Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-06-30
NEARLY 400 LIVES LOST.
a Rriti.h Varship Ram med and Sunk
A Terrible Disaster at Sea


day in the Mediterranean Sea, off the
coast of Tripoli, when two great war
ships Of the English Navy, the Vic
toria and the Capperdown, came In
collision, causing the sinking OF the
former vessel with nearly every soul
aboard. \ fleet Of war vessels were
maneuvering under command OF Adj
miral Tryon. They were all close to-
gether. AT n given signal the veto
ria and the Camperdown, two great
ironclads, started to turn. For some
reason the movement was not eXecu-
ted properly, and the Camperdown
bore down upon the Victoria. The
19-foot steel ram of the former crashed
through the sides of the latter as
though the iron plates were card
board. tearing u great hole through
which torrents of water rushed. Inc
Camperdown backed away. The
crew of the Victoria made II vain ef-
fort 70 close the bulkhead doors and
save the ship, and Admiral Iryon
headed the vessel for the shore
About ten minutes after the blow
the Victoria suddenly leaned away
over 10 starboard. and, with a great
roll and plunge, buried her bow be-
meath the calm surface of the sea. 1t
WAS almost instantaneous. There
was only a chance for few wild
cries. and the Victoria was almost
half Submerged. bow foremost, with
her swiftly revolving screws whlrIlng
clear of the water and high in the air.
Those on deck were plunged lmmed-
iatelv into the sea. The men forward
and below had no time to rush to the
deck. but found themselves cropping
for doors Of rooms filled with water
and compressed air There was n lit
tIa more time for those in the officers
quarters. They heard the shouts and
warning cries and rushed to the al
most perpendicular deck.
The huge hull was drawing IN the
water as it went down, aud several
hundred men, hurled suddenly into
the water, fully dressed, had to bat
tie against the increasing suction.
moment more and new peril more
horrible descended upon them. The
Great engine deep in the heart of the
hull and inclosed in water-tlght COM
partments was still throbbing at full
speed and the great steel phlanSes OF
rhe twin screws were whirllng round
I'D in the air. As the vessel sank
these screws came nearer and nearer
to the water and descended into the
midst of struggling human beings.
The vessel sank slowly and when the
screws were low enough to begin to
whir in the water again the suction
had incI eased until there was n deep
ened vortex like maelstrOm. At
the bottom of this maelstrOm the
screws were revolving like circular
knives. The poor creatures battIed
i'm vain against the suction. They
were drawn down and thrown against
the swift blades. Then came scene
which made the officers on the decks
of the other war ships of the fleet turn
away, sick with horror. Screams and
shrieks arose, and in the white foam
appeared Redeemed arms and legs and
wrenched and torn bodies. Headless
trunks were tossed out of the vortex
to linger moment on the surface
and sink out of sight.
All within reach of that vortex lost
their presence of mind. Men who
knew how to swim ceased swimming
and fought with the water. Men
clutched each other in frenzy and
struck each other off. The deep cone
of whiriing water, with the swift
knives chOpping human bodies at the
bottom of il, was horror 10 uauhi
the braveSt. One man who escaped
saws that he saw in this great vortex
at least fifty of his fellows lighting
with each other and with inevitable
death. In a moment or so the knives
disappeared and the vortex began to
close up. The ship was beneath the
surface Just as the whirl was sinai
lowed almost to the surface. Ihen
there was muftied sound of thunder,
the waters We're tossed up ana
steam burst from them. Again the
shrieks and screams burst from the
swimmers The boilers had exploded,
the sea had rushed into the furnaces
and the swimmers were beating waves
of scalding water Thus in less than
ten minutes death in three awful
forms attacked the officers aud crew
of the Victoria death by drowning
death by the knifelibe screws and
death by scalding water.
With the first Underplunge OF the
Victoria all the boats were called
away from all the other ships and
came straiuiug over the calm sea to
save the strugglerS These boats
were soon picking up those fortunate
ones who had got out of reach OF the
terrible vortex. SO long as the vor-
tex was there the boats dared not
venture near, but they did lift from
the scalding water several wretched
sailors, who were horribly burned. 1T
is thought that more than half OF
those drowned got out of the ship,
but were caught in the vortex or
scalded to death in the boiling water
Admiral Tryon stood on the bridge
and refused to leave it. Just before
the Victoria made her underplunge he
saw what was about to happen and
issued an order for each man TO save
himself, but the order never got be
yond the bridge, for ruin descended
straightway.
1t is believed that $50 men lost their
lives-22 officers and 33S seamen aud
marines The Victoria sunk in 4SO
feet of water. \ few bodies have
been recovered, but most Of them are
doubtless imprisoned in the sunken
ship.