Evening journal., 1893-06-23
GREAT SHIP GOES DOWN
Horrible Calamity Befalls the
British Battleship Victoria.
SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST

perdown OF Tripoli-victoria Had an
Enormous Hole in Her Side Through
Which Water Poured in Torrents.
Four Hundred of the Omcers and Crew
Go Down with Their Ship.
LONDON, June 80 "A most terrible
calamity has befallen the British battle
ship Victoria, flag ship of the Mediter.
ranean squadron, and hundreds of lives
have been lost.
The Victoria, which flew the flag of
vice admiral, Sir George Tryon, X. G. B
was run into off Tripoli by the British
battleship Csmperdown also belonging
to the Mediterranean squadron and
under the command of Captain Charles
Johnstone. The Victoria had an enor-
nous hole made in her side through which
the water poured in torrents.
The immense hull of the Victoria at
once began to settle and before those on
board of her could cast loose their small
boats she went to the bottom, carrying
down with her nearly all on board. Some
of the officers and crew managed to get
out Of the suction caused by the
sinking vessel, and were rescued. Among
those lost is Vice Admiral Tryon.
The first reports of the disaster stated
that about two hundred men had been
drowned, but later dispatches show that
the loss Of life was far greater, not less
than four hundred of the officers and
crew of the Victoria having gone down
with their ship.
In January of last year the Victoria
ran aground off the Greek coast near
Platea and she was only hoated of after
an immense amount of labor and large
expense. 1t was said that that accident
was due to carelessness. A boats crew
from the Victoria was sent to mark with
a buoy shoal, the existence of which
was known to the Victoria's officers.
The shoal; lis a narrow one and extends
out from the Greek shore. The boats
crew was instructed to proceed along the
shore until 10 fathoms of water was
reached and then to mark the shoal with
buoy. When within a hundred yards
of the end the boat got off the shoal and
as the next sounding showed
the enfathoms of water the
buoy was anchored. The Victoria
then came along at a good rate of speed
at right angles of the shoal to take posi-.
tioD for torpedo practice and passing
well outside the buoy, struck the shoal
and remained fast
The Hon. Maurice Bourke captain of
the Victoria and a son of the late Earl
of Mayo, who is the youngest post cap.
tain in the British navy, was held re-
sponsible for the accident and was
severely reprimanded by court martial
Captain Bourke was in command of.
the Victoria when she sank. According
to the navy list the principal officers of
the Victoria were: Vice admiral,
Sir George Tryon; captain, Maurice A.
Bourke; vice.commander, Charles l..
Ottley chaplain Rev. Samuel s. o
Morris; fleet surgeon Thomas Bolster
fleet paymaster, Valentine d. ]. Rickcord
fleet engineer, Felix Foreman.
The Victoria was a twin screw battle
ship of 10.470 tons and IA 600 horse
power. She mounted fifteen guns.
he Camperdown is also a first class
twin screw battleship, She is of 10,600
tons and II, 500 horse power and carries
ten guns
Admiral Sir George Tryon was COM
mander in chief of the Mediterranean
station. He was made a vice admiral
August 90, 1891.
LATER-Rear Admiral Albert H. Mark
ham, of the Trafalgar, the flagship of
rear admiral in the Mediterranean has
telegraphed to the admiralty from
Tripoli, Syria, under date of to day as
follows:
81 regret to report that while
manouvering of Tripoli this afternoon
the Victoria and Camperdown collided
The Victoria sank in fifteen minutes in
eighteen fathoms of water Sue lie,
bottom uppermost. The Camperdown'l
ram struck theIVictoria forward of the
turret on the starboard side. Twenty
one officers were crowded. Two hun
dred and fifty FIVE men were saved. The
injury to the Camperdown has not ye
been fully ascertained, but it is serious
aud will necessitate her going on docl
for repairs. l propose to send the sur
vivors to Malta
officers and crew of the Victoria com
prised six hundred men.
List Of officers drowned include. be
sides Vice Admiral Tryon: Chaplain
Morris, Lieutenant Monroe, Fleet PAY
master Rickcord, Fleet Engineer Fore
man, Engineer Harding, Assistan
Engineers Deadman, Hatherly an
Seaton, Gunner Howell, Boastwai
Barnard, Carpenter Beall, Midshipme
lngles, Grieve, Fawkes, Lanyon, Henley
Gambler and Scarlett, Cadet Stocks
Clerks Allen and Savage
A change had recently been made /
the command attached to the Victoril
Charles L. Ottley having been detache
and succeeded by Commander Fellicom'
who was saved. as were also Captai
the Hon. Maurice A, Bourhe and fiftee
other officers
The first dispatches concerning th
accident led to the belief that tn
disaster had occurred off the coast
Tripoli, in Northern Africa. Later ad
vices show that the scene Of the calamit
was near TripOli, a seaport town on IL
eastern Mediterr anean, fifty miles nortl
east of Bayroot, Syria, and compsr
lively short distance from the Island
Cyprus.
The eastern Mediterranean has prove
O.. N, asr