The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-06-27
Loss or THE VICTORIA.
Further Details of the Great
Marine Disaster.
BARTLETT REPORTS CONFIRMED
Remarkable Discipline In the Face Of
Impending Death---The Loss Now Given
as Three Hundred and Sixty Liyos.
Adm irai niarBsham's Fatal Delay.

impending Dcnth--The Loss NOW Oivcn
as Three Hundred and Sixty Liyes.
Admiral MarJsham's Fatal Delay.
NEW YoRK, June s7-The World pub
fishes an extra, in which is the following
special dispatch from Tripoli, Syria, re-
garding the sinking of her majesty's bat.
tieship Victoria:
About3 o'clock last Thursday afternoon
the English fleet came in sight of I'll Nina,
the port and town of Tripoli The five big
ironclads--victoria, Camperdown, Edin-
burgh, Nile and Sans Pareil-were drawn
up in full front. The Victoria was in the
center, the Camperdown on her left and
the Edinburg on her right.
When within five miles of shore Vice
Admiral Sir George Tryon signaled to
turn and form in double line This meant
that the Victoria and the Camperdown
were to go ahead little and describe
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,
the others would swing into double col
umn order and advance two and two be-
hind 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
center, but extremely difficult for the Vic.
toria and the Camperdown, who in turn
ing their boats would pass within few
fathoms Of each other, even If the move
ment was executed with the greatest pre-
cision. This movement is rarely made
and Is chiefly for the purpose of training
the ship commanders to move expedi-
tiously away from shoaling waters
Whether hernuse Admiral Markham, OF
the Campefdowny could not believe this
movemefitt was to be tried when the ships
were so close together, or because he
thought Admiral Tryon had miscalulated
the distance, he did not set about execut-
ing Admiral Tryon's orders, but signaled
that lie did not understand 1t.
The Victoria and the other vessels had
not hesitated. The Victoria began to turn
at once, as she still held to the signal The
Camperdown no longer hesitated, but also
began to turn. The brief delay, however,
had been fatal. The Victoria had nearly
turned, and the Camperdown, swinging
around, bore down upon her.
Both admirals were quick to act. Ad-
miral Tryon swung the Victoria so as to
receive at the smallest angle the blow
which both officials saw was inevitable,
the Camperdown, besides reversing her
screws
The twelve foot ram OF the Camperdown
struck the hull Of the Victoria just in
front OF the armored bulkhead. There
was smashing of wood and iron plates,
and the ram and eight feet of the Camper
downs bow crashed twenty feet into the
bowels Of tho Victoria. The Camperlown
was halted by the heavy armor of the Vic
toria, and as her screws were reversed she
1t once began to back away.
As all the other vessels were moving to
got into double line behind the two leaders
= acatastrophe involving all the iron clads
was imminent Only the coolness and
prompt action of the other commanders
prevented general disaster.
1t seemed that Admiral Tryon did not
realize the full extentsof the damage to
the Victoria, and she was at once pointed
toward shore, so that, il she was to sink,
1t might be in shallow water.
When the Camperdown's ram struck the
Victoria Admiral Tryon, the navigating
officer, two signal officers and the men at
the wheel were all upon the bridge, either
in full view or in the chart house. Most
of the crew were on the forward deck.
With the crash they rushed as far aft as
possible, but when the two vessels separ-
ated all returned to their places
SO good wns the discipline that within
five minutes after the blow diving suit
had been brought on deck and diver was
getting into it to obey an order to go be-
low and find out the extent of the DAM
ages.
About ten minutes after the blow the
Victoria, having got something like two
miles nearer the shore from the scene OF
the collision, all at once leaned away over
20 starboard, and with great roll and
plunge buried her bow beneath the sea. 1t
was almost instantaneous.
Those on deck were plunged immedi-
ately into the water. The men forward
and below had no time to rush to the deck,
but found themselves cropping for doors of
rooms filled with water and compressed
air
The huge hull was drawing in the water
a. 1t went down, and several hundred men,
hurled suddenly into the water, had to
battle against the increasing suction. A
noment more and new peril, more horri-
BILE, descended upon them. The great en-
Rine, deep in the heart of the hull and in
closed in water tight compartments, was
still throDbing at full speed and the great
twin screws were whirling round up in
the air. As the vessel sank the screws
came nearer and nearer to the water and
descended into the midst of struggling
human beings. The poor creatures bat.
tled In vain in the suction. They were
drawn down and thrown against the swift
blades, Screams and shrieks arose, and
In the white foam appeared Redeemed arms
and legs and wrenched and torn bodies
Headless trunks were tossed out of the
vortex to linger moment on the surface
and sink out Of sight.
All withIi reach of that vortex lost their
presence of mind. Men who knew how to
swim ceased swimming and fought with
the waters. Men clutched each other
In frenzy and struck each other of. The
deep cone of whirling water, with the
swift knives chopping human bodies al
the bottom of 1t, was a horror to daunt
the bravest.
Suddenly there was a mufiled sound oi
thunder, the waters were tossed up and
the steam burst from them. Again the
shrieks and screams burst from the swim
mers. The boilers had exploded, the sea
had rushed into the furnaces and thu
swimmers were beating waves of scaldinl
water
Thus in less than ten minutes death In
three awful forms attacked the officers
and crew of the Victoria-death by drown
my, ueAtn hnlleilke screNS anu ueuln D1
scalding water.
With the first under plunge Of the Vic
toria all the boats We're called away from
all the other ships and came strainlng ovel
the calm sea TO save the strugglers. Thes,
boats were soon picking up the fortunat,
ones who had got out Of reach Of the terri
bio vortex. So long as the vortex wa
there Ihe buaa -. feature Dear,
but they did iifg from the scalding watei
several wretched sailors who were horribly
burned. It is thought that more than hal
Of those drowned got out of the ship, but
were caught In the vortex or scalded tt
death by the scalding water.
Admiral Tryon did not leave the ship
He was the last man seen as she frs
plunged her bow under water He stood