The National tribune., 1893-06-29
A TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Two British Gunboats Collide While Manu-
vering OFF Tripoli.

l
| The British battIeship Victoria, flagship OF
| the Mediterranean squadron, was sunk June
| % in collision with the battleship Camper
| down, also of the British navy, under COM
mand of Capt. Charles tombstone. while manu-
| vering in the Mediterranean Sea off Trip0li,
| Syria and over 400 lives were lost. Vice-Ad.
| miral Sir George Tryon, K. &. b., Commander
| in-Chief of the Mediterranean Squadron, went
| down with his flagship, and 20 other officers
| were drowned. Two hundred aud fifty men
| were saved, among them the Right Hon. Lord
| Richard Clifford. Vice-Admiral Tryon's Flag
| Lieutenant and eldest son and heir of the Earl
| of Clanwilliam.
| A dispatch from Beyroot says that the COLI
| sion occurred at o'clock p. IN. about seven
! miles from Tripoii. The vessels were almost
| at right angles when the Victoria was struck.
| Those on the Victoria's deck at the moment of
! the collision scrambled away and were rescued
| by boats from the Camperdown and several
| other vessels. The men below had no time to
| reach the deck. The sudden heeling of the
| Victoria caused her to begin to fill Immediately,
| and no escape was possible. She went down in
| so fathoms of water. 1t is difficult to obtain
the names of the rescued, as they are aboard
several of the vessels and far all efforts have
| been devoted to recovering bodies.
| Shortly after the collision five bodies were
| taken from the wster-one of them the body of
| the Chief Pay master. They were buried with
military honors at Tripoli The CamperdOwn
| was severely damaged forward in the collision.
| Temporary repairs will be made and she
she will start for home. 1t is said that several
| times the Victoria had shown signs of weak
| ness in her steering-gea Que theory is that
| on account of this weakness she became I'M
| manageable and could not be got out of the
! Camperdown's way.
| The news of the calamity caused the most
| intense excitement not only among those who
| had friends on the Inflated ship, but among
| all classes of the population in London. The
Admiralty Office in Whitehall is besieged by
relatives and friends of the officers and crew.
reporters seeking further details of the disaster
and throngs of people attracted by curiosity.
So dense was tine throng in the vicinity that
the Admiralty officials were compelled to sum-
mon the police to restrain the crowd.
All official kilograms in regard to the loss Of
the ship were sent at once to the Queen at
Windsor Castle. As soon as her Majesty re-
ceived Admiral Markbam's dispatch,
which was Immediately forwarded to her, she
gave orders for the postpOnement of the State
ball that was to have taken place at Backing
ham Palace that night.
Funds are being started in various parts of
the country for those who have lost their sup
porters Liberal donations are being received.
Queen Victoria has privately donated fl00, 900
to the fund started by the Lord Mayor of Lon
don.
Rear-Admiral Albert III. Markham, who since
the death of Vice-Admiral Tryon is in COM
mand of the British Mediterranean squadron,
telegraphed that the damage sustained by the
Camperdown proves upon examination to have
been less than was expected. He adds that
though the vessel is seriously damaged he
hopes that she will be ready to proceed for
Malta in few days, where she will 60 in dock
for repairs.