Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-26
Torpedoes Explode on
the School Ship
AlgeciraS
Hundreds Get Away in
Boats Under Good
Discipline
Nearby Warships Towed to Places Of
Safety After Naval Victims
Are Hauled Out of
the Water
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
TOULON, France, Nov. 25.-The
torpedo school ship Algeciras, sta
toned in this harbor was totally de-
stroyed by fire at late hour this
evening.
There were 500 men on board when
the fire broke out, but 1t Is believed
that most of them were saved.
The Algeciras was ship of the line
and for a number of years she had
been doing duty as a harbor vessel
and employed as a torpedo training
ship. She was of 5o47 tons displace-
ment and was built in 1855.
The burning of the school ship cre-
ated the greatest alarm throughout the
city. News of the fire was first con-
veyed at about II o'clock by the fir
ing of cannon in the harbor.
The people hurriedly left the cafes
and theaters and rushed to the docks,
whence they could see the Algeciras
mass of flames In the harbor. The
burning vessel stood out brilliantly in
the encircling darkness and the glare
of the flames lit up the other shipping
and the coast and wharves.
Anxiety Over Men
There was terrible anxiety concern
ing the fate of the 500 men on board
until the authorities announced that
everybody had been taken off in boats
and saved, with the exception of three.
Those men did not answer the roll
call and it is presumed they were
burned to death. N,
| The entire garrison here was called
out to render assistance and the crews
of the warships of this division hur-
riedly launched their boats to go to
| the rescue of their comrades who were
on board the Algeciras for purposes o.
a 4.
| as well as several steamers lying II
port, slipped their anchors and like
wise went out to help.
| AS soon as the men had been taker
4 off the flaming vessel the efforts of the
authorities were directed to safeguard
ing the other ships anchored in the
vicinity of the Algeciras, including
the new battleship Patrie and the tor
pedo gunboat La Hire. These two
warships were towed to places OF
safety.
Abandon Ship
The authorities came rapidly to the
conclusion that the Algeciras was
doomed and she was left to burn her.
kself out
The discipline maintained on board
the Algeciras was excellent. A ma
jority of the men were cool and col
lected.
The small boats of the Algeciras
were launched, filled with men and
rowed away while those who could
not leave in this manner awaited the
arrival of their rescuers. A few of the
men, however, were forced by the
flames to jump overheard and swim
away. Six torpedoes on board the
school ship exploded while the men
were leaving the vessel.
There was much fear during the
height of the fire that a torpedo maga-
zine on shore would be ignited, but
this was prevented by deluging the
magazine with heavy streams OF
water from powerful fire boats.
1t is not known whether the fire
originated from an explosion of pow-
der or broke out among the stores or
| board
smoIdering All Day
1t is thought that the fire which
broke out tonight had been smolderine
all day long in the vessels bunkers
This would account for the sudden
breaking out of the flames at practically
the same time on different parts Of the
ship.
There is some uncertainty as to
whether the three missing men were
really burned or not. 1t Is reported that
they were last seen standing on the
deck and when ordered to jump into
the water replied they could not swim
|