New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-03
ADMIRAL MARKHAMS STORY.
HOW THE VICTORIA WAS LOST.
THE ORDER OF ADMIRAL TRYON NOT IN.
DERSTOOD on THE CAMPERDOWN.

SURVIVORS OF THE sUNKEN BATrLEsHIp
ADMIRAL TEYON's INsIsTENCE on THE
COLUMNS BEING ONLY SIX CABLES
APART THE wATER-TIGHr
DOORS OF 10Th YES
sELs CLOSED
LONDON. July "A midshipman from the Vie
toria arrived at Calais early this morning with
Rear Admiral Markhams dispatches concerning
the collision off Tripoi, Syria. He was brought
by special steamer. the Maid of Kent. T. Dover
and was conveyed thence by special train to
London IIe drove directly 10 the Admiralty
Oncc where the Admiralty Board. advised in
advance of his coming. received and read the
dispatches at once. The Board decided to publish
the dispatches in full forthwith. The first dis
patch was dated from the warship Campcrdown
on June %. II says:
It is With most profound regret that | have to
report In" total loss u Her MaIcsys ship Victoria
involving the lrrcpanblc loss Of the commandsrin
chief viceAdmirai sir George Tr,on, 20
officers and 33G men, under the following circum
| stances
| DEPARTURE OF THE SQUADRON FOR TIpOLI.
The squadron. consisting Of Her Macsty's ships
| Victoria. Campcriown. Nile. Drcadnaugt InfcXi-
bic. CollinGwocd. rhacton. Edinburgh. an~par"l.
Edgar. Amplion. Fearless and liirham. left PevrOut
about 10 O'Clock this forenoon for rripol shortly
after the squadron formed single column lin" abreast
and proceeded al the rate OF about eight kn)s an
hour. When about five miles from the anchorage
| on Tripoll N, signal made AT 2:2O in the
afternoon. to form columns Of divisions In line
| ahead. disposed abcam port-thc columns to b.
six callcl,ncfhs apart. We proceeded in this
| formation until =. when The signal was mad'
from the Victoria TO the first division TO turn slx
teen points 10 port. and to the second division 10
turn sixteen points 10 Sarboard. A. the columns
were only SIX carlclcECthS apart. II was not there"
oio in my opinion. possible within the manocu-
wiring distance t. execute such evolution.
THE vICTORIA'S SGGNNI NOT UNDERSTOOD.
directed the flag Lieutenant 10 keep the signal
which were repeating. AT dip a. an Indication
that Tho signal from The Victoria was not under
stood. then directed him TO signal with the
| scmaphorc: 60 DO understand It I, your wish for
the columns 10 iu,u a> indicated " the signal nov
flying Br' before my order could BE- Carried oIi
The commander inchol ,cuaphorcd mr to know
What ! WI, waiting for. II then struck me- that
be- wished To turn sixteen points. indicated
by the signal. and 4 WAS h, intention 10 circle
round The soconl division. leaving them on III"
por hand. lawn. Tie fullest confidence I'm the
great ability Of the COMMANDER 70 manoruvrc TIE
squadron without even ii,h ~ collision. | ordered
ihc snM hoi-t,d. rs an indication that | uui.r-
stood.
Wien tho signal hauled down tho helm Of the
oanI"rdown put harda-p3r At the samo
time tn" helm 81 tne yicors. starhoari.d. I
watched ycry carefully the helm Of the Victoria ~
indicating the purpose ~ hcr .cual3 \, the two
ship, turned toward zach Other and seeing that
tho helm Of 'hc Victoria va still hard sarboari. |
directed the captain Of ~" Campcrdown 20 full
speed astcrn with the siarboar screw In order 10
decrease circle Of turning.
THE CAMPERDOWN STRIKES THE VICTORIA |
-'"ing That collision was inevitable. then
ordered him To- 60 fu ~pocd a,crn with both engines. |
bat before ~I-'- could bc materially checked the
stem of he CamIrrfovn struck the Victoria on the
sinrioari bow about twenty feet before the turrrt
and crushed into the ship almo,, 10 the ccntrc Ilnr
~" fore and AT hhe, of the ships ~ tie time ~
th" collision being inclined toward each other at an
anrl" ~ about 20 degree. II Wa. think quite I
two minutes before the Camperiown wa, able. al /
though going hll ,poed a,t"rn with both cprine, /
10 get clear n the Victoria Tho door Of
n" camperdown had been closed by my orler, /
before tho collision occurred.
Seeing thc critical condition ~ tho VIctprln which /
-c"mcd TO 10 settling down hy thc head. boat, were /
Immediately prepared and ta" boom ioat- were 60, /
ready 10 b" hol-'cd ont whom th. o;-'n p.anlnt was
h"i tod by the Victoria aud tho signal va, made. not
To- ,.nG hort,. very fcw minute, later Size kcclcd
over 10 -tarbrari. ard turning bottom upwnr d.
appeared. The lime that Inp-"d between tNc oc. /
currncr Of the collision and the disappearance wa,
only about thirteen minutes.
SAVING TIE vISToRINS DROWNING MEN
shortly before thc Victoria turned over the mon
sc.n jumping overheard. Observing This. III
m"dltcy ordered the signal send AL boats
20 the r.~cuc and directed IN" lrham and Fearless
10 clo-. in at and save lfc. sicnmins mp in
the CamportoWn ~ tie same time 10 sucror the OH.
ccr- and mon struggling 'n the water. The combined
effort of the squadron resulted I'm Tie saving of
30 ofc,l- and ah1ut 90 mon. but | regret
that no lr-- than - officers and about a76
men. the majority of whom We're In all probability
below 1T the time. We're lost.
The sea W., smooth and there was only light
hrccr. a the time Of the accident. TIE Injuries To
~" 'amp.rd1Wn are s"riou-. hnt hope that with
the assistance, 81 the artincors Of the squadron they
may Ia. temporarily repaired. 80 that she may ~
sent to Malta and dockod. uIcr" Rear ADMIRAL
Markham give, Il detailed and technical description Of
the injuries sustained by the Clmpriown)
WATER OYER THE WRECK >GIT,TED FOR HOURS
regret that the ship, lo1k, ~ the Victoria We
lost I'm fact. nothing ~ importance ma, been re
covered ~ f4r For ,omr Eour- after The ,inhnc oi
the Victoria the water remained arliatcd over The
WRECK. The screw, wcr. revolving g, she sank
malncd I'm the vicinity of the catastrophe with the
squadron until 30 Ccock. when. the Camp"riown
was making wafer | deemed IT advisable to anchor
the ships Of Tiirol. The AmphIon. Brrham and
Fearless remained until after dark but did not re-
cover anything Of importance.
cannot express the deep grief and sorrow felt {
in sequence Of this hmcntrbc catastrophe 10y my
self. The cIpains. the cfccrS and IN" men 4 the
squadron that Is very materially
enhanced hv the great and lrropIrlblc los, which the
Navy and the nation hay" Sustained In the death II 4
pur beloved commander sir Gcorgc Tryon. who's" "
ilndncss Of heart less than his signal ability In
he profession Of which no such d-neuNhcd
ornament had ,ndcarcd him to all who served in his
Command A. MARKHAM. Rear ADMIRAL. Y
rr,cyrHG THE pODiEs RECOVERED. t
r. S.-Athough ships havc l"cn searching cach day. 4
h ony rfi, rcOyer.d up to the present ar" those of
Flrct PIyma,ter Elckcord. Lam'' Nlmrl~' >hipa :
loward Spiro Por;cl clptilns cook Joseph i"rrS q
Interpreter. sergeant of Marines Morgan. ana Charles
'Omllns seaman, which have been inferred In the ,