The sun., 1893-07-19
SIT WAS ALL MY FAULT
TRYoN TooE THE RESP
ron THE GREAT DISASTER.

HE Words OF seiEsecyssntio. Before ths
Victoria snnk-Further Evidence In the
| Court-t'apt. Bourke Knew There Was
Danger When Hts Vessel Began TO Turn.
yALETTA. Malta. July ia-The court martial
which is trying Capt Bourke and the other
officers OF the battle ship Victoria resumed It's
sittings this morning When the court rose
! yesterday Capt. Bourke was testifying as to
| the Incidents that ed up to the disaster This
| morning he resumed his testimony He snid
| that he became aware OF the danger oil COL
| lision. almost directly after the Victoria bogan
toturn. lie did not think that STAFF Commander
Hawkins Smith had ever been consulted by
| Vice-Admirnl Tryon in regard to the manoeu-
| vree: indeed. nobody had been consulted
When Vice. Admiral Tryon hoisted his flag on
the Victoria. 1t was customary to use 3O'
| helm. vice-Admiral Tryon altered this to 2S'.
Had tho yice-Admiral been aft. tho witness
certainly would not have sent to ask permis-
sion to alter the speed of the ship. Ho had
never been in u similar position before He
did not directly tell the Vice. admiral that per-
forming the manruvre In distance Of six
cable lengths would. in his opinion. result in
was confusing the radius with the dinmeter OF
the circle. He supposed something else was
IN Tryon
He believed that Sir George must know how to
get out OF the difficulty.
signal for six caiies" was flying after the
Vice Admiral had virtually aseehted to Eight
staff Comm sndsr Hawkins Smith had IA ieft the
cabin that the Vice, Admiral summoned Flag
S9ds4 STHs.'s ean heSrteS bs
lieyed, was written one, About thirty sec
Of S
Isra Siliie5d; F!ss Leassnspt Of the Med 3D.
collision Vice Admiral ,Tryon said to him:
took upon himself the responsibility for the
mediately alter the Camperiown rammed the
Victoria. the Vice e-Admiral said to him:
~, IT wa was entirely my doing 1t was entirely
Capt. ,Bourke was questioned closely as to
Admiral Tryon's manner Of receiving the
manGuvre. He replied that the Admiral's
answers were rather short and sharp. As to
i his own Impressions at the time Capt Bourke
=" It is difficult to say what thought or felt
on 'Hee the matter t and 80 much % has been sai%
or ought to have happened that at last can
!p answer to further questions, Cant. Bourke
said;, II know that the Admiral considered |
were forward while it was his business to look !
Cant. Winsloe. the prosecutor" Did you !
dcnted onep'
;. Capt Bourke-" Certainly. never had to do
1t before
Although Lord Clifford was examined at
was already known of the disaster. He ad-
mitted. however. that Admiral 1ryon, in max
ing the order for the signal gave him slip OF
paper on which was written only the figure
ak. and communicated the rest OF his In nstruc.
tions, orally. This, he added. was rather un-
usual.
Staff Commander Hawkins Smiths testi-
mony concerned mostly the events following
the colliPion. As to his colloQuy with Admiral
Tryon in the cabin he said:
Il believe the figure indicating the num-
Der Of cable lengths was in Admiral Tryon's
handwriting. ! was not invited to give any
advice in the matter Of the manpuvre. 1t was
mere accident that the Admirals mention
Ing six cables, led me to say anything
whatever. l think now that. had both
the Victoria and tho Camperdown reversed
one screw at the beginning OF the evolution.
The disaster might have been averted. or even
reached eight points. Then, however. the
lime was too short to think Of such measures"