Huntsville gazette., 1893-07-01
THE LOST VICTORIA.
A Circumstantial Account of the
Horrible Disaster.
A Battle with Death in Three Forms
Chopped to Death by the Screws
Scalded by Steam or Drowned
In the Awful Maelstrom.

New YORK, June 27--The Morning
World publishes the following cable
dispatch from Tripoli, Syria, regarding
the sinking of her majestys battle ship
Victoria:
About o'clock Thursday afternoon
the English fleet came in sight of FL
nina, the port and town of Tripoli 1t
was coming from the northeast and
making directly for the harbor. The
five big ironclads, Victoria, Camper
down, Edinburgh, Nile and Sanspariei,
were drawn up in full front. The Vic
down was on her left and the Edin-
burgh on her right. When they were
within five miles of the shore, Vice -Ad-
miral Sir George Tryon signaled to
turn and form in double line; this
meant that the Victoria and Camper
down were to go ahead little and
describe a turn, the Victoria turn
ing to the left and the Camper
down turning to the right; then
they would advance side by side
to the direction from which they had
come and the others would swing to
double-column order and advance two
by two behind the leaders. 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 further
away from the center, but extremely
difficult for the Victoria and Camper
down, who in turning their bows
would pass within few fathoms of
each other, even if the movement was
executed with the greatest precision.
This movement is rarely made, and is
chiefly for the purpose Of training the
ships commanders to move expedi-
tiously away from shoaling waters.
Whether because Admiral Markham
on the Camperdown could not believe
this movement was to be tried when
the ships were so close together, or be-
cause he thought Admiral Tryon had
miscalculated the distance, he did not
set about executing Admiral Tryon's
order, but signaled that he did not un-
derstand it. The Victoria and the
other vessels had not hesitated. The
Victoria began to tslrn at once, as she
still held to the signal. The Camper
down no longer hesitated, but began
to turn. The brief delay, however
had been fatal. The Victoria had near
ly turned, and the Camperdown, swing
ing around, bore down upon her. Both
admirals were quick to act. Admiral
Tryon swung the Victoria so as to re-
ceive at the smallest angle the blow
which both officers saw was inevitable,
and Admiral Markham did the same
for the Camperdown, besides reversing
her screws. The twelve-foot ram of
the Camperdown struck the hull of the
Victoria just in front of the armored
bulkhead, and plunged into the big
plates of her starboard side. The
armor ends of the bulkhead and the
forward part Of the Victoria above the
water line was mere cardboard to
the great iron wedge so nightly pro-
peeled There was smashing of wood
and iron plates, and the ram and eight
feet of the bow of the Camperdown
crashed twenty feet into the bowels of
the Victoria.
The Camperdown was halted by the
heavy armor of the Victoria, and as
her screws were reversed, she at once
began to back away. AS all the other
vessels were moving to get in double
line behind the two leaders, they were
bearing down upon the entangled
ships, and catastrophe involving all
the ironclads was imminent Only the
GOODNESS and prompt action of the other
commanders prevented general disas-
ter. The Victoria's bow was now
pointed full toward the shore. 1t
seemed that Admiral Tyron did not
realize the extent of the damage to the
Victoria. AS no accident of exactly
this kind had happened before he could
not know what effect the hole in the
compartment was to be. He no doubt
thought, as only one compartment
was damaged, the others would keep
his ship afoat, SO when the Camper
down and the other ships signaled "offi-
GERS of the boats" he replied that he
did not need them The Victoria be-
gan to forge straight for the shore un-
der full steam. 1t is one of the rules
of the British navy that if ship is in
danger of sinking, and shore is not far
away, she must be got into shallow
water, SO that if she goes down she
may be raised again. So Admiral
Tryon was making for the shore and
was widening the distance between the
Victoria and the other ships. When
the Camperdown's ram struck the Vic
toria Admiral Tryon, the navigating
officer, two signal officers and the man
at the wheel were all upon the deck,
either in full view or in the chart
house, while most of the crew were on
the forward deck.
With the crash they rushed into the
battery and as far aft as possible, but
when the two vessels separated all re-
turned to their places. Discipline was
perfect. The admiral and officers re-
mained upon the bridge setting an ex-
ample. So good was the discipline
that within five minutes after the
blow diving suit had been brought
ON deck and diver was getting into IL
to obey an order to go below and sur
vey the damage.
Untangling and getting under full