The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-27
Loss On THU VICTORIA
Full Details of the Sinking of the
British Flagship.
AWFUL SCENES WITNESSED.
Men Drawn Into the Vortex and Cut
to Pieces by the Screws.
AS the Vessel Plunges Down Her Boiler
Explode and the Survivors Battled
with Waves of scalding water
Cause of the Disaster.

NEW DIRK, June 26.-An extra edition
OF the evening World, contains a special
cable from Tripoli, Syria, giving full de-
tails of the sinking of the flagship
Victoria. About O'Clock last Thursday
afternoon, the English feet was sighted
making directly for the harbor of Tripoi.
Five big ironclads, the Victoria, Camper
down, Edinburgh, The Nile and
Sanspareil were drawn up in full front,
the Victoria in the center, the Camper
down ON the left and the Edinburgh on
the right. When within i've miles Of
shore, Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon
signalled 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 Camper
down, signalled that he did not under
stand it. The other vessels had not hes1-
tated, but also began to turn. Inc orie1
delay, however, had been fatal, as the
Victoria had nearly turned, and the
Camperdown swinging around bore
quick to act and swung the vessels SO as
to receive at the smallest angle the blow
which both officers saw was Bile,
aud the Camperdown began reversing her
screws.
The ram of the Camperdown struck the
Victoria just in front OF the armored bulk-
head and plunged into the thin plates OF
her starboard side. The other vessels,
moving to get into double line, were bear
/, ia1 OH
catastrophe involving all the ironclads
was imminent, and only the GOODNESS and
prompt action of other commanders pre-
vented a general disaster. 1t seems that
Admiral Tryon did not realize the extent
of damage to the Victoria, for when the
other ships signaled if boats were wanted
he replied that he didn't need them.
The Victoria began to Jorge straight Tor
the shore under full steam. The disci-
pline was perfect, and the admiral and
officers remained steadfast upon the
bridge, and within five minutes after the
blow diving suit was brought on deck
and diver was getting into it to obey an
order to go below and find out the extent
of the damage. About ten minutes after
the blow, the Victoria having got some
thing like two miles nearer shore, all at
once leaned away over to the starboard
| and with great roll and plunge buried
her bow beneath the calm surface of the
sea. il was almost instantaneous. There
was only chance for a few wild cries
and the Victoria was almost half sub
merged, bow foremost, with her swiftly
revolving screws high in the air.
Those on deck were thrown Immediately
into the water and the men forward and
| below had no time to rush to the deck +,
and but little more time for those in the
| officers quarters. The huge null was
drawing on water as it went down and
several hundred men hurled suddenly
! into the water and, fully dressed, had to
battle against the increasing suction. In
a moment more a new peril more horrible
descended upon them. AS the vessel
sank the screws came nearer and nearer
| to the water and descended into the midst
of the struggling human beings. The
poor creatures battled in vain against the
suction. They were drawn down and
thrown against the swiftly revolving
| blades.
Then came a scene which made the Off
GERS on the decks of the other war ships
of the feet turn away sick with horror.
| Screams and shrieks arose, and in the
white foam appeared Redeemed arms and
| legs and wrenched and torn bodies. AL
within reach of the vortex lost their pres
ence of mind. Men who knew how tc
swim ceased swimming and fought. One
| man VINO was saved says ne saw III Tue
great vortex at least fifty Of his fellows
| fighting with each other and with inevi-
table death. In moment or so the
knives disappeared and the vortex began
to close upon the ship beneath the surface
Just as whirl Swallowed almost to the sur
face there was muffled sound of thunder
and the waters were tossed up and steam
burst from them. Again shrieks anG
screams burst from the swimmers. The
boilers had exploded and the swimmer.
were beating waves OF scalding water
with the first under-plunge of the Vic
toria. All the boats were called away
from the other ships and came strainint
over the calm sea to save the strugglers
The boats soon picked up the fortunate
ones who got out OF reach of the terrible
vortex.
Admiral Tryon stuck to the bridge ant
refused to leave it. Just before the Vic
toria made the under plunge he saw VIVA
was about to happen and issued in orde
for each man TO save himself but tina
order never got beyond the bridge
There were many acts of heroism, self
forgetfulness and daring. The peril o
those in the water was increased by tn
fact that the sea was infested with sharks
It is the duty of the marines when
collision occurs to Immediately close al
water-tight compartments and when tn
Campeadown struck the Victoria TIL
marines went below to perform that dut,
and as a result, of 100 marines on tn
Victoria, ninety nine were lost.