Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-01
He Miscalculated and the Victoria
Was Sunk.
STORY OF THE DISASTER.
An Officers Account of the Terrible
Collision.
A GRAPHIC WORD PICTURE.

NAETTA. MALTA, July l-Notw1tnsAndlng
the efforts that are being made ty the naval
authorities here to prevent the survivors Of the
Victoria disaster from giving anv information
concerning the loss Of the vessel, the United
Press correspondent has succeeded in obtaining
from reliable sources a full story Of the CAS-
ualty, the first report covering all the details of
the accident that has been sent to the United
States. Most OF the men seen decline, for OBJ
vious reasons, to have their names published.
but the reliability Of the interviews following
may be entirely depended upon
sUBoFfIcER's STORY.
A suboficer who was attached to the Vic
toria SAYS:
The feet was maneuvering when Vice Ad-
miral Tryon signaled to the first division to
turn sixteen points to port and to the second to
turn sixteen points TO starboard The object Of
this maneuver was to bring the ships In posi-
ton for anchoring. Vice Admiral Tryon either
forgot or mistook the distance between the two
columns, which were six cable lengths (3,600
feet) apart. The leading ships having turned
toward each other in circle. the diameter Of
which was three cable lengths q, 800 feet), Q
collision inevitable. The Camperdown
struck the Victoria on the starboard side, mid
way between her catheads and the turret.
TRIED TO REVERSE THE ENGINES.
"when Rear Admiral Markham saw that his
ship was bound to strike the Victoria he sig
nailed for the Camperdowp's enpines N be re-
versed II WAS too late bovexer IN chacl the
Camnerdoxn's heaivav and sbe struck the Vic
toria fearful blow. Not onlv did the ram of
the Camperdown penetrate the flagship, but her
forsc..tle WAS showed ten feet unaer the FORE
..s,I. :, ,ho y;o,or;. A h,c,. Ill ,r.. .o,.a.s
0"'',e ', 'A A
on tne hagsnip Gazing All hanos 70 tneir sts-
tions and the order given to close the water
tight doors in the bulkheads q minute before
the collision occurred. The Camperdox,n.
- .;s,.- - a..
no"e'e'' ""' 'Ss i~p'Uy .o VIC
toria, ana tnose on tne nAgsnip scarcely nAd
time to reach the compartments before the ves-
sells came together
"Ihen the water rushinp into the shin
,bronch sey.r., og IN. forrarS aoors ,,~.,.n,af
access 10 tbose comnartments m o6csrs
who were In the ward room felt the shock. and
II was tremendous, and neafa the SOUND OF
ho.rds bnc1er snnn5ed ,hs coli;s;o, .i.rr,
but though everybody aboard the shin knew
he was in imminent danger, there was not the
slightest trace of panic.
Perfect discipline was maintained and every
order was obeyed soon it was given. The
pumps were cleared and rieged for action. and
Capt Maurice Bourke, flag captain Of the feet,
made an inspection to ascertain what bulkhead
doors were closed. All hands were then ordered
to fall in the port side Of the ship. The coli-
sion mat and boom were got out
GETTING OUT THE BOATS.
ga, .,..rrt uas r,.de ,o n,... ,h... ,r.-
~, .-.,. r.. -, NJ,
the mole II 'ne iorecesue' OUT ianea- "hiie
this was being done. Commander Jelhcoe was
engaged in getting the boats out. The rapid
and increasing list the ship was making made
this task a difficult one. The port side of the
ship was crowded with men, their anxiety
plainly showing in their countensnces, but
perfect order was maintained. The men who
nao oeen conoenine1 10 imp,sonment were
d t.nn, .hs bnsy;,.i anu 0n. Que SIC. . wgre hs
had been below forward At the time Of the
collision had both legs broken by being hit by
the Camperdowns ram. The Victoria lay with
| list OF from twenty to twenty-five degrees for
about two minutes. sne was settllng by the
head at the time.
THE MEN TOLD TO Juxp.
..srad.r,v ,ha wa,.r r,,s,aa ,h-,r.h a..
MAIN oecn PorS' anu IN iess tnan ven minutes
after the ship went down. In the last few min
utes she heeled over with frightful rapidity,
but, clutching stanchions and anything else
that would hold them, the men hung on, no one
attempting to leave the ship. Vice Admiral
Trvon saw that all hope was gone and gave the
order, Jump save yourselves'
Then. and not till then, did the men break
ranks. They climbed into the weather net
tngs. crying. She's going down. end scram-
bled to get hold Of something on the upper side
1 of the ship. The men who were in the stern
above the port propeller which WAS revolving
rapidly, were, when they jumped, forced to
Jump close to it. Some did not clear the blades
and were instantly killed. Those still on board,
seeiuH 'ne.r i1.1, oiiou oSoP 'ue ensnne, ior
done. as il was Impossible even had sny one
dared to enter the engine room. The sight Of
men meeting their death by being hit by the
scre" "as norrioie ohe'
SINKING OF THE VICTORIA.
..Manv who jumped went down beneath the
w,,.r hr, ros. ao.;n Tn ,h. ,,..,,;,,. e..
,,' e' o '.e
'c'oria nao tufheu oo''on up, sno IA ie"
moments she plunged down, bow first. carrying
with her many Of the men who were still cling
ing to her. they having clsmbe red toward her
keel she turned slowly over after getting
down on her side.
about four hundred got clear Of the ship
before she sank, but many Of therl were struck
by floating wreckage afterward and so injured
that they drowned. The air that escaped from
the ship as she went down caused anything that
would float to come to the surface with tre-
meadous force, and the men struck by the up
coming articles were in many instances never
seen afterward.
"For 200 yards around the spot where the
vessel sank the water was a seething mass, the