The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-26
PROPHECY REVERSED.

A Sea Tale In Which the Victoria Was
Made to Sink = Ship as She Was Sunk.
Washington Special.
The appalling calamity which befell the
British battle ship Victoria has served as
startling reminder of sea tale written
soon after that grea. vessel was launched
by the well-known naval expert II. o.
Arnold Forster. In which he gives q suppo-
sititious account of naval battle IN
which he represents himself as taking the
Victoria. which he called the Majesrio, into
action. Naval officers very generally have
commented upon the fact that IN this
graphic account the Victoria should have
been described as defeating her enemy by
ing her To the bottom very much as she
herself was to- dRv DESTROYED. Here is An
extract from this interesting narrative:
Suddenly. amidst the din of the firing.
and easily dIstinguishable above the thun.
der of the gnns. came a report of the fierce.
rapid explosion. followed by an instantan-
eous cessation of the enemy's fire. 1t was
impossi BILE TO see what had taken place. but
the fact remained beyond doubt and in
staDtly determined TO avail myself of Il.
l turned to the lieutenant and babe him
transmit my orders through the ship. The
orders were simple.
Lay both guns ahead. full speed. and
prepare to RAM
Il was convinced that for q time at any
rate my adversary had lost control of his
ship. We werenow separated by q distance
of less than three hundred yards. and still
the same apparent indecision m ark ed the
movement of the enemy, VINO was moving
slowly, with almost full brOadside pre-
sented To us and somewhat on our star
board bow.
Suddenly she appeared to gather full
way and her head began to come IN slight
ly towards rs. But IL was too late; the
time had come. / moved my hand and the
officer by my side flashed my will TO the
great turret guns.
ION both sides there was a roar and a
crash; the thunder of the tornado with the
shook Of the earthquake. Swept and shat
tered by the pOlnt-blank discharge of the
terrible artillery TO which she had been eN-
posed. the Majestic still held her course.
and her course was that on which had
launched her. On either side the last boil &
was sped. The gun had had its final wsc,
greater power was now to give it's de-
cis'on; and from that decision there was no
appeal.
"Our opponent lay between us and the
southern sun. and can at this moment re-
memher the instant when the low bow of
the Majestic entered the shadow cast upon
the water.
Then with . deep. grinding. terrible
crash the ram did it's work. We had struck
the enemy about fifty feet from her bow
and the slight chan ge In her direction made
the blow q slanting one. The Majestic
actually see the iron work on the bow rip
ping and sDlintering ao it forced it's way
into the opposing aide. But it was not
there that the fatal wound had been given.
Far underneath the water line the protrud-
ing ram had struck q blow from hitch no
human power could save the victim.
II or moment all was still save for the
sound of the stretching and rending of the
iron; then suddenly, with a steady but q
certain heave. the great ship seemed to
bow down towards u.s. / watched her for
moment. long enough to see the surface
| of the deck as 1t showed up with the heel
| of the ship. and then i knew no more. The
| strain was over.
My work was done. and it was not till q
month later | opened my eyes IN Hasl8r
| HOSPITAL and came back once more to the
land Of the living. Within quarter of an
| hour after the ram of the Majestic struck
her the last vestige of that sple did SIN p
haG sunk beneath the waveP, her hull ab-
solutely broken In two by the force of the
collision We had time Co save some 120 of
her crew with the greatest difficulty"