The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-06-27


from sight-The Disaster Was Due to
q Failure of the Camperdown to Ans
wer Signals Properly-The Victoria
Refused Aid and Was Making for the
Shore When She Suddenly Capsized.
NEW YORK, June 26.-The Evening
World published an nextra this evening,
in which the following special cable des-
patch was printed:
TB1poLI, Syria, June 26.
About o'clock last Thursday after
noon, the English feet came in sight of
Elmina, the port, and the town of Trip
oil. Five big iron-clads, the Victoria,
Camperdown, Edinburgh, Nile and Sans
Pareil were drawn up in full front. The
Victoria was in the centre, the Camper
down on her left, and the Edinburgh on
her right. When within five miles of
the shore, Vice Admiral Sir George Try
on signalled to turn and form in double
line. This meant that the Victoria and
Camperdown should draw ahead a little
and describe a turn, the Victoria turning
ito the left and the Camperdown to the
right. Then they would advance side by
side, in the direction from which they
came. The others would swing into
double column order and advance, two
and two, behind the leaders.
DWhen the order was given the distance
between the ships was less than two ca
bles'. lengths. Whether because Admiral
Markham, of the Camperdown, could
not believe that this movement was to be
tried when the ships were SO close to-
gether, or because he thought Admiral
Tryon miscalculated the distance, he did
not set about executing Admiral Tryon's
order, but signalled that he did
not understand it. But the
Victoria and the other vessels had not
hesitated. The Victoria began to turn
and as she stili held to the signal, the
Camperdown no longer hesitated and
began to turn. The brief delay, how
ever, was fatal. The Victoria had nearly
turned and the Camperdown, swinging
around, bore down upon her. Both
admirals were quick to act. Admiral
Tyron swung the Victoria to receive at
the smallest angle the blow which both
officers saw was inevitable. Admiral
Markham did the same for the Camper
down besides reversing her screws. The
| twelve foot ram of the Camperdown
struck the hull Of the Victoria just in
front of the armored bulkhead and
plunged into the thin plates of her star
board side. The armor ends at the bulk
head and the forward part of
the Victoria above the water line was
| mere cardboard to the great iron wedge
so nightly propelled. The ram and
eight feet of che bow of the Camper
down crashed 20 feet into the bowels of
the Victoria. The Camperdown was
halted by the heavy arnor Of the Victo-
ria, and as the screws were reversed she
at once began to back away. AS all the
other vessels were moving to get into
double line behind the two leaders, they
were bearing down upon the entangled
ships and catastrophe involving ali the
| ironclads was imminent. Only the cool
ness and prompt action Of the other
commanders prevented general disas-
| ter.
The victorias bow was now
| pointed full towards the
shore. It seems that Admiral
| Tryon did not realize the extent Of the
damaged to the Victoria. He no doubt
| thought that as only one compartment
| was damage, the others would keep his
ship adoat. SO when the Camperdown
and other ships signalled offers Of boats.
be replied he did not need them. The
Victoria began to forge straight for the
shore under full steam. It IS one of the
rules Of the British navy that if ship is
in danger Of sinking and the shore, is not
far away, she must be got into shallow
water, 90 If she goes down she may be
raised again. The discipline was per-
About ten minutes after the blow, the
viotoria having got something like two
miles nearer the shore, all at once
leaned away over to starboard and with
great roll and plunge buried her bow
beneath the surface Of the sea. It was
almost instantaneous. Those on deck
were plunged Immediately into the
water. The men forward and below had
no time to rash to the deck, but found
themselves Rroping for doors of rooms
tiHed with water and compressed air.
There was little more time for those
| in the officers quarters. They heard
the shouts and warning cries and rushed
to the almost perpendicular deck, Com.