Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-07-06
WHAT The SURVIVORS SAID
Eye-witnesSes Tell of the VIC
torla Disaster.
GOOD SWIMMERS SUCKED DOWN
BY the Vortex Caused by the
Sinking Ship.
Splendid Discipline of the Crew--All Stood
to Their Posts, in the Face of Death,
Awaiting the Command to Flee From
tho ship--The. Question of RESPONSE
bility.

VALETTE, MALTA, June 30.-The
representative here of the United Press
had interviews to-day with several of
the survivors of the Victoria disaster.
An officer who was an eyewitness of
the whole affair, after detailing how the
ram of the Camperdown had stove an
enormous hole in the hull of the Victoria
below the water line, said that almost
Immediately after the collision the
Victoria began to settle by the head, and
in four minutes the vessel turned partly
over, with her bows under water. The
officer added that he did not see a single
man jump overheard until the order
was given for every person to save HIM
self. Many of the men were good swim
mers, but they were unable to get at a safe
distance from the ship before she turned
completely over and went down. They
werefcaught in the vortex caused by the
laundering ship, and their strength and
ability as swimmers availed nothing
against the suction, which drew them
down. When the ship was lying on her
beam ends the engines continued to work,
and one of the two screws, which was
completely out Of water, raced at a very
high speed. The other screw was sub
merged, and its revolutions caused the
weter on one side of the ship to flow in
strong current toward its rapidly re-
volving blades. Many of the men who
were swimming were caught in this cur
rent, and, despite all their efforts, a
number of them were struck by the
screw and killed. Perfect discipline
prevailed from the time the Victoria was
struck until the order was given to
abandon ship.
A SAILORS STORY.
A sailor, who was of the crew of the
| Victoria, said that he was below when
the collision occurred. When he felt the
shock he started to run to the upper
deck. The water began to pour into
the ship in an enormous volume imme-
diately after the collision. When he
reached the upper deck he saw Vice.
Admiral Tryon and Captain Maurice
Bourke standing at their posts. Every
man on duty was at his station. Shortly
after the sailor got to the upper deck,
the ship listed heavily to starboard, and
an order was given to jump and for
every man to save himself. Until that
order was given not man left his post,
although the vessel was lying at such an
angle that it was necessary for the men
to hold on to supports to keep from
sliding overheard. All knew the Vic
toria was doomed, but every man stood
by her until ordered to abandon her.
This sailor said he felt himself being
drawn down by the suction OF the sink
ing vessel almost as soon as he jumped,
but in some way he got out of the
downflow of the water, and was soon
afterward picked up by boat from
another vessel. From the time of the
collision to the time he was picked up
scarcely 10 minutes elapsed.
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE.
Another eyewitness of the running
down of the Victoria declares that the
cause of the disaster was the impossi
bility of turning is points when the
ships were only six cable lengths apart
This statement implies that Vice-Ad
miral Tryon, in ordering the maneuvrt
known as changing columns at the tim'
he did, was responsible for the accident
TRANSFERRED.
As soon as the Edgar and Phaetor
came TO anchor preparations were madt
on board of them to transfer the sur
vivors to the coast defence ship Orion
which is stationed here. The transfer
was soon made. Four officers and q
men who are sick, or who were hurt il
the accident, were among the number
transferred. All the sick and injured
are doing we'll. The Edgar brought Il
officers and 140 men, and the Phaetoi
nine officers and 1877 men, q total of Q
officers and 267 men.