The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-07-05
DEATHS AWFUL HORRORS.
Story of the Sinking of
the Victoria.
Victims Cut in Pieces BY the Pow
erful Screws Drawn On to
the Monster Knives BY
the Vortex.
Boilers Exploded and Many Others
Scalded to Death,
CAUSE OF THE COLLISION,

New York, June 27.--0f all the horror
in the annals of civilization the collision
between the British men-of-war Camper
down and Victoria is the worst. Their
was not only an appalling less of life, bu
death came in most horrible form. Tn
victims who were not drowned below lik
rats in trap, were sucked under the wat
err were cut to pieces by the monster re
volving screws or were scalded to deatl
when the engine exploded.
Z A special dispatch from Tripoli, Syria
gives the first details of the sinking o
the flagship, Victoria, for which Rear AID
miral Markham, of the Camperdown
seems partly responsible.
At about three o'clock last Thursday
afternoon the English fleet came in sigh
of FL Nina, the port OF Tripoli 1t wa'
coming from the northeast and making
directly Tor the harbor. The five big
iron-cads, Victoria, Camperdown, Fdin'
burgh, Nile and Sanspariel, were drawn
up in full front. The Victoria was in the
center; the Camperdown was on her left
and the Edinburgh on her right.
When they were within FIVE miles OF
shore, Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon
signaled to turn and form in double line
This meant that the Victoria and Camp
erdown were to go ahead little and de-
scribe turn, the Victoria turning to the
left and the Camperdown turning to the
right, then they would advance side by
side in the direction from which they had
come and the others would swing into
double column order and advance two
and two behind the leaders.
When the order was given the distance
between the ships was less than two cable
lengths. The execution OF the order was
easy enough for ships further away from
the center, but extremely difficult for the
Victoria and Camperdown. In turning
their bows would pass within few faith
oms of each other, even if the movement
was executed with the greatest precision.
This movement is rarely made and is
chiefly for the purpose of training the
ship commanders to move expeditiously
away from shoaling waters.
Whether because Admiral Markham,
of the Camperdown, could not believe
this movement was to be tried when the
ships were so close together, or because
he thought Admiral Tryon had miscalcu-
lated the distance, he did not set about
executing Admiral Tryon's order, but
signaled that he did not understand it.
The Victoria and the other vessels had
not hesitated. The Victoria began TO
turn at once, as she still held to the sig
nal The Camperdown no longer hesita-
ted, but also began to turn. The brief
delay, however, had been fatal. The
Victoria had nearly turned, and the Cam
perdown swinging around bore down on
her. Both Admirals were quick to act.
Admiral Tryon swung the Victoria so as
to receive at the smallest angle the blow
which both officers saw was inevitable,
and Admiral Markham did the same for
the Camperdown, besides reversing her
screws.
The twelve-foot ram of the Camper
down 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 forwasl part of the Victoria
above the water-line was mere cardboard
to the great iron wedge so nightly pro-
PEELED.
There was smashing of wood and iron
plates, and the ram and eight feet OF the
bow OF the Camperdown crashed twenty
feet into the hold of the Victoria. The
Camperdown was halted by the heavy
armor of the Victoria, and as her screws
were reversed she at once began to back
away As all the other vessels were NOV
ing to get into double line behind the
two leaders, they were bearing down on
the entangled ships, and catastrophe
involving all the iron-clads wasimIninent.
Only the GOODNESS and prompt action oi
the other commanders prevented a gen.
eral disaster.
The Victorias bow was now pointed full
toward the shore. 1t seems that Admir-
al Tryon did not realize the extent of the
damage to the Victoria. AS no accident
OF exactly this kind has happened before
he could not know what the effect of the
hole in the compartment was to be. He,
no doubt, thought that as only one COM
pariment was damaged, the others would
keep his ship ahoat; SO when the Camp
erdown and other vessels signaled offers
!. OF boats he replied that he did not need
r,bem. The Victoria began to forge
i ,n Mt for the shore under full steam.
rA,o Ne of the rules OF the British
ey II @ship is in danger Of sinking
~ VI Mar away, she must be
~ ser, so that il she goes
again. So AID
Cor shore and
q tween the
an .pon yos
yonSdfried the rA,..l
ready TO take desperits
Had you gone out this
IL with you, you won
saulted somewhere In Il