The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-06-28
A MOST DREADFUL DISASTER
OVER 400 ENGLISH SAILORS
On the Warship Victoria F ind watery
Grave. Fatal Collision of Two Navel
Monsters. Great Excite ment
and Sorrow in England

The English bnttleship Victoria, flagship
81 the Mediterranean squadron and the
pride Of the British navy, was run into of
.rripol on Friday by the Cnmperdown,
Captain Charles Johns;ore, and sank IN ~
minutes. The water poured into the Vic.
,oria so rapidly that the rev was not able
20 cut loose the small boats, and about As Of
the crew Of Gil men were drowned includ.
ing Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon, X. c.
b., and 90 other principal officers. The
Camperdown was also seriously damaged
but there is no menance to her safety.
The squadron wRs maneuvering at the
time AMI the Camperiown's ram struck the
Victoria squarely. Her officers instantly
ordered the collision bulk heads close to
confne the water 10 the compartments into
which the Camperdown's ram was showed.
While atte npting to do this the big shin
burned over, and carried them down. and
Inly those who left the instant the collision
occurred we're saved.
Rear Admiral Albert II. Markham, OF
the Trafalgar, the flagship of the Rear Ad.
mral in the Mediterranean. has telegraphed
20 the Admiralty from Tripoli, Syria, as
follows:
~ regret to report that while maneuver.
ing OF Tripol this afternoon the Victoria
and Camperdown collded. The Victoria
sank In 10 minutes In Is fathoms of water.
She lies bottom uppermost. The Camper.
downs ram struck forward of the tirret
on the star board side. Twenty one officers
were drowned Two hundred and fifty FIVE
men were saved, she injury TO the Camper
down has not yet been fully ascertained, but
II Is serious and will recessitate her going
on dock for repairs. Ipropose TO send the
survivors TO Malta"
OF the principal officers OF the Victoria
only Captnin Bourse Commander Ottley
and the fleet surgeon were saved. On re.
ceipt OF the news the Queen Immediately
ordered postponement of the state ball &C
buckingham Palace Friday night.
The Victoria was twin screw battleship
Of 1910 tons and l4.OO0 horsepower,
mounting Is guns. She had on board 6ll
officers and men and lO7 marines. Vice
Admiral Tryon, whose flagship she was,
was one of the oldest officers OF the British
navy and received several decorations for
meritorious services. He served in the
naval brigade before Sebastopol and in the
trenches was wounded In the winter of
1854
The squadron appears to have been ma
neuvering, probably within space of three
miles, leaving a small area for each vessel to
move in. \ misleading of signals may
hqFs YSs ssH,s9 sres StSl aSslIdspts brdir,
at London is crowded with an anxious
crowd who are constantly arriving on foot
and In all sorts Of vehicles demanding de-
tails Of the terrible disaster, or asking the
whereabouts of some members OF the ottic-
ers, staff or crew. The latter we're chiefly
recruited in Plmouth and Portsmouth, but
the officers belong to good families all over
the country, and consequently thousands
are in mourning. The latest report says:
The battle shipVictoria, flying the ensign
Of Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon, was en-
gaged in naval tactics off the coast of Syria,
with the battle ship Camperdown, also of
the Mediterranean squadron, Thursday
afternoon, when the weather was bright
and the sun shining. The two ships were
going through their maneuyers within
distance of three miles Of each other. which
gave each ship but small space considering
the reaction OF the tide.
Suddenly the Camperdown was carried
toward the Victoria by the tide in rapid
way before the Victoria could steam ahead
or the Camperdown commander obtained
control OF the vessel she struck theVictoria,
the Camperdown ram striking the flag ship
in the neighborhood of the foremost star
board ferret. At the moment of the collision
the commander OF the Camperdown was
heard to give orders TO reverse the engine.
but the tide was so strong as to carry the
vessel further into the entrails Of the Vic.
other, cutting an immense hole in her that
extended over several feet.
"All this happened so unexpectedly and
with snch lightning velocity as to complete
ly battle all attempts to close the water
tight compartment on the left of the ship,
the uninjured side. Eye-witnesses report
that the vessel was nearly cut in two and
every one below deck at the time perished.
None OF them could have reached the deck
after the collision. as they were either
drowned or stunned by the inrushing wa.
teIs. The vessel sank within 10 minutes af-
der being struck in 80 fathoms of water.
Admiral Tryon was on deck at the time
Of the collision, but refused to leave his
ship ana went with her to the bottom. The
monetary loss is estimated at 4430, ,O00,'
A dispatch from Windsor says that the
Queen was completely Frustrated when the
dispatch announcing the disaster was read
to her.
MONSTER BATTLE.SIIIpS