The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-28
SOME ONE BLUNDERED
And Four Hundred British Tars
Were Buried In the Sea.
THE VICTORIA WRECK EXPLAINED

NEW YORK, June 27.-The following spe-
ciai cable dispatch from Tripoli, Syria, re-
Earding the sinking of her majesty's bat
tleship Victoria has been received:
About O'Clock last Thursday afternoon
the English fleet came in sight of I'll Nina.
the port and town of Tripoli twas com
ing from the northeast and making di-
rectly for the harbor
The five big ronclads-Victorin Camp
erdown, Edinburgh, Nile and Sans pareil-
were drawn up in full front. The Nictori;,
was i'll 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
slgnaled to turn and form in double line.
This meant that the Victoria and Camper
down We're To 80 ahead little and de-
scribe turn-the Victoria turning to
the left and the Camperdown turning to the
riRht-then they would advance side by
side i'll the direction from which they had
come, the OTHERS would swing into double
column order and advance two and two
behind the leaders
Orders Not Understood.
When the order was given the distance
between the ships was less than two cable
lengths. The execution of the order was
easy enough for ships farther away from
center but extremely difficult for the Vic
toria and Camperlown, who. in turning
their bows, would pass within few
fathoms of each other, even if the move
ment was executed with the greatest pre-
cision.
Whether because Admiral Markham of
the Campertlown could not believe this
movement was to he tried when the ships
were SO close together or because he
thought Admiral Tryon had miscalculated
the distance he did not set about executing
Admiral Tryons order, but signalled that
he did not understand it. The Victoria
and the other vessels had not hesitnted
The Victoria began to turn ut once, rs she
still held to the signal. The Campertiown
no longer hesitated, but also began to
turn. The brief delay, however, had been
fatal. The Victoria had already turned
and the Camperiown. swinging around,
bore down upon her.
The Victoria Struck
The l2-foot ram of the Campcrdown
struck the hull of the Victoria lust in front
Of the armored bulkhead and plunged into
the thin plates Of her starboard side The
armor ends of the bulkhcad and the for
ward part of the Victoria above the wnter
line was mere cardboard To the great iron
wedge so nightly propelled There was
Il smashing of wood and iron plates and
the ram and feet Of the bow of the
Camperown crashed 20 feet in the bowels
of the Victoria.
The Camperdown was halted by the
heavy armor of the Victoria, and ms her
screws were reversed she ut once began to
back away. AS all the other vessels were
moving To get in double line hehn,! the
two leaders they were bearing down upon
The entangled ships and Il catastrophe in
volving all the ironclatls was imminent.
Only the GOODNESS and prompt action of
the other commanders prevented a general
disaster
Most of the crew We're ON the forward deck
lounging about trying to keep cool under
the blazing sun of the clear, calm day.
With the crash they rushed into the bat
terry and as far aft as possible, hut when
the two vessels separated all returned to
their places. The Victoria was headed
to the shore in an attempt to beach her.
So good was the discipline that within
i've minutes after the blow diving suit
had been brought on deck and Il diver was
getting into it 10 obey an order To 90 be-
low and find the extent of the damages.
The Great ship Sank.
The untanSling and the getting under
full Roadway had taken some little time.
About I'D minutes after the blow the Vic
toria having got something like two miles
nearer the shore from the scene of the col
llsion. all mt once leaned away over to star
board and with Il great roll and plunge
buried her bow beneath the sea Ii was
almost instantaneous. There was ONLY n
chance for n few wild cries and the Victoria
was almost submerged how foremost with
her swiftly revolving screws whirrng clear
OF the water and high in the mir. Those on
DICK we're plunged Immediately into the
Water. The men forward and below had
no time to rash 10 the deck. but found
themselves cropping for doors of rooms
filled with water and compressed air.
The huge hull was drawing in the water
rs it went down and several hundred men.
hurled suddenly into the water. fully
dressed had TO battle again the increasing
suction
moment later and IL new peril more
horrible descended upon them. The great
engine deep i'll the heart of the hull and in
closed i'll water tight compartments was
still throbbing at full speed and the great
steel phalangcs of the twin screws came
nearer and nearer to the water and de-
stended into the midst of the struggling
human beings.
Horrors Almost Beyond COMPREHENSION.
The vessel sank slowly, and when the
screws were low enough to begin to whirl
III the water again the suction had in
creased until there WAS deepening vortex
Ike maelStrOm. AT the bottom of this
n'aelstrom the screws were revolving like
circular knives The poor creatures bat
tied i'll vain against the suction They
were drawn down and thrown against the
swift blades.
Then came scene which made the Of
flcers of the decks of the other warships
OF the fleet turn away, sick with horror
Screams and shrieks arose and in the
white foam appeared Redeemed arms and
legs and wrenched and torn bodies. Head