concerning the collision off Tripoli. He
came by special steamer to Dover and
thence by special train to London. He
drove to the admiralty Office, where the
admiralty board read the dispatches at
once. The first despatch was dated from
the warship Campsrdown on June %.
The despatch says that the squadron left
Beyrout for Tripoli at 10 a. m. on June %.
Shortly after the squadron formed single
column line abreast and proceeded at the
rate of about eight miles an hour. When
about FIVE miles from the anchorage off
Tripoli the signal was made at 2:20 in the
| afternoon to form columns of divisions In
line ahead, disposed sbesm to port-the
| columns to be six oable-lengths apart.
| The dispatch then continues:
| eve proceeded in this formation until
| 1928, when the signal was msde from the
Victoria to the first division to turn sixteen
| points to port and to the second division to
| turn sixteen points to starboard. As the
| columns were only six cable lengths apart
| it WAS not, therefore, in my opinion, pos
sible within the man1uvring distance to
execute such an evolution. 1 directed the
| flag lieutenant to keep the signal which We
were repeating at dip as an Indication that
the signal from the Victoria was not un-
derstood. I then directed him to signal
with the semaphore: DO l understand 1t
| lie your wish for the columns to turn as in
dictated by the signal now hyin9i But be-
fore my order could be carried out the
commsnder-in- chief ssmsphored to know
what was waiting for.
sit then struck me that he wished me to
turn sixteen points, as indicated by the
signal, and it was his intention to circle
round the second division, leaving them on
the port hand. Having the fullest conf
| dence in the great ability of the commander
| to manoeuvre the squadron without even
risk of collision, l ordered the signal
| hoisted as indicated that 1 understood.
w ucu tuO blkudl was udulcu oOHu tuc
helm of the Camperdown was put hard-a-
pert. At the same time the helm of the
Victoria was stsrboarded. l watched
very carefully the helm of the Victoria as
indicating the purpose of her signals. AS
| the two chips turned towards each other
and seeing that the helm of the Victoria
was still hard-a starboard, directed the
captain of the Csmperdown to go full
| speed astern with the stsrboard screw in
| order to decrease our circle of turning.
'Seeing that collision was inevitable
| ordered him to go full speed astern with
| both engines, but before our speed could
be materially checked the stem of the
Camperdown struck the Victoria on the
/ star board bow about twenty feet before
/ the turret and crushed into the ship almost
| to the center line, the fore and after lines
l of the ships at the time of the collision
| being in clined toward each other at an
angle of eight degrees 1t was, think,
quite two minutes before the CRmperdown
was able, although going full speed astern
with both engines, to get clear of the
Victoria. The water tight doors of the
Camperdown had been closed by my
orders before the collision occurred. See
ing the critical condition of the Victoria
which seemed to be settling down by the
head, boats we're Immediately prepared
and the boom boats were got ready to be
hoisted out, when the open pendant was
hoisted by the Victoria and the signal was
made not to send boats A very few
| minutes later she heeled over to starboard
and, turning bottom upwards, disappeared
The time that elapsed between the occur
renee of the collision and the disappear
ance was only about fifteen minutes.
"Shortly before the Victoria turned ovel
the men were seen jumping overheard.
Immediately ordered the signal made tt
eend all boats to the rescue and directed
the Barham and Fearless to close in at ono,
to cave life, steamiDg by in the Camper
down at the same time to succor the Off
GERS and men struggling in the water Tn,
combined efforts of the squadron resulted
in the saving of twenty nine officers ant
about 262 men, but regret that no les
than twenty-five officers and about s3'
men, the majority of whom were in al
probability below at the time, were lost.
"The sea was smooth and there was onl,
light breeze at the time of the accident
The injuries to the Csmperdown are seri
GUS, but 1 only hope that with the as
sistsnce of the arti6csrs of the squadron
they may be temporarily repaired so tina
she may be sent to Malta and docked.
TX cannot express the dee
grief and sorrow felt in consequence o
this lamentaole catastrophe by myself
the captains, the officers and the men Q
the Mediterranean squadron-sorrow tbs
is very materially enhanced by the gres
and irreparable loss which the navy an
the nation have sustained in the death c
our beloved commander in chief, 81
g George Tryon, whose kindness of hear
no less than his signal ability in the prt
fession of whioa he was such a distir
guished ornament, had endssred him to q
= who served in his command"
! The disDatch statas that for some hon
after the sinking of the Victoria the wats
remained agftated over the wreck. tt
j. msnouvring consisted of two lines turnin
In toward each other exactly reversin
their course in parallel lines. Owing
lack of room the figure WAS like an invertt
J. GA" Captain Maurice Bo1rke of the vi
IT toris sends to the admiralty letter dat,
II June %, In which he says:
N "Shortly after 2 p. m. the command
told me he wished to see me and SITS
Commander Smith, with charts. We we
4. to the cabin. The commander said
II should form the feet In two divisions d.
posed to port, columns six cables apal
and when sufficiently past the line of bes
|, ing-namely, the Tower of the Lions, 8.
E., which was the line we were going
turn up and anchor upon, said he won
" invert lines by turning columns inws
sixteen points, 60 that on reaching the II
- of bearing for turning up for anchor
feet should alter course together Gig
points to port, bringing the feet
columns of divisions in line abreast
port, columns disposed astern steering
by e. and anchor on these bearing VIII
Tears Island bears W. by 8.
~ stThe staff commander suggested Il
III eight cables would be better distance
IN form upon in two divisions. The sdmi
said: Yes, 1t should be eight cables. I
'o staff commander went on deck and abb
IS, 2:15 the signal was made for the feet
,. form columns of divisions In line abe,
l columns disposed abeam to port, colun
Elk cables spart. The STAFF command
then sent to the admiral to say that
II cables were flying and he had said eli
ne cables. was then in the admirable cab
The admiral eaid 1t was to remain at
II cables. I then went on deck.
re- Just before 2:45 O'Clock the staff CT
mander sent me q sheet of paper wit
VS., new course, viz E. by N. This I t,
,St down to the admiral, who told me to m
It, and the fleet steered at 2:45 e. by
ne On this course the flagship passed two
half miles north of Rsmkine light
500 the Lions tower boreS. by E. At
OK time the admiral came forward TO the
w bridge and on to the top of the chart he
= where was with the staff comman
)Se At $40 1t was reported to him this
Il vyas <fxoa 70 hniat tnYnfnO afnno1