The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-22
FIFTY PEOPLE KILLED
Disaster Accompanies Launching
of a Battleship.
CAUGHT IN THE BACKWASH
The Victims. In Spite of Warnings From
the Police. Crowded on a Frail
Staging. Which Was
Swept Away.

London. June 2l.-During the launch
ing of the British fhrst-class battleshiT
Albion. of L.. $50 tons. at Blackwell to
day by the Duchess of York, a cere'
mony at which the United States am
bassador, Colonel John Hay, and Mrs
Hay and Lieutenant Colwell, United
States naval attache. assisted, the dis
mass of water TO rise on all sides, com
pletely submerging one of the lower
stages of the yard and immersing nun
dreds of people.
Ten bodies have thus far been recov-
cred. IL is estimated that 80 persons
were drowned.
As this dispatch is sent the bodies of
% men, women and children have been
recovered from the scene of the Black
well disaster. The Duchess of York and
Colonel and Mrs. Hay and the re-
mainder OF the distinguished guests did
not see the accident, which occurred at
a moment when three cheers were called
for the successful launching, and the
cries n screams of the victims were
drowned by the outburst of hurrahs.
The Albion Is "A first-class steel bat
tleship. of IL, $50 tons, 800 feet long. "A
feet broad and draws rs feet 5 inches of
water. She is to "A v 1880 indicated
horse power, has two propellers and
cost about "a, 000, 900.
At last reports 30 bodies had been re-
covered. The victims were mostly work
ing people on a holiday, who had tres
passed on the shipbuilding yard where
the launching took place. They crowded
upon a staging from which they had
been warned OF, but the force of po-
lice on the spot was inadequate to con-
troll the immense crowd. About 200 peo-
pie were thrown into the water when the
staging was demolished by the back
wash of the huge battleship when she
plunged into the water. Most of these
were rescued by means of the numerous
rowboats in the vicinity. but many were
swept away by the flood tide which was
running and sank before assistance
could reach them. About 60 of the spec
tators were injured and had to receive
surgical treatment.
Many plucky rescues of drowning per-
sons were made by onlookers. Heart
rending scenes were witnessed when the
bodies of children and other relatives
of those who escaped the disaster were
recovered and brought to land.
The bodies of five men, Is women and II
children have been recovered at Black
wall. The Duke and Duchess of YORK
have telegraphed assurances of their pro-
found regret and sympathy. Thousands
who witnessed the launching. including
the royal party. left the scene ignorant
of the disaster.
The staging that was destroyed had
been erected for workmen near the stern
of a japanese cruiser I'm course Of con-
struction i'm the Blackwell yards. 1t was
IA light structure. about so feet long. and
notices had been posted warning the pub
lie that IL was dangerous. Despite the ef-
forts of the police many people invaded
the staging, which commanded "A good
view of the launching. Two great waves
completely demolished IL, and on reced-
ing carried most of its occupants into
deep water. The water was alive with
struggling people and floating debris. 1t
was "A scene of terrible confusion. The
shrieks of the unfortunate people mingled
with the cheers over the successful
launching.
Fortunately there was plenty OF help
near in the shape of police boats and 9TH
er craft. The ~shipbuilders. with drags,
and the firemen who participated. were all
prompt i'm affording succor. a number of
nurses who had come To witness the
launching were among those engulfed.
Some of these and many others were re-
vived by artificial respiration. Some were
injured by colliding with the debris.
Heart-rending scenes have been wit
messed throughout the evening as the
identification of the dead slowly pro-
ceeded.