The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-24
An English Line Of Battle Ship
Goes Down OF Syrian Coast.
Foun HUNDRED SOULS PERISH.
Ram Of the CaDperdown Smashes the
Vessels Plates In . Collision.
1ifsesa yGis1tes After Contses the war
ship Lay ~ she Bottom ee the Sea
CpsIAs Dovs. with Her Lever
Decks FUN ~ Corpses.

Loypos, June IA tragedy on the sea
without parallel in the naval annals oc-
Cured today. The British bastgeship
Victoria, the flagship Of the Mediterranean
completed her checkered career
by sinking or Tirod, or Tarabuius-esh-
Sham, which is the ancient town Of
Tripolis. in Palestine. in collision with the
. sister ship Of the squad
ron. This tragedy. resulting in the loss
Of 400 men. including the vice admiral of
the squadron, is not equaied in fatal re-
suits since the sinking of the Royal
George, in l7s2, when go souls found their
shroud in ocean waves. Accounts of the
disaster are meageE and the responsibility
for the woful loss Of life has not been fixed.
Fifteen minutes after the Victoria received
the fatal blow the water had closed over
her. and the brave hearts that were pre-
pared to battle with all enemies of their
country had ceased to beat, because of the
probable mistake Of = friend more deadly
than the design Of foe. The loss Of this
ship, with the attending terrible sacrifice
OF life. il looked upon ~ confirming the
opinion Of many naval officers concerning
the monster warshi3 Of the present day.
Naval engineering, they point out, has
not progressed as rapidly as naval archi-
lecture. and the stupendous mass Of q
10.o0-ton warship cannot be controlled
with the ease naval officer generally
directs. Taking IL ali together. the disas-
ter II regarded by naval people as . severe
lesson 70 the navies of the world.
The Victoria. which dew the flag of Vice
Admiral Sir George Tryon, X. G. b.. was
run into Oh Triposi BY the British battle.
ship Camrerdown, also belonging to the
Mediterranean squadron, and under COM
mand OF Capt. Charles Johnstonc. The
her side, through which the water poured
In torrents. Her immense hull at once
began to settle and efore those on board
could cast loose their Ismall boats she went
to the bottom, carrling down with her
nearly all on board. Eoms Of the officers
and crew managed to get ont Of the suction
caused by the sinking vessel and were
rescued. Among these lost was Vice Ad-
miral Tryon.
The first reports Of the ,disaaasr sta4ed
that about 100 men had been dsoyned, but
later dispatches shoxkthc loss of life to be
far greater, not less than 400 Of the officers
and crew having gone down with the ship.
The Victoria was <3gin scseH battleship,
OF 10. 40 tons and a, 600 horse power. She
mounted fifteen guns. The Campefdown
Is also first-class, twin-screw battleship,
Of 10000 tons and II. 500 horse power. and
carried ten guns. Admiral Sir George
Tyron was commander-in-chief of the
Mediterranean station. Rear Admiral Al
bert II. Markham, of the Trafalgar. the flag
ship Of the real admiral in the Mediter-
ranean. telegraphed the admiralty from
Tripoli today as follows:
regret TO report that while mancuvering OF
TripoIi this afternoon the Victoria and Camper
down coiiided. and the Victoria sank In fifteen
minutes In eighteen fathons OF water. She lies
bottom unpeemost. The Camperdowu's ram
struck the Victoria forward of the tufres on the
STAFFORD side. 1wenty-one officers were
drowned and go men saved. The injury to tho
Csmrerdown has not yet been fully ascertained,
but II 10 serious and will necessitats her going
to the dock Tor repairs. propose to send tho
survivors to Malta
The vessel carried GOO officers and men.
The officers drowned in addition to Tryon.
include:
CHAPLAIN MoRRIa
LIEUT.. MUNRO. feet paymaster.
RrckFoKp, feet engineer foreman.
ENGiSEgk HARDING.
ASSISTANT ESGINGERs DAEDxAN, HArssLy
aud sEAToN.
GUNNER HowELi-
BoATswAIN BARNARD.
CAsfESTER BKALL
MiDsnIrxES lxoLIs. GRrRvR, FAwxss, Hsx.
LEY, GAABfER and sCRALETT.
CADET SrooKA
CLEExx AxIrN and ssvacx
As soon as the officers of the Victoria
saw the ship foundering orders were given
to close the collision bulkhcads to keen
the water in the compartment into which
the Camperdown showed her ram. Tho
sailors tried to obey the order. but the ship
was making water too fast to allow the
Closing of tho buikheads, and while the
men were still trying to shut them the
vessel. with her immense guns and heavy
top hamper, turned over and carried them
down. As soon a. the news of the disaster
became known in London. the Duke of
Edinburgh. lately promoted 10 the posi-
tion of admiral OF the feet, visited the
admiralty and conferred with the officials.
A meeting OF the admiralty board was
held and telegram of instructions
sent to Rear Admiral Markham. Tho
news of the calamity caused the
most intense excitement, not only among
those who had friends on board OF the ill.,
fased ship, but among all classes of the
population. The admiralty Office in White
hall was besieged by relatives and friends
OF the officers and crew. reporters seeking
further details of the disaster and thrones
Of people ai,racted by curiosity.
hss A.nxa {. in he vi A.
admiralty Office compelled summons for
police 10 restrain the crowd. No oinfosma.
,ion has been received at the admiralty
since the receipt of Rear Admiral Mark
hams hrst official telegram above repeated.
All the official kilograms in regard 10 the
ship were sent at once to the queen At
Windsor castle.
LoSpoS, June GA dispatch received
at = o'clock this morning from Bey.oot
says the collision occurred at S o'c,ock
Thursday afternoon about seven miles
from Tripoli. The vessels were almost Mt
right angles when the Victoria struck.
Those on the Vic;oria's deck a. the mo-
men, Of the collision scrambled awav. and
were rescued by boats from the Camper.
down and several other vessels. The men
below had no time 30 reach the deck. The
sudden heeling Of the Victoria caused her
TO begin 10 eli Immediately. and no escape
vas possible. She went down Ia eighteen
iaihoEns Of water. II Is difficult to obtain
the names Of the rescued, a. they were
aboard the several vessels. aud so far ali
efforts have been devoted to recovering
bodies.
Shortly after the collision Eve bodies
were taken from the water One OF them
Was the body Of the chief payrnssser. They
were buried last evening With military
honors ss Tripoli. Iae Camperdown was