Morning journal and courier., 1893-07-18
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
 From All Quarters. CAPT. BURKE qESTlPlBS. He Tells of the Collision
 With the Camperdown. ISAAC 1. RICE NOW SPEAKS OUT. Something of the Railroad
 Troubles Is Told. RUN DoWa BY AN EXPRESS TRlIa. Fatal Accident in One Of
 ChicagO's Streets.
RUN DoWA BY AN EXPRESS TRkIA.
PLACING THE BLAME

FLACkNU n A MI
 Court Martial Begun in Regard to
 the Loss of the English Warshfp
 Victoria.
 vALErTA, July 1.-The court martial appointed .o try Captain Maurice A. Bourke. Staff Commander Hawkins Smith and the surviving officers of the British battleship Victoria, which was sunk in col lision with the British battleship Camper down off Tripoli, Syria, on June 23, opened on the Hibernia, the flagship of Rear Ad- miral Richard E. Tracey, admiral superin- tendent of the Malta dock yard.
 The president of the court martial is. Vics Admiral Sir Michael Culme-S Seymour of the cruiser Hawke, who succeeded Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon as commander in chief of the Mediterranean station. Rear Admiral Tracey is vice president. Captain Alfred Leigh Winsloe, by order of the ad mirality, appeared as prosecutor.
 Captain Bourke was placed on the stand in his own defence. He repeated the con- vereation that took place regarding the distance from each other to be observed by the ships, and how the vice admiral, after having originally fixed this distance at six cable lengths, agreed with the suggestion of the staff commander that 1t should be eight cable lengths Subsequently when the signals were set the flags designated six cable lengths, and when the vice ad mirals attention was called to this fact he said they were to remain SO.
 Captain Bourke added that he saw when the ships began to swing toward each other that there was not sufficient distance be- tween them to allow of the evolution or dered and that he asked permission to reverse the port screw in order that the ships should make shorter turn. This wes given him, and subsequently both en- zines were ordered full speed astern. It was too late, however, to avert the disas ter. The Victoria had turned twelve or thirteen points when the Camperdown struck her.
 Captain Bourke described at length the efforts to save the ship after the collision, descriptions of which have heretofore been published He said that his dispatches to the admirality truly described all the de- tails of the disaster. He had no complaint whatever to make regarding the conduct of the survivors
 Captain Winsloe, the prosecutor, asked the survivors if they objected to anything in Captain Bourke's narrative of the dises- ter, or if they had charges to make against anyone. All the survivors answered moth ing" in chorus In the course of Captain Bourke's examination Prosecutor Winsloe asked:
 "When Staff Commander Hawkins Smith suggested to Vice Admiral Tryon that eight cable lengths would be the better distance in which to form the column than six lengths, did you say anything in regard to the subject"
 Csptrin Bourke responded "No." He then stated that after the conversation in the admirars cabin Sir George Tryon went out and sat on the stern walk. Fleet Lieutenant Clifford came to the witness and said that the staff commander had | told him that eight cables was to be sig nailed. Bourke reminded Vice Admiral ] Tryon that he certainly had said the dis l tance ought to be more than six lengths \ The Admiral turned to the lieutenant anc said: "Leave it at six" Lieutenant Gill ! ford left the cabin. Captain Bourke and Vice Admiral Tryon remained together Csptsin Bourke at first declined to sa. what passed between them after the lieu tenant left the cabin.
 Captain Bourke displayed extreme re luctancs to say what passed bstween him
 self and Admiral Tryon, on the grouue that the admiral if he had lived might nav' | LILO IcpOtu OL biO SOh Replying to further questions he said tha he was atop the fore chart house when tn first signals were hoisted. He did not the
 say anything to Admiral Tryon, who wa
 talking jocularly with the staff command CT, He did not remember about the signs
 to turn inward being hoisted. He said tn IVictoria's turning diameter at theory spec
 was just under 600 yards, with the e1
 treme helm of 35 degrees The helm wa
 usually used at 29 degrees, and gave a
 estimate circle of 800 yards. The Camper
 downs turning was practically the sam, Captain Bourke said further: 'Directl after the signal was hauled down and tt
 helm put over, the ship having swur about two points with the extreme heln I addressed the admiral thus: We sha
 come very close to the Camperdown.' then told Middy Lanyon to tax, the Can perdown's distance. To the best of m
 recollection when I addressed the admir- F he looked up, but made no reply. Aft
 I spoke to Lapyon I added the remal to him: We had better do somethin we shall come very close to the CaI l l perdown' All this time we we
 turning. I again addressed the admir' = repeating quickly two or three time
 May go sstern full speed with the pc f screwY At last the admiral said: 'Ye
 The port screw was immediately start = full speed astern Very shortly afterwar I ordered both screws full speed astel t, We had turned eight points. The apprt innate time between hauling down
 signal and the collision was three and
 half to four minutes. At the moment d. the collision both teleQraphs indicated g speed astern. The ships way had I 'E been checked appreciably. Directly af = the collision the engines were stopped" :"