The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-17
ENGLANUS v HORROR.
Court Martial Investigating the
Vicloria-Gamperdown
Collision.
BIZ Gable to the United Press,

VALETTA. Malta, July II. 1898 The
court martial, appointed to try Captain,
the Hon. Maurice A. Bourke, staff com :
ing officers of the British battleship Vic
toria, which was sunk In the collision
with the British batsleship Camperdown,
off Tripoli. Syria, on June 28. opened
today upon the HibeyniR, the flagship of
Rear admiral Richard e. Tracey. Ad :
miral Superintendent OF the Malta DOCK +.
yard.
All the survivors were on beard the
Hibernia at niue O'Clock in the moraing.
ard shortly thereafter the proceedings
opsued. The President OF this court mar
|tial Is Vice Admiral Sir Michael Gulme-
Seymour Of the cruiser Hawke, who sue
ceeded Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon,
who lest his life in The Victoria disaster,
az Commander.in-0hief of the Mediter-
ranean Station. Rear Admiral Tracey
is the Vice-president.
Captain Alfred Leigh Winsloa, by order
OF the Admiralty, appeared as prosec-
outer The other officers who nave been
detailed as members of the court are:-
Captain Charles Johhstone OF the Camp
erdown. Captain Pelham Aidrich OF the
Hawke, Captain Welierion q. Karslake
OF the Colossus, Captain Robert +. Ham,
mick of the Triumph, Captain William
A. D. Acland Of the Edgar and Captain
E. +. J~effreys of the Hood.
The Judge Advocate Is Secretary
Richard. Private Secretary to Vice Ad-
miral Cufme-Seymour.
Captain Bourke objected TO Captains
Johnstone and Acieud sitting On the
trial, and basing his objection to them on
the fact that they had been present at
the time OF the disaster. and also on the
ft1rfhar foat thar than had haor III N
moned to testify in behalf of the prose-
cution.
The Court allowed the objections, and
Captains tombstone aud Acland were
replaced by Captain Gerald G. Langley
Of the Arethusa and Captain Reginald
N. Custauce of the Phaeton. Captain
Bourke objected to Captain Custsnce on
the same grounds as in the cases of Cap
taius tombstone and Aeiand. This OBJ
lection was also allowed. and Captain
Charles Grey Robinson OF the Trafalgar
was appointed IN place OF Captain Gus
taDca.
The regular trial o~penedswith the read
ing by Jnage Advocate Richard OF the
first dispatch sent by Rear Admiral
Markham. whose flag was on the Cam
perdown at the time OF the accident, an
nouncing the loss of the Victoria to the
Admiralty. and the Subsequent des-
patches forwarded by the Rear Admiral.
"A i6lteE WEisGou ny 1tbaE <AulUlTdl
Markham on July / was also read. 10
this letter minor points in the dispatches
were corrected, and the statement made
that in reply to- Vice Admiral Tryon's
question, What are YOU waiting for?'
signalled after the Vice Admiral saw
that his order tor the fatal manoeuvre
was net being obeyed. Rear Admiral
Markham Mad signailed that he did not
quite understand the Vice Admiral's
order.
The Judge Advocate also read a letter
addressed TO Rear Admiral Tracey. in
which Captain Bourke said that in his
opinion the engines Of both the Victoria
and Camperdown were put three
quarters instead OF full speed nstern be-
fore the collision. Captain Bourks in this
letter said he concluded that the
telegraph Indicators In the engine
room deviated from the indicator on the
bridge, and thus the signal from the
bridge had been misread by the engineer
on watch.
Constructor Newuham. of the Malta
Dockyard. testified that the last time the
Victoria was in the d~ockyard, her water
tight chambers aud scuttles were in per-
feet ORDER.