The sun., 1893-06-26
THE VICTORIA DISASTER.
>,ncrMsTANcEs UNDER WHICH THE
CALAMITY OCCURRED.

49, v.,,eI, wero FerformiuE the Evolu-
,on OF Changing Line when the Camper
.o.n Drove Into the Doomed War Ship
Many Men Killed by the Victoris's
s.rew-Omcers TO bo Court-Mnrtiniied-
views or Naval Experts on the Tragedy.
Iospoy. June 2G-Tho Times publishes this
sneclal despatch from Tripoli:
-The collision between the Victoria and
c.nnerdovn occurred at 3:41 in tho after
,oon. The sea was perfectly calm and the
.volution OF changing line was being per-
,oru.d at the time Many mon were killed
Nv the victoria's screw.
.After the sinking OF the Victoria a diver mar
,owy escaped death. He was rescued only
,h,ouch tho presence Of mind shown by his
.omrade, who cut his diving dress. This COM
rsde was drowned.
Solemn services for the dead were held last
.vopipg Seventeen minute guns were fred
BY the entire fleet"
LONDON. Juno 25.-It is understood that Roar
Admiral Markham will be court martialled
With tho officers OF the Camperdown. as that
vessel carried his flag as second in command
Of tho squadron when she collided with tho
Victoria.
Many sermons were preached hero to-day
roncerning the sinking Of the Victoria. In St
Paul's Cathedral Westminster Abbey. and
many other churches. the Dead March was
played. Throughout Great Britain special ref
erences to tho loss Of the Victoria were made
In the church services.
WASHINGTON. juno 25.-In the continued
absence Of authentic information as to the
exact cause OF the Victoria catastrophe. our
naval experts are theorizlng and seeking to
read the lesson taught by this great naval
disaster. Tho opinions vary between defec-
tive steering gear and misunderstood signals
Admiral Gheradl inclines to tho belief that the
steering gear failed. He recalls tho fact that
in the voyage Of the vessels Of the naval review
feet from tho Pacific to Hampton Roads his
flagship on two occasions was abruptly sig
nailed. once BY the San Francisco and once by
tho Charleston and informed that the steam
stearng apparatus had utterly failed. Had
this happened when tho vessels OF the fleet
were In close formation tho results might have
been disastrous collisions. In modern naval
construction every possible precaution Is taken
to insure the efficiency OF the steering gear.
but even then accidents will happen. All naval
vessels are now handled altogether by steam
steering gear. as the weight and speed Of the
great crafts make 1t almost possible to ham
die them quickly by hand. Still. they are fitted
with auxiliary hand -ste eering wheels for use In
case of accident to the steam plant.
tors at the fact that the vessel was not saved
from sinking BIZ the watertight compartments
are G great sesye y, e vas
Paris when she succeeded IN reaching port
Nth both Ct the HaS tSs Sas s
tsE!f shs 0ssn si1Sk sass sad 'Rs
s ssesns
from immediate foundering e the, fact that
enormous flood ,oi water. which probably
her tern oSdns
Se Of inestimabie service in case OF heavy
leaks which can be confined to ono compart-
Rs D po6 ssS Sear e Vessel
the 10T
thing substantial that is not cut down Is
wrenched and torn apart"
The naval consttrqSt9rs t IL M have , been examin:
some rough measurements. based on the In
formation respecting the collision that has
entered the hull Of the yietoriia Just below the
large ana
through the heavy leaks cansed aI1i hy tearing up
s de6 sGe nT bow the bssa adons RITE
higher and directly upon the edge Of or above
the heavy steel plates Of the protective deck.
through which the water flowed. But a hole.
this point Chief Constructor Hichborn has
made an interesting calculation to show In a
BLOW that the Camperdown dealt upon the
hui Of the Victoria. He says: ,oooo
snd was rate n ten GHo,s
soud dG1 an @ 1fs 90 sos sofo s
struck by,a railroad, train consisting Of 81!
!sssS 1ss%etlSss !; one q d2o tons running at
times fail Of their purpose because the water
bs not II %
s o OF the ar c
tropical climates: It p reported tRst the Vie.
sad, sorS SGss shes
appianess the doors might be- made to close
there are said to Ren be- many Sn Practical dkcutiss
n y the way OF such a device. NOT the least being
r SansSt %cS ss e sools a
,rj6S 9nS result ;S Of the eatastroPhs has been to
ram ram pure and simple as a weapon Of offence.
anu attention has been called anew to a paper
prepared on the subject by Admiral Ammen.
the designer Dc , Of pni1uo vessel o. this type
SMGaea M ,hs hatamdin % now being built at Bath.
mo aSy mt astssn esaass mTGh i this
the weight q her armor she viii be- too SLOW to
Ghsn rhsn ~ NV witn most OF tho modern war vessels.
na naEai ss vsssss have ram bows and MoSiI be-
They also say. that the ei,eisn:nne ran; ,h
actual %sy easy in Ss
Is exceedingly dinicut and In most casas ssas
!mpossitpite, ~ H. TO ram AN antagonst that is fully
tack can generally be defeated hy sharn urD
manGuyring. whilc, the vessel making the atD
tempt must expose herself at hcr most yuinor
able point 70 an almost irresistible coneen.
trated ilre q heavy guns. The naval designers
do not see that the victoria's loss Is likelv 70
lead to any essential change in naval construc.
tion and the only result OF this terrible lesson
Will be to cause change in fleet tactics and
to lead commanding officers OF vessels to he
their craft