The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
ENGLAND'S LOST WAR SHIP.
THE COUNTRY OVERWHELMED Be
THE TERRIBLE CALAMITY

<"h 1GhhlbLE CALAMITY.
In tho Death or Admiral Sir George Tryou
the Empire Lose- Its Abie-t Defender
His BriiIiaat Abilities shown In tho Naval
Manouvres-An Interview with Lord
Charles Beresiord-He Believes No Hu-
man Agency was Responsible for the Dis
shter-The Survivors will Reach Malta
on Monday-Admirai Tryon was Picked
Up Alive, but Died = Few Minutes After.
LONDON. June 24.-No single blow could
plunge the British empire into grief more pro-
found than that which has overwhelme oil the
nation during the last thirty hours. The
awful calamity Of the Mediterranean has come
as personal affliction to the English people
In larger sense perhaps than would be true
In the case Of q similar disaster to any other
| country. Gloom and sorrow spread over the
land yesterday like tho sudden darkening of q
tornado hiding the sky. The shadow OF grief
rested visibly upon the faces Of tho people
No ordinary misfortune shakes the self-rellant
courage Of sturdy John Bull. When. however
his big heart bleeds helplessly under blow
which he cannot resent his brave agony COM
mands the respect and sympathy OF the world
The saddest feature Of the whole calamity
is. Of course the loss OF Admiral Tryon. In
him. 1t is no exageeration to say. Englan has
lost her abest defender. her chief human re-
lance. One newspaper to-day says that his
loss Is inestimable; that he was tho hope Of
tho navy. the hope Of England" Another
journal says, with the loss OF him We have
lost our right arm"
Private kilograms say that in the moment Of
peril he commanded his men to save them-
selves. but he refused to save himself Eng
lishmen to-day are telling each other OF the
OF ~ hal rov 40 xh>,, n -,
God that they are Englishmen as he was
They have right to be proud of tho kinship.
Although Sir George Tryon had no opportu-
nifty to demonstrate his qualities as q great
commander In war. he amply proved his Won
derful talents in peaceful tests. Ono Of his
eulogists to day Justly says:
Ito whichever side he belong ed, and some
times he was nominally against his country
and sometimes nominally for It victory Seem
cd always to follow his flag" He led the
hostile fleet In 1885, and was blockaded in
Dearhaven by Admiral Baird. while his COM
| panion squadron was blockaded In Tough
Scilly. Nothing could have been more brilliant
than his escape from Bearhaven on a stormy
night in the presence Of superior force While
he confused the enemy with a multitude Of
hayward movements and dazzled him with
| conflicting signals. he quietly stole out with
three OF his most powerful cruisers to threaten
the British coasts. He contrived even to con-
ceal the number Of ships with which he had
escaped. by withdrawing those that remained
into the inner part of the anchorage. The
blockade OF both ports was at once broken. and
two blockaded fleets were thus released to
deal as they pleased with the commerce and
the coasts Of the empire.
No ono know where Sir George would attack
first. He was fully expected In tho Thames.
and just because he was SO expected no struck
for Liverpool gathering up additional force
as he went from his second squadron. It was
felt that man who could do this might do
anything In time OF need.
lie was Just az brilliantly successful In tho
manGuvres Of 1890. when he covered tho
Channel against hostile attack. His op-
ponent. indeed. managed for about eight
days to plant himself on one OF our
trade routes. but Admiral Tryon had ma
nPuvred him into q position in which he
VS. practically poweresa While doing all
this, he kept his own ships in constant COM
munication with the shores. which 1t was his
chief mission to protect
There are apprehension and injured pride.
as we'll as grief. in the feelings which tho loss
OF the Victoria has created. The details OF the
disaster are too meagre to justify any sweep
Ing conclusions. but there Is a sudden popular
fear that the accident marks the condemna-
ton OF the present type Of naval architecture.
Just as the appearance of the Monitor in the
American civil war did the type Of TINT time.
The natural inquiry is. II the touch Of q ram
will sink the greatest nj odern engine OF war
In twelve minutes. why build such vast and
vulnerable repositories OF men and treasure?
put this and many more detailed questions
this afternoon to one Of the ablest and fore
most officers of the British navy. Lord Charles
Beresford. Lord Charles has long been an in
tihate personal friend Of Admiral Tryon. He
has many times served under him. and he Is
thoroughly acquainted with both ships In the
fatal collision. His eyes filled with manly
tears. He spoke in the tenderest terms Of his
dead commander-in-ch chief:
"Sir George was an ideal commander" he
SAID. His officers and men were devoted to
him. aud he inspired them with his own cleo
trio enthusiasm. 1t is u mistake to assume
that there is any human responsibility for the
disaster On tho other hand. l am inclined 10
believe 1t will prove to DO one OF those acci-
dents which will always happen to those who
go down to the sea in ships, The accident will
hardly furnish an argument either for or
against rams. Tho ram Is the most dangerous
weapon In naval warfare. In my opinion. but 1t
is also tho N ost difficult ono to use. No naval
commander will try to use 1t unless his enemy
is disabled. 1t is impossible even to guess what
ship menacsd by ram Will do. and II
she does not do what the attacking vessel
anticipates. the attacker will probably find her
self i'm paled instead Of her enemy. The ram is
even more deadly than torpedoes- The Victoria
was not protected by an armor belt at tho place
struck. but if she had been the result would have
been the same. There would have been tho
same sequel. too.
Il believe II the Camperdown had not been
equipped with ram. but had struck the blow
without tho aid OF her great weapon. which
was twenty feet below any water line. such
tragedy would not have happened. But any
battle ship In the navy. II struck by ram going
at any speed at all. would founder as the Vic
toria did. This opinion may DO startling but
the Offset to 1t Is the fact that there is extremely
small chance OF a vessel under control being
thus impaled. have no doubt the doors In
tho bulkheads OF the Victoria were open at
the time of the collision. They almost always
are on such vessels. and 1t would be clearly
impossible to close them after the terrific col
Estn thAu had IL ID nItlI nrf