The Green Forest tribune., 1893-06-29
FOUR HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
THE BRITISH WAR SHIP VICTORIA SINKS IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
The Awful Tragedy Caused by Collision with
Another War Ship-Deaths May Number 600.


Another War ship-Deaths May Number 600.
LONDON, June 23.-The colossal Brit
ish battleship Victoria of the Mediter-
ranean squadron, one of the largest war
ships of the nation, which carried the
flag of Vice Admiral Sir George Tyron,
h. G. B., was sunk off Tripoli, town
northeast of Beyroot, Syria, to-day by
the British battleship Camperdown,
also belonging to the Mediterranean
squadron and under command of Cap
tain Charles johnson, and at least 400
lives We're lost.
An enormous hole was broken in the
side of the Victoria through which the
water poured in torrents The immense
hull at once began to settle and before
those on board of her could cast loose
their small boats she went to the bottom
carrying with her nearly all on board.
About 250 of the officers and crew
managed to get out of the suction of
sinking vessel and were rescued.
Among those lost was Vice Admiral
Tryon.
The scene of the calamity was off Tri-
poll, a seaport town on the Eastern
Mediterranean, fifty miles northeast of
Beyroot, Syria, and comparatively
short distance from the island of Cy-
prus.
Mr.. Gladstone was greatly shocked
when informed Of the disaster He in
formed the house of commons and paid
a glowing tribute to the worth of Vice
Admiral Tryon, who, he said, was one
of the ablest and most esteemed officers
in the service Of Her Majesty. He
said that there were Gil officers, sea-
men and boys and 107 mariners on the
Victoria. 1t was feared of this total of
us souls, 430 had been lost.
! AS soon as the officers of the Victoria
saw that there was danger of their ship
foundering orders were given to close
the collision bulk-heads in order to keep
the water in the compartment into
which the Camperdown had showed
her ram. The sailors tired to obey the
order but the ship was making water
too fast to allow of action and while
the men were still at work the vessel,
with her immense guns and heavy to
phamper, turned over and carried them
down.
The Victoria was single turret ship
carrying two 1l0-ton guns mounted in a
forward turret coated with Is inches of
compound armor, one 10-inch 90 ton
gun firing aft and broadside auxiliary
armament Of twelve 6-inch 5-ton guns.
She carried 81 quick firing and ma
chine guns. She was of 1910 tons
displacement and 1000 horse power.
She was ls1nched April 8, 1887, was
protected by Is inches of the finest
steel armor and had maximum speed
Of II 9 knots per hour. She was one Of
the largest iron clads in the English
navy, being $40 feet long and 20 feet
wide. In the Transportation building
at the Worlds Fair is model of the
Victoria, of steel and nickel, and cost
ing 81 800.
| Lord George Hamilton expressed the
belief that the Camperdown's ram cut
away the plating on the Victoria out
side her several bulkheads The water
must have entered the ship in solid
mass and caused the vessel to capsize
almost Immediately. The blow from
the Camperdown. he thought, must
have been delivered slantingly to have
done the damage. 1t would be all the
greater to ship with her bulkheads in
pieces. She would thus be worse off
than ship without bulkheads. The
cause of the collision, he said, was as
yet matter of conjecture, and he de-
clined to express an opinion on this
DOint