The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-24

LONDON, June pa tragedy on the
sea without parallel in naval annals was
reported today. The British battleshlp
Victoria, the flagship of the Medlter-
ranean squadron, completed her check
cred career by sinking off Tripoh after a
collision with the Camperdown, SISTER
ship of the squadron. The tragedy, re-
sulting in the loss of 400 men, including |
the vice-admiraI of the squadron, is not |
eoualled in fatal results since the sinking
of the ROYAL George in 1882, when 600
souls found their shrouds in the ocean
waves.
The account OF the disaster is meagr
and the responsibility for the awful loss
of life has not been fixed. Fifteen min
utes after the Victoria received the fatal
blow the waters closed over her and the
brave hearts that were prepared to battle
with all enemies of their country nad
ceased to beat, because OF the prooaDle
mistake of a friend more deadly than the
design OF a foe.
The loss of this ship with the attending
terrible sacrifice of life is looked upon as
confirming the opinion OF many naVal
officers concerning the monster war snlps
of the present day. Naval engineering,
they point out, has not progressed as
rapidly as naval architecture ano 1he SUI
pendous mass of a 10 GOO war ship cannot
be controlled with the ease naval ofncer
senerslly desires. Taking it altogether
the disaster is regarded by naval people
as a severe lesson to the navles OF the
world.
Following are details: A frightful
calamity has befallen the British bat
the Mediterranean squadron, and
hundreds off lives have been lost
The Victoria. which flew the flag
of Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon,
K.C. B., was run into off Tripol by the
British battleship CamperdoWn, also be-
longing to the Mediterranean squadron
and under command of Captain Charles
Johnston. The Victoria had an enormous
hole made in her side, through which the
water poured in torrents. The immense
hull OF the Victoria at once began 20
settle. and before those on board could
cast loose their small boats she went TO
the bottom, carrying down with her near
" 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 were Vice Admiral
Tryon. The first reports of the disaster
stated that about 200 men had been
u.
loss of life was far greater, not less than
4GO officers and crew OF the Victoria hav-
ing gone down with the ship.
The Victoria was twin screw battle
ship of 10, 40 tons and Il 600 horse power.
She mounted fifteen guns The Camper
down was also a first class twin screw
battle ship of 10000 tons and Il, QUO horse
power, and carried ten guns.
Admiral Sir George Tryon was COM
rnander-in- chief of the Mediterranean
station. Rear Admiral Albert IL. Mark
ham OF the Trafalgar, the flagship OF the
rear admiral in the Mediterranean, tele-
praDhed to the admiralty from Trlpoll,
SYRIA. under date of today as follows:
HI regret to report that while nancy
erinr of Tripoli this afternoon the Vic
toria and Camperdown collided. The
Nictroria sank in fifteen minutes In elgh-
teen fathoms of water. She lies with her
bottom appermost. The Camperdown' IS
ram struck the Victoria forward OF the
tur1et on the starboard side. Twenty one
otfic we're drowned. Two hundred ano
fiftv-five men were saved. The injury to
the Camperdown is not vet fully ascer-
tanned. but II is serious and will neceSsi-
tate her going on dock for repairs. pro-
pose to send the survivors TO malta.
The vessel carried 600 officers and men.
The officers drowned, in addition to Ad'
miral Tryon, includes:
CHAPLAIN MORRIS.
LIEUTENANT MUNRO.
FLEET PAYMAsTER ROCKFORD.
FLEET ENGINEER FOREMAN.
ENGINEER HARDING.
ASSISTANT ENGINEERS DAEDMAN
HATHLY AND SEAToN.
GUNNER HOWELL.
BoATswAIN BARNARD.
CARPENTER BEALL.
MIDsHIPMEN INGLIs, GRIEvE, FAwKEs
HENLEY, GAMBLER AND ScARLETT.
CADET STOCKS
CLERKS ALLEN AND SAVAGE.
AS soon as the officers of the Victori
saw the danger of the ship laundering
orders were given to close the collision
bulkheads to keep the water IN the com
partments into which the Camperdowl
showed her ram. The sailors tried to ODE
the order, but the ship was making
water too fast to allow the closing of tn
bulkheads, and while the men were still
irving to shut them the vessel, with tn
immense guns and heavy top hamper
turned over and carried them down.
As soon as the news of the disaster be
came known in London, the Duke @
Edinburgh, lately promoted to the posi-
ton of admiral of the feet, visited tn
admiralty and conferred with the off
Gals. A meeting of the admiralty boar
was held and a telegram of instruction
sent to Rear Admiral Markham.
The news of the calamity caused tn
most intense excitement, not only anon
those who had friends on board the i'll
fated ship, but among all classes of tn
The admiralty Office in Whitehall wa
besieced by relative and friends of tn
officers and crew, reporters seeking ful
Their details OF the disaster, and throne
attracted by curiosity. So dense was til
throng in the vicinity of the admiralI
that the officials were compelled to sun
mon the police TO restrain the crowd.
No information has been received {
the admiralty since the receipt of Res
Admiral Markham's first official telt
cram. above repeated. All the offici.
kilograms in regard to the loss of the shi
were sent at once to the queen at Vino
eor castle. AS her majesty received Res
Admiral Markham's dispatch she gay
orders for the postponement of the stat