The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-27
Loss OF TnE VICTORIA.
Graphic Account Of the Sinking
Of the Big Battleship.
a SIGHT THAT MADE MEN SICK.
The Swiftly Twir1ing Screw Blades
xaeerated Struggling Sailors.
Bloody Limhs and Rso4 Bodtos SviPlanR
In the Roaming Watefs-Swinmers
sealdea By the Bsaiing Waves wAsa
the BeiIers Bussl
A SIGHT THAT MADE MEN SICK.

NEW YosK, June 8.-An extra edition
Of the Eremias World contains . special
cable from Tripoii. Syria, giving full de-
tails Of the sinking Of the flagship Victoria.
Abous o'clock last Thursday afternoon
the English dee: wss sighted making
directly for ths harbo- Of Tripoli,
five big ironclads. the Victoria,
Camperdown, Edinburgh. Nile and Sanspa-
reil drawn up in full front. The Victoria
was in the center and the Camperdown
was on the left with the Edinburgh on the
right When within five miles Of the
shore Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon sig
nailed TO turn and form in double line.
When the order was given the distance
between the ships was less than two cables
length, and the execution of the order
was extremely difficult for the Victoria
and Camperdown. admiral Markham, Of
the Camperdown. signaled that he did not
understand it. The other vessels hesi-
tated. and then also began to turn. The
brief deiay, however. had been fatal.
The Victoria had barely turned and the
Camperdown. swinging around, bore down
upon her Both admirals were quick to
act and swung their vessels 30 as to re-
ceive at the smallest angle the blow which
both officers saw was inevitable. aud
the Camperdown began reversing her
screws. The ram of the Camperdowa
struck the Victoria just in front of tina
armored bulkhead and plunged into tho
thin plates Of her starboard side. The
other vessels moving to get into double
line came bearing down and cntangled the
ships. and catastrophe involving all the
ironclads was imminent Only the cool
ness and prompt action Of the other COM
manders prevented . general disaster. II
seems that Admiral Tryon did not realize
the extent Of the damage to the Victoria.
for when the other ships signaied an offer
OF boats he replied that he did not need
them. The Victoria began to forge straight
for the shore under full steam. The dis
ciplinc was perfect. The admiral and
officers remained steadfast upon the
bridge, and within FIVE minutes after the
blow diving suit WAS brought on deck
and the diver was getting into it to obey
the order to go below and find out the ex-
tent Of the damage.
About ten minutes after the blow, tire
Victoria having got something like two
miles nearer the shore, all at once leaned
way over to the ssarboard and, with .
great roll and pluDge. buried her DOW be-
meath the cain surface Of the sea. It was
almost instantanc0ns. There was only
chance for . few wi:d cries and the Vic
toria was almost half submerged, bow fore
most, with her swiftly revolving screws
high in the air. Those on the deck
were thrown Immediately into the
water. The men forward and below
had no time to rush to the deck, and there
was little time for those in the officers
quarters. Tho huge hull was drawing
water ns it went down, and several hun
dred men hurled suddenly into the water,
fully dressed, had to battle against the in
creasing suction. A moment more and
new peril moro horrible descended upon
them. As the vessel sank the screws came
nearer and nearer TO the water and de.
scended into the midst of the struggling
human beings. The poor creatures bat.
tied in vain agains: the suction. They
were drawn down and thrown against the
swiftly revolving blades. Then came
scene which made the officers on the decks
Of the other war ships Of the fleet turn
away sick with horror. Screams and shrieks
arose and in the white foam appeared
Redeemed arms and legs and wrenched and
torn bodies. All within reach of the vor-
tex lost their presence Of mind. Men who
knew how TO swim ceased swimming and
fought. One man saved says he saw
in the great vortex at least fifty of his fe.-
low officers fighting with each other and
with inevitable death. In moment or so
the blades disappeared and the vortex be-
gan TO close up. The ship was below tho
surface and the whirl Swallowed.
There was muflied sound as of thun.
der, the waters were toosed up and tho
steam burst from them. Again shr,eks
and screams burst from the swimmers.
The boilers had exploded and the SWIM
mers were beating the waves of scaidinv
water, With the frs; plunge Of the VIC
toria, all the boats had been called away
from the other ships and came s,raining
over the calm sea TO save the sirugrlers.
The boats soon picked up the fortunate
ones who had gotten out OF reach OF the
terrible vortex
Admiral Tryon stuck to the bridge and
refused 10 leave it, Just before the Vic.
toria made the plunge he saw what was
about to happen and issued an order for
edch man 10 save himself, but that order
never got beyond the bridge There were
many acts Of heroism. selg-forgetfnlnes,
and daring. The peril Of those in the
water Was increased by the fac. that the
sea is infested with sharks.
IL is the duty Of the marine. when a col
lislon occurs 10 Immediately close ALL
water-tishs compartments. When the
Camperdown struck the Victoria the ma
rines wen. below for duty and as a result
of l.o marines on the Victoria ninety-uins
were lost.
LoSpoS. June as-l. transpires that
Rear Admiral Markham was on board the
Camperdown aud in charge Of her mane;,-
vcrs At the time she sank the Victoria.
He IS therefore he'd responsible for the
disaster and it has been definitely decided
10 try him by cours-maFiial.
4 number o. questions we're asked
by members of she commons TODAY
regarding the fonndering OF the Victoria.
Replying TO those questions. 1t. Hon.
okay shu,iIeworth, secretary TO the
admiralty, said as far as had been ascer.
tanned the losses numbered 30. COM
prising twenty-two officers and sss men,
and the number saved ~as 81, including
iSeu,y-S.Y officers aai sgI men