Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-07-18
THE VICTORIA HORROR
Fixing the Responsibility
For the Disaster.
CAPTAIN BURKE .TESTIFIES.
The Survivors All Bear Him Out in
His Statements.

VALETTA, July ls-The court-martial
appointed to try Captain the Hon. Mau-
rice A. Bourke, Staff Commander Haw-
kins-Smith, and the surviving officers Of
the British batteship Victoria, which was
sunk In collision with the British battle
ship Camperdown, off Tripoli, Syria, on
June %. opened yesterday upon the Hiber-
mia, the flagship Of Rear Admiral Richard
Il. Tracey, admiral superintendent OF the
Malta dockyard All the survivors were
on board the Hibernia at Q o'clock In the
morning, and shortly thereafter the pro-
ceedings opened.
The president of the court-martial 10
Vice Admiral Sir Michael Culme-SeTmour
of the cruiser Hawke, who succeeded Vice
Admiral Sir George Tryon as commander
in-chief of the Mediterranean station.
Vice Admiral Tracey Is vice president.
Captain Alfred Lee Winsloe, by order of
the admira lty appeared as prosecutor.
The regular trial opened with reading,
by Judge Advocate Rckard, OF the first
dispatch sent by Rear Admiral Markham,
whose flag was on the Camperdown at the
time of the accident. announcing the loss
of the Victoria 10 the admiralty, and the
subsequent dispatches forwarded by the
rear admiral.
Captain Bourke Testifies.
Captain Bourke was then placed on the
stand in his own defense. He repeated
the story of the accident as already told.
In substance he said that he and Staff
Commander Hawkins-Smith went to Vice
Admiral Tryon's cabin and received their
L. a. . h., To. ha
carried out. Captain Bc,rke repeated the
conversation that then Sok place regard
ing the distance from each other to be OBJ
served by the ships and how the vice ad-
miral, after having originally fixed this
distance at six cable lengths, agreed that
It should be at eight cable lengths Sub
sequently when the signals were set the
flags indicated six cable lengths, and when
the vice admiral's attention was called to
this fact he said they were to remain so.
Captain Bourke added that he saw
when the ships began to swing toward
each other that there was rot sufficient
distance between them to allow Of the
evolution ordered, and that he asked per-
mission TO reverse the port screw In order
that the ships should make a shorter turn.
This was given him, and subsequently
both engines were ordered full speed
astern. 1t was too late, however, to avert
the disaster. The Victoria had turned 12
or IL points when the Camperdown struck
her.
Captain Bourke described at length the
efforts made to save tae ship after the
collision, descr itions of which have here
tofore been published. lie said that his
dispatches to the admiralty truly describe
all the
Details of the Disaster.
He had no complaint whatever to make re-
garding the conduct of any of the sur
vivors.
Captain Wiusloe, the prosecutor, asked
the survivors If they objected to any
thing In Captain Bourke's narrative of
the disaster, or II they had charges to make
against anyone. All the survivors an-
sweied "Nothir g' In chorus.
In the course n Captain Bourke's exam
nation Prosecutor Winsloe asked him:
"When STAFF Commander Hawkins
Smith sugges,ed to Vice Admiral Tryon
that eight cable lengths would be the
better distance ia which to form the
column thaa six cable lengths, did you say
anything In regard to the sub1eotS'
Captain Bourke then responded, mo"
He then stated that after the conversation
In the admiral's cabin Sir George Tryon
went out and sat ON the stern walk. Fleet
Lieutenant Clifford came TO the witness
and said that the staff commander had
told him that eight cables" was to be
signalled.
Captain Bourke reminded Vice Admiral
Tryon that he certainly had said the dis
tance ought to be more than six cable
lengths. The admiral turned to Lieuten-
ant Clifford and said: Leave It at six"
Lieutenant Clifford then left the cabin.
Captain Bourke and Vice Admiral Tryon
remained together. Captain Bourke at
first declined to say what passed between
them after Lieutenant Clifford left them.
The president reminded the witness that
he must make a full statement, otherwise
he would inculpate himself Captain
Burke then said that he called Sir Georges
attention to the fact Of the Victoria turn
10 circle of 800 yards. The admiral re-
piled: LET it remain at six cables" Cap
tain Bourke then went on deck.