The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-28
THE VICTORIA HORROR.
Admiral Tryon Stood by His Ship to
the End.
DETAILS OF The COLLISION.
1ho Admiral Cried. LET Every Man Save
Himselfw but Made NO Attempt to
Preserve His Own Life-was Defective
Steering Gear the Causef"

LONDON, June s<o.-lIanyp PROOF were re-
quired as TO the astounding lack of enter
prise on the part OF the English press, it is
furnished by their apathy regarding the
terrible disaster to the battleship Victoria.
No story of the accident, which occurred
on Thursday last, reached London until
Tuesday. Rear Admiral Markham's first
message officially reporting the disaster
arrived at the admiralty Office Thursday
night. A sleepy clerk at the Office did not
think the dispatch OF sufficient impor
tancc to open it andlleft it lying on desk
until hundreds of inquiries from private
individuals who had received personal
dispatches began to be received, when he
awoke to the tact that the unopened envel.
ope might contain something that would
throw some light upon the subject Of the
inquiries.
None Of the English papers had reporter,
at Tripoli or Beyroot, but The Times and
Standard could easily have sent their re
porters from Port Said or Alexandria, the
former place being only 800 miles from the
scene of the accident and the latter 400
miles.
On Monday, 81 days after it was known
the Victoria had foundered, The Times
published mere scrap Of information.
Even at this late date IL has only a short
dispatch from Beyroot furnished by Reu.
ter's Telegram company, and this dispatch
it discrcdits In an editorial note. The New
York papers all had the story of the disas.
re- IL - -.
London. The first account of the horror
follows:
At 10 o'clock on Thursday morning the
feet sailed away to the maneuvers off Trip
oil. The weather was sunny. The sea was
~ smooth as a mirror. The vessels had
been drawn up in double line. Abreast
they were about six cable lengths apart.
The bow of each vessel was two cable
lengths from the stern Of the vessel ahead.
At about 3 o'clock the fleet was thus ap-
preaching Tripoli. Admiral Tryon sig
naled the order for single file. At the
time when the order was given the Vic
toria asd Camperdown were almost ex-
actly abreast Both turned slowly inward
with sweeping movement, and their
bows converged. The Victoria was slight
ly ahead MS they approached.
her and rammed her on the starboard side
near the bow. She tore with tremendous
force into the Victoria's hull and drove the
ram with a crash right through the Vic
toria's middle.
1t was just $3.50 o'clock when, with the
great rip in her hull, the Victoria began to
founder. Admiral Tryon tried at first to
run her ashore, but the distance--nearly
Eve miles-was too great.
Went Down In Eight Minutes.
The great vessel turned over broadside,
and eight minutes after she was struck
went down. Rigid discipline was main
tanned in the few minutes between the col
lision and the catastrophe. The invalids
and prisoners were brought on deck and
provision was made hastily for their safety
in case Of the worst. The crew remained
at their posts. When five minutes were
up, Admiral Tryon. apparently realized
that his vessel was doomed beyond all hope
Of succor. 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 to
follow them when the end came. The bow
disappeared gradually at first then rapidly
plunged so that the hull stood almost per-
pendicularly in the water, paused motion
less for moment, and finally rolled com
pletely over. Two trsm endous explosions
were heard, and then the Victoria settled
under. Admiral Tryon did not leave the
ship. He was the last man seen as she
plunged her bow under water.
Admiral Tryon Died at His Post.
He stood on the bridge ms long as IL was
40 oto no,
His body has not been found. Two hun.
dred and ninety of the officers and crew
were saved. Many were severely injured
by the conclusion Of the two vessels. The
Camperdown has 16-foot hole in her
bows. She made a great deal Of water
and was only kept afioat by the closin OF
her water tight compartments and by
pumping. The feet lies at anchor off Trip
oil, while the Camperdown Is making
temporary repairs which will enable her to
reach Malta. The Victoria lies in 20 faith.
oms Of water. II will be impossible to
foat her. The bodies OF 20 victims have
been found and inferred In Trlpoli.
The Victoria had band of italian mu.
sicians on board English Consul Trottei
and Sir George Wellesley were to have
been the guests of Admiral Tryon on the
voyage to Tripoli, but the captain of the
warship Edinburgh, who is an old friend
of theirs, persuaded them to accept his hos
pitality. and they thus escaped the disas-
ter.
A memorial service for the lost sailors
was held in the Anglo-Americsn church In
Beyroot. The church was draped in black.
Rear Admiral Markham's dispatches re-
garding the loss Of the Victoria have been
sent by mail to the admiralty. The cruiser
Rsrham which 1t was Thought would carry