The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-18
THE vIoToRIA DlsAsTER.
The Court Marital Of the Surviving omcer
Begun Yesterday.

The Court Martial OF the Surviving oaicsra
Begun Yesterday.
VALETTA, July 1.-THE court mar
tial appointed to try Captain, the Hon,
Maurice A, Bourke. staff Commander
Hawkins-smith, and the surviving Off
GERS OF the British battleahip Victoria,
which was sunk in collision with the
British battleship CampeTdown. of
Tripoii, Syria, on June %, opened to-
day upon the Hibernia, the flagship of
Rear Admiral Richard Il. Tracey, admi-
raj superintendent OF the Malta dock
yard,
All the survivors were on board the
Hibernia at 0 o'clock in the morning,
and shortly thereafter the proceedings
opened, The president OF the court
martial is Vice Admiral Sir Michael
Seymour, OF the cruiser Hawke, who
succeeded Vice Admiral Sir George
Tryon, who lost his life in tho Victoria
disaster.
Judge Advocate Rickard read latter
addressed to Rear Admiral Tracey in
which Captain Bourke said that in his
opinion the engines OF both the Victoria
and Camperdown We're put three,quart-
ers instead Of full speed astern before
the collision.
Captain Bourke In this letter said he
concluded that the telegraph indicators
in the engine room deviated from the
indicator on the bridge, and thus the
signal from tho bridge had been mis-
read by the engineer on watch.
Constructor Newham, OF the Malta
dock yard, testified that the last time
the Victoria was in the dock yard her
water tight chambers and scuttles were
in perfect order.
Captain Bourke was then placed on
the stand in his own defence. He re-
peated the story Of the accident as al.
ready told in these dispatches. In
substance he said that he and the staff
commander, Hawkins-Smith, went to
Vice Admiral Tryon's cabin and re-
ceived their order from him as to ma
nnuvres to be carried out. Captain
Bourke repeated the conversation that
then took place regarding the distance
from each other to be observed by the
ships, and showed that tho vice admir-
al, after having originally fixed this
distance Mt six cable lengths, agreed
with the suggestion OF the staff COM
mander that 1t should be eight cable
lengths.
subsequently, when the signals we're
setthe flags designated six cable lengths,
and when tho vice admiral's attention
was called to this fact he said they were
TO remain 30.
Captain Bourke added that he saw
when the ships began to swing toward
each other that there was not sufficient
distance between thom to allow OF tho
evolution ordered, and that he asked
permission to reverse the port screw in
order that the ships should make q
shorter turn. This was given him and
subsequently both engines were ordered
full speed astern.. II was too late, how
ever, to avert the disaster. The Vic.
toria had turned twelve or fifteen points
when the Camperdown struck her.
Captain Bourke described at length
the efforts made to save the ship after
the collision, descriptions OF which
have heretofore been published.
Captain Winsloe, tho prosecutor,
asked tho survivors II they objected to
anything in Captain Bourke's narra-
tive OF the disaster, or il they had
charges to make against any one.
All the survivors answered.: Moth
ing" i'll chorus,
In the course OF Captain Bourke's
examination Prosecutor Winsloe asked
him: "'When staff Commander Haw.
kins.Smith suggested to Vice Admiral
Tryon that eight cable lengths would
be the better distance in which to form
the columns than six cable lengths did
you say anything in regard to the cub
ject?
Captain Bourke responded mo"
He then stated that after the conver.
sation in the admiral's cabin Sir
George Tryon went out and sat on the
stern walk. Fleet Lieutenant Guilford
came to the witness and said that the
staff commander had told him that
''eight cables" was to be signalled.
Captain Bourke reminded Vice Ad-
miral Tryon that he certainly had said
the distance ought to be more than six
cable lengths.
The admiral. turned to Lieutenant
Guilford and said: leave 1t at six"
Lieutenant Guilford then left the
cabin. Captain Beurke and Vice Ad.
miral Tryon remained together.
Captain Bourke at first declined to
say what passed between them after
Lieutenant Guilford left them.
The president reminded the witness
that he must make full statement,
otherwise he would inculppte himself.
Captain Bourke then said that he called
Sir Georges attention to the fact Of the
Yictoria's turning in q circle Of 800
yards. The admiral replied: "Let it
romain at six cables" Captain Bourke
then went on deck.