Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-06-29
POINTED FOR SHORE
The Victoria Goes to Bottom While
ing Safety

the following special from TripoH, Sv+
describing in detail the sinking Of
British ship Victoria:
About o'clock last Thursday Afternoon
English fleet came IN sight of Ell Nina the
northeast and making directly for the ha<t
The five big ron-clads-Victoria. CampnTd%
Edinburgh, Nile and Sans Pareil-were d~l
up in full front. The Victoria was in the c qa
| the Camperdown was on her left and the ~
| burgh on her right. When they were within
miles of shore Vice-Admiral Sir George Trr
signaled to turn and form in double line n
meant that TIE Victoria and CamperdaWn W.
| to go ahead a little and describe a tum-theW
! toria turning to the left and the Camperdowntr
| ing to the right-then they would advance 81
! by side in the direction from which they h.
come, the others would swing into double 90
umn order and advance two by two behind .
leaders. When the order was given the distanN
between the ships was less than two caN
length. The execution of the order was 40,
enough for ships further away from center, %@
extremely difficult for the Victoria and i.
Camperdown. In turning their bows WON,
pass within few fathoms of each other, even V
the movement were executed with the greats
precision.
Whether because Admiral Markham of .
CamperdOwn could not believe this moyem~
was to be tried when the ships were so close
gether, or because he thought Admired Trvo,s
had mlScalculated the distance, he did moi
In
signaled that he did not understand il M
Victoria and the other vessels had not hcsitsto5G
The Victoria began to turn at once, and she nil
held to the signal. The Camperdown no long
heSitated but also began to turn. The briefG
lay, however, had been fatal. The Victoria h \
nearly turned and the CamperdoWn swingr9
around, bore down upon her.
Both admlrals were quick to act. Admins
TryOn swung the Victoria so as to receive at M
smallest angle the blow which both officers SAW
was inevitable, and Admiral Markham did f5
same for the Camperdown, besides revesns
her screws. The twelve-foot ram of the Canned
down, struck the hull of the Victoria Just ii
front of her armored bulkhead and plunged ipsi
the thin plates of her starboard side. TM
armor end at the bulkhead and the forwsa
part of the Victoria above the water line wsi
mere cardboard to the great iron wedge. The
was a smashing of wood and iron plates, als
the ram and eight feet of the bow of the Canine.
down crashed twenty feet into the Victort
The CampcrdoWn was halted by the hCar
armor of the Victoria, and, as her screws we,
reversed, she at once began to back away h
all the other vessels were moving to Get I'M
double line behind the two leaders they wen
bearing down upon the entangled ships, ands
catastrophe involving all the ironcads wa
imminent Only the coolnsss and prompt acton
of the other commanders prevented a gcncm
disaster.
The Victorias bow was now pointed full
towards the shore. 1t seems that Admiral Twm
did not realize the extent of the damage totM
happened before, he could not know what th
effect of the hole in the compartment was to be
No doubt he thought that the compartment Wa
damaged and the others would keen his shin
afioat, SO when the other ships signaled offers d
boats he replied that he did not need them and
the Victoria began to forge straight for the shnp
UNDER full steam. 1t is one of the rules of hc
British navy that if ship is in danger Of sinh
ing and shore is not far away she must be got
into shallow water so that if she goes down She
may be raised again SO Admiral Tryon was
making for the shore and was widening the dis.
lance between the Victoria and other shi,>
When the Camperdown's ram struck The Vie
toria, Admiral Tyron, the navigating officer. Two
signal officers and the men at the whgol were
upon the bridge, either in full view q, III the
chart house. Most of the crew was On the icN
ward deck lounging about, trying to keep cool
under the blazing sun. With the crash they
rushed into the battery and as far aft as possible
but when the two vessels separated all returned
to their places Discipline was perfect The adj
miral and officers remained StcadtaSt upon TN
bridge, setting an example SO good was III
discipline that within five minutes after the Bio,
a diving suit had been brought on deck and
diver was getting into it to obey an order to :
below and find out the extent of the damage,
The untangling and getting under full head
way had taken some little time. About tc
minutes after the blow the Victoria, having q
something like two miles nearer shore all
once leaned away over to starboard and with
great roll and plunge buried her bow bcnca1
the calm surface or the sea. 1t was almost il
SIbntdUcOuS. 1ncfe was only a cDa1lCG TOR q ic
wild cries and the Victoria was half submcrgc
bow foremost, with her swiftly revolving scTcl
whrling clear of the water, high in the al
Those on deck were plunged Immediately in
the water The men forward and below had
time to rush to the deck but found thCmSclV
cropping for doors of rooms filled with water al
compressed air. There was a little more tir
for those in the officers quarters. They hca
the shouts and warming cries, and rushed 70 Il
almost perpendicular deck. Commando ,jeI3it
lying in his berth sick with fever started up al
dashed to the decks in pa;amas to find hims
Immediately struggling in the water. \ lie
tenant swan up to him, put his arm aYOuI
him; and despite the handicap of supporting
helpless man was able to get away from the ST
of the sinking ship.
The huge hull was drawing on the wa ter as
went down, and several hundred men, h,ll
suddenly into the water fully dressed had
do battle against the increasing suction. The
a moment more and new peril came II
great engine, deep in the heart of the hull al
throbbing at full speed, and the great ste
phlanges of the twin screws We're WhiIlir
round up in the air. AS the Victoria sank Il
screws came nearer and nearer to the water, an
descended into the midst of struggling hums
beings.
The vessel sank slowly, and when the screw,
were low enough to begin to whirl in the waite
again the suction had increased until there va
a deepening vortex ike g maclstrom. Ntf
bottom of this maeTstrom the screws were r
volving like circular knives. The poor ere
lures had battled in vain against the sucio
They were drawn down and thrown again, Il
blades. Then came a scene which made Il
officers OH the decks of the other war ships tu
away with horror. Screams and shriekS aros
and in the white foam appeared REDEEMED arr
and legs and wrenched and torn bodies. Hea
less trunks were tossed ont of the vortex
linger moment on the surface and sink ont
sight. All within reach of that vortex i
their presence of mind. Men who knew III
to swim ceased swimming and fought with t
waters. Men clutched each other in frenzy Al
struck each other off. A deep cone of whirli
water, with the swift knives choppng hum
bodies at the bottom of it, was a horror
daunt the bravest. One man who was say
says that he saw in this great vortex al ln
fifty of his fellows fighting with each other a
with inevitable death. In g. moment or 30
knives disappeared and the vortex began
close up.
Then there was a mufed sound of thundt
the waters were tossed up and steam burst trt
them. Again shrieks and screams burst lt
the swimmers. The boilers had exploded,
sea had rushed into the furnaces and the swi
mers were beating waves of scalding wat
Thus in less than ten minutes death in thu
awful forms attacked the officers and crew of
Victoria-death by drowning, death by
knlfe-llke screws and death by scaldng wat
With the first under plunge of the Victoria
the boats were sent away from all the otl
ShlnS and StpprinO ba