The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-06-24
Her Majesty's Ship Y ct,'ia Struck by
the Camperd0Wn In the Mediter.
raRean.
She Sunk In Fifteen Minutes, Carry.
ing Down With Her Nearly 400
Persons.
Among Those Drowned Was Admiral
TryOn. Il. G. D., Commander Of the
Squadron.

LONDON, June 24.-A most terrible
calamity has befallen the British battle
ship Victoria. flagship of the Mediter-
ranean squadron, and hundreds of lives
have been lost.
The Victoria, which few the flag of
Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon, &c. b,
was run into off Trirol by the British
battleship Camperdown, sailing to the
Mediterranean squadron, and under the
command OF Captain Charles john
stone. The Victoria had an enormous
hole made in her side, through which
the water poured in torrents. The
immense hull of the Victoria at
once began to settle, and before
those on board of her could cast loose
their small boats she went to the bot
tom. carrying down with her nearly all
on board Some of the officers and
crew managed to get out of the suction
caused by the sinking vessel and were
rescued. Among those lost is Vice Ad-
miral Tryon.
FaFby EStbfnAIe 100 SHaIt.
The first reports OF the disaster stated
that about eco men had been drowned,
but later dispatches show that the loss
of life was far greater, not less than
400 of the officers and crew of the Vic
toria having gone down with their ship.
The Victoria was twin screw battle
ship of 10.47O tons and $4,000 horse
power She mounted is guns.
The Camperdown is also hrst-class
twin screw battleship. She is of 10000
tons and II. 500 horse power and carries
10 guns Admiral Sir George Tryon
was commander-in-chief of the Medi-
terranean ships.
The injury TO the Camperdown has
not yet been fully ascertained. but it Is
serious and win necessitate her going
on dock for repairs.
In january of last year the Victoria
ran aground off the Greek coast near
Paltea and she was only hoated off
after an immense amount of labor and
large expense. 1t was said that this
accident
Was Due so Carelessness-
A boat crew from the Victoria was sent
to mark with buoy shoal the exis.
tence of which was known to the Vic
toria's officers. The shoal is narrow
one and extends out from the Greek
shore. The crew was notified
to proceed along the shoal
from tho shore until ten
fathoms OF water was reached and te
mark the spot with buoy. When
within 100 yards of the end the boat
got off the shoal, and as the next sound
ing showed 10 fathoms OF water the
buoy was anchored. The Victoria then
came along at good rate of speed a.
right angles to the shoal to take posi-
tion for torpedo practice. and. passing
well outside the buoy, struck the shoa
and remained fast. The Hon. Mauric,
Bourke, captain of the Victoria, and ,
son of the late Earl of Mayo who is th'
youngest post captain in the British
navy. was held responsible for the &C
cident and was severely reprimanded b,
q courtmartial.
Captain Bourl,e was in command o
the Victoria when she sank. Accord
ing to the navy list the principal officer
of the Victoria were: Vice Admira
Sir George Tryon, Captain Maurice A
Bourke, Commander Charles i. Coley
Chaplain Rev. s. o. Morris; Fleet Sur
geon Thomas Bolster. Fleet Paymaste
Valentine ID. J. Rickerd,. Fleet Engin
eer Felix Foreman.
The complement of officers and ere,
of the Victoria comprised 800 mer
A change had recently been made il
the commander attached to the Vic
toria, Charles L. Ottley having bee
detached and succeeded by Commando
b. f. Fellicome, who was saved, a
were also Captain Bourke and 10 ofit
ers. The first dispatches concernin
the accident led to the belief that th
disaster had occurred off the coast {
Tripoli in Northern Africa. Later at
vices show that the scene Of the calan
ity was near Tripoli, seaport town o
the Eastern Mediterranean, so mile
northeast of Beyrot, Syria. and con
paratively short distance from th
island of Cyprus.
The Eastern Mediterranean hs
proved most unfortunate cruisin
ground for the Victoria, for it was
this part of the sea she met with he
serious accident i'll January. 1892.
Caused Great Excitement.
The news of the calamity has cause
the most intense excitement, not onl
among those who had friends on boar
the Inflated ship. but among all ciasss
of the population The admiralty oifis
in Whitehall Is besieged with relativ,
and friends Of the officers and crew. r
porters, ETC.. seeking further details /
the disaster, and dthrongs of people a
tracted by curiosity. So dense was ii
throng in the< vicinity that the al