Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-27

COLLISION.
The United Press correspondent sends from
Beyroot an account of the sinking of the war
ship Victoria by the warship Camperdown off
Tripoli on last Thursday. Admiral Tryon. he
says, visited Beyroot last week with the squad
ron of sixteen vessels and he and his officers
were entertained BY the Anglo-American resi-
dents.
The whole foreign colony was en- fete. The
guests were entertained at banquets, balls and
receptions The inal reception wac given at
the home Of an English Physician on wednes::
day evening The fareweils were said shortly
before midnight. Al 10 O'Clock on Thursday
morning the fser.sile! away to the malcuvers
81 Tripoli The weather was sunny There
~ss no breeze. The sea vas smooth as
mirror.
The .es,elz bad been drawn n il touhle line.
Abreast thew we're about si1 cable lengths apart
The b0s Of each vessel vas .Eo Gaote iens.hs
from the stern of the vessel ahead At aDous
8 O'Clock the fee. thus approaching
Tripoll Admiral Tryon signaled the order
FOR single file At the time when the order was
given the Victoria and Camperdown were al
most exactly abreast. Both turned slowly with
a .xeeping movement and their bows con-
verged. The Victoria was slightly ahead as
they approached -
The Camperdown pushed heavy upon her
and rammed her on the starboard side near the
bow. She tore with tremendous force INTO 'ne
yic.oria's hull and drove the ram with crash
RICH. through to the Victorias middle IL was
inst $50 O'Clock when, at the great IT'D In ner
iul. the Victoria began to founder. Admiral
Tryon tried Mt first to run her ashore. but the
distance, nearly Ave miles. was too great
SANK IN EIGHT MINUTES.
The great vessel turned over broadside, and
In eight minutes after she was struck went
down. Discipline was maintained in the few
minutes between the collision and the catastro-
phe The inyalids were brought on deck and
,,rovis,ous were made hastily for their safety in
case of the worst. The crew remained at their
posts When iye minutes were up Admiral
Tryon apparently realized that his vessel was
doomed beyond all hope OF success
He then gave the order, Let every man
save himself
MANY of the men rushed from their posts to
the vessels side and jumped into the sea-
Others were hurrying from below 10 ioiio"
them when the end came The bow disap-
peared gradually at first, then rapidly plunged
so that the hull stood almost perpendicular In
the water paused motionless for q moment and
finally rolled completely over Two tremen-
dous explosions were heard ana then the
Victoria settled under.
Admiral Tryon did not leave the ship. He was
the last man seen as she first plunged her Dow
under water He stood on the bridge as long
as il was possible to stand anywhere above
deck. His body has not been found
Two hundred and ninety OF the officers and
crew we're saved. Many were severely injured
by the conclusion of the two vessels
The Camperdown has a sixteen-foot hole In
her bows She made a great deal Of water and
was only kept afoa. by the closing of her water
tight compartments and by pumping.
The feet lies at anchor before Tripoli while
the C, .nperdown is making temporary repairs
hvuil1 he n
Victoria lies in seventy-six fathoms OF wa
ter IL will be impossible to float her. The
bodies Of twenty victims have been found ane
inferred ct Tripoi-
The Victoria had band Of Italian musician
aboard. English Consul Trotter and Sir Geo
Wellesley were to have been the guests OF Ad
miral Tryon on the voyage to Tripoli. but thu
captain Of the warship Edinburgh. who Is al
old friend Of theirs, persuaded them to accep
his hospitality. and they thus escaped the dis
aster.
memorial service for the lost sailors wa
held In the Anglo American Church in BeyroO
Sunday. The church was draped in black
ADMIRAL MARKHAMs REPORT.
. A dispatch from Port said says it is learne
that Rear Admiral Markham's dispatches n
sarding the loss Of the Victoria have been ser
by mail to the admiralty. The cruiser Bal
ham, which, it was thought, would carry th
dispatches, has arrived at Port Said
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The officers of the vessel confirm the stor
already told, but they can give no explanatio
as to the cause of the collision. They state tia
Admiral Tryon's order was sixteen points
starboard for one division and the same
port for the other division This gridiro
movement as 4 is called. is defended in nav
circles as teaching commanders how to hand
their ships and enabling the admiral OF a he
to bring the flagship readily from lee to win'
ward or vice versa. In order to bear the cruz
of an action to obtain the best position
control a sqadrOn-
The officers OF the Parham say that evt
after the men of the Victoria were ordered
save themselves they persisted in their galla
attempt to fix the collision mat in posislo
This usually occupies ten minutes
Admiral TryOu's signal for assistance "
promptly obeyel. ever vessel immediate
sending boats tn the rescue. but the sucti
caused bv the sinking of the vessel bragg
down the strongest of the swimmers. Al
great fatality due to the fact that when
vessel went down the propellers were still l
volving rapidly.
A. the snip sank many of the sailors we
observed crawling up the sides of the hull
the keel. All agree that Admiral Iryon show
rare heroism After he had ordered all to "a
themselves the coxswaIn ran up to him with
IiFeboat Tryon refused to take it and tC
the man to seek his own safety. He stood
the bridge mOtiouless ard with folded arm
awaiting sure Geaih-
Without exception the officers and crew
haved uobly. The explosion after the Victo
turned over is supposed to have been the bur
inf, of her boilers
Beside those already mentioned in the
miraIty dispatches the list Of drowned inclu'
Lent Munro sub Lieut. Giett. Engine
Harding. Foreman. Deadman and HatheI
Gurus~ Howell, Boatswain Barnard and {
enter Bell
Ihe o.avers of the Barham say that the "
ship Nile narrowly escaped striking the VictC
on the port side just after she had been ramn
by the Camperdown-
vICToRIAs STEERING GEAR BLAMED.
The admiralty think that the collision
due to The momentary failure of the Victor
steering gear. So far nothing has been p
llshed in London to censure anybody in C
nection with the disaster. The lord may
fund for the relief of the needy families
los. members by the disaster amounts nov
$4,000
THE Loss ESTIMATED AT 900.
A number of questions were asked by
house of commons yesterday regarding
laundering of the Victoria
Replying to these questions. the Right II
Sir Z. Kay Shuttleworth, secretary to the
miralty, said there was reason to hope II
kilograms received from the British consul 8
eral at Tripoli. Mr.. I. Moore. that the mum
Il 49,