Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-15
DISASTERS TO WARSHIPS.
NAVAL CATASTRoPHES WHICH RE-.
SUITED IN GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

| lsheu ColIisiOn Caused the GrOssel
kurfurst To sink with About 200 Men.
There have been only six cases OF
catastrophes which in any way paral
lei the destruction of the Maine.
Three Of these occurred in the Eng.
lish navy, one in the German navy,
one in the Spanish navy and one IN
the United States navy.
The United States man-of.war Mis-.
souri,, while lying at Gibraltar in 1885,
was totally wrecked by the explosion
OF her magazine.
A case famous in naval history il
that of Ter Majesty's ship Doterel.
In 1887 she was lying at anchor oil
Punta Arenas, in the Straits of Ma.
gellan. An explosion wiped the ship
from the face of the waters. All but
n few of her crew persisted. This was
q case of magazine explosion. though
it may have originated in the coal
bunkers or boilers.
The British ship Captain, an iron
armored turret, 5000 tons, foundered
at sea in 1871. She was attached to
the China feet, and had already made
two cruises. In one of these she faced
a heavy gale and weathered IL success
fully. On Sept. G, 1871, she made a
third trip to the China squadron, aud
while near Cape Finisterle went down
Ia gale in the night. The weather
was 50 thick that the rest Of the squad
ron did not know of the loss of the
captain until morning. The loss was
500 officers and mon.
The Vanguard, belonging to the
English channel squadron, was
rammed by the Iron Duke in fog on
Sept, /, 1875. The Iron Duke at the
time was steaming at about seven
knots, and struck the Vanguard,
steaming about six knots, below her
armor just abaft the mainmast, on the
fore quarter abreast the engine.room.
A large hole about twenty-five feet
square was torn in her bottom,
through which the water came in II
torrent, One of the engineers forced
open the boiler valves and allowed tho
steam to escape, thereby averting an
explosion. The Vanguard did not
sink until an hour after the collision.
Meantime the Iron Duke stood by her
consort, and the men were transferred
to her with perfect order. The Van
guard carried u crew of $50 men.
While IA German squadron Of three
ironclads-the Koenig Wilhelm, the
Grosser Kurfurst and the Preussen--
were on cruise from Wilhelmshaven
to Portsmouth, England, in 1873, the
Koenig Wilhelm ran into the Grosser
kurfurst, striking her between the
main and the mi2zen masts. The
Kurfurst lurched to starboard, the
water pouring through down in the
fre-room, flooding tho furnaces, while
the steam escaped with great violence.
An attempt was made by the captain
OF the Kurfurst to run her into shall
low water, but five minutes after the
time Of the collision she sank in fif-
teen fathoms Of water. OF her crew
OF ACT, 2l6 were picked up, of whom
three afterward died OF exhaustion.
Twenty three officers were saved and
six drowned
While proceeding with the fleet
from Beyrout to Tripoli, the British
battleship Victoria was rammed by the
The Victoria was
sing le-turreted battleship Of the first
class. The total number Of officers
and crew was 6b9. The Camperdown
struck the Victoria very nearly at
right angles just forward of the turret.
Ten minutes after the collision the
Victoria gave tremendous reel to
cardboard and sank, bow first. Al
though the other vessels Of the feet
rendered every assistance, 321 officers
snd men were lost.
The Reina Regente foundered in n
storm in March, 1895, while proceed
ing from Spain to Algiers. No trace
of her has ever boon discovered. This
vessel was an armored cruiser similar
10 the Australian type of the English
navy.
There have been several catastro.
,hss among the cruiser class, in which
here was heavy loss OF life. Among
hese were the loss Of the japanese
'ruiser Elebi at sea. A French float.
ng battery, the Arogante, foundered,
md the British have lost two gun
'oats, the Wasp and the Severn, at
ea.
Explosions Of both guns and boilers
AVE occurred at different times on
he British ship Thunderer.
There have been several cases on
United States vessels where spon-
aneous combustion in the coal bun
ers has ignited the magazines pro-
ected by them. Fires in the vicinities
4 the magazines have occurred on the
lew York and the Cincinnati. New
'ork Herald.