The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-24
BIG WAR VESSEL SUNK.
rCopc,ud-d from FRS, Par.I


downs ram had cut away the plating on
the Victoria outside of several of her trans
verse bulkheads. Had this not been the
case the bulkheads could have been closed
and the water kept In one. or. at the most.
two compartments. and still she would
or cut away outside OF several OF
the bulkh heads tho inflow of water
would have been enormous and
there would have been no time, even If it
would have awaited any thing. 10 close the
buIkheads. Lord George Hamilton fur
ther said he thought that with she plating
torn Oft the water must have entered the
ship In solid mass. and thus entering on
one side caused the vessel to capsizs almost
immediately. The blow from the Camper
down. he thought. must have been deliv-
cred slantingly to have done the damage
be thought had been done. The damage
would be all the greater TO ship with her
bulkheads pierced. She would thus be
worse oft than q ship with no bulkheads
The cause of the collision. he said. was as
yet matter OF conjecture, and he declined
TO express an opinion on this point.
An interview was also had with the RI
Hon. Arthur Bower ForwOod. a we'll
known ship owner, who was formerly
secretary to the Admiralty. Mr.. FOrwOOd
said 1t was q wonder that such aD accident
had not occurred before. The Victoria had
longitudinal bulkhead running through
her besides number running across the
ship. She was thus divided into compsrt-
ments on each side of the longitudinal
bulkhead without communication between
them. In HE opinion what had occurred
was this: The Camperdown had struck
the Victoria ripping blow. glanc-
ing alongside and opening out the
plates above several of the compartments.
The water WAS then admitted into num-
Der of the compartments on one side of the
ship. causing her to capsiZe by It's great
weight. The longitudinal bnlkhead was
good thing in its way. Mr. FOrwOod said.
but it did not serve to avert disaster ne
immediate cause OF the collision. ne added.
cannot now be exactly stated. The
squadron appears to have been maneu-
vering probably within space OF three
miles. leaving small area for each vessel
to move in. A mistaking OF signals may
have caused the accident.
In discussing the disaster this evening
LORD Brassey. sometime Secretary of the
Admiralty. said that the sinking Of the
Victoria supplied O. strong arguments
against building moro big men.of.war IL
was evident, he said, that the VictOria's
armor afforded her no protection from the
CamperdOwDs ram. While Dot convinced
that smaller vessels were safer than the
large ones, he thought it wiser to dis
tribute the cOuntry'snaval strength among
many less pretentious men, Of-war. rather
than amongR few monster battle ships. 1t
was poor policy to put 30 many eggs In one
basket.
The accident to the Victoria has never
been equaled in fatal results in naval an
mails of recent times The laundering of
this newest type of wor ships calls to mind
O some W hat similar accident. similar as far
as great loss of life is concerned. that befell
tho English line of. battle chip Roy al George
in 17S2 In that year the Royal George. car
rying 10S guns. was lying Oft Spithead. She
had been keeled over for repairs. when q
sudden gust of wind caused her to heel
over until the sea entered her open ports.
She filled and went down with all on board,
II. f.rA A
mum Der of women were on board at the
time, and they, too. were drowned. Alto
gether about six hundred persons lost their
lives In the disaster.
The eastern Mediterranean has proved a
most unfortunate cruising ground for the
Victoria, for 1t was II that part of the sea
that she met with her serious accident In
January, 1892 In January of last year the
Victoria ran aground off the Greek coast
near Platea. and she was only flOated after
an immense amount of labor and large ok
pense. 1t was said that this accident was
due to careiessnees. A boats crew from the
Victoria was sent to mark with q buoy q
shoal. the existence of which waskDown
TO the Victoria's officers The shoal Is
narrow one and extends out
from the Greek shore. The boats
crew was instructed to proceed along the
shOal from the shore until ten fathoms
of water was reached. and then to mark
the spot with q buoy. When within Q hum
spot and as the next sounding showed ten
fsthoms of water they buoy was anchored.
The Victoria then came along at good
rate of speed. at right angles. TO take posi-
ton for torpedo practice, and. passing well
outside the buoy. struck the shoal and re.
NAMED fast. The Hon. Maurice Bourke.
captain of the Victoria. and q son of the
late Earl of Mayo. who is the youngest post
captain In the British navy, was held re-
sponsibla for the accident, and was severe
ly reprimanded by q court.martial.