The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-03-15
Hundreds of Others Suffering
From Injuries
Naval Officers -Agfsast AMI the Public
Cause of Accident Was Explosion OF
a Torpcdo-Entirc After Part of
Vessel Blown to PieceS-Bodice OF
Victims Hurled Through the Air.

disaster occurred here this afternoon.
The powder magazine on board the
French batleshiD lena blew up a. 80
minutes past one and as a result Cap
Tain Adigard. the commander Of the
battleship, Captain Vertiez, chief of
staff of the Mediterranean squadron
and from seventy to eighty blue jock
cts are dead while Rear Admiral Man
ceron ard hundreds of other men are
suffering from injuries, some Of them
horrible in their extent. Naval circles
are against and the public is stunned
by the appalling disaster coming -
soon after the loss of the French sub
marine boat Lutin in which 1G men
met death.
The entire after part of the lena
was blown to pieces. The bodies of
the victims were hurled through the
air by a succession Of explosions and
the panic stricken wOrkmen of the
shortly before their midday meal only
dry dock for their lives. Scores OF the
men who were. on board the lena
jumped either overheard or on to the
one quays and sustained serious in
juries.
The primary cause of the accident
the explosion Of a torpedo. What
caused the explosion is not known,
but the powder magazines of the lena
were set on fire and their contents
in exploding practically destroyed
what was considered one Of the finest
vessels in the French navy. The lena
had just undergone a final inspection
of her hull and machinery the latter
having been completely overhauled,
preparatory to joining the squadron
tomorrow. The crew was in its full
strength, being composed of the rear
admiral and "a other officers and $50
men. The magazines had been re-
p%lenished recently and contained many
tons of both smokeless and black pow
der, as we'll as a number of charges
for torpedies.
The Grew of the Ieba had finished
eating their midday meal only
a short time before the explosion and
had dispersed in various parts Of the
vessel. Most of the men were engag-
in work connected with the appro-
aching departure of the warship, but
quite a large party had been detailed
to attend a lecture that was being
given forward. -.
The explosion came without warn
iRs. The first shock was extremely
violent and shook the vessel fore and
aft. 1t was followed instantly by
other shocks. The crew were thrown
a condition of panic. They rush
ed wildly hither and thither about the
deck. The men forward who had been
attending the lecture clamored over
the bulwarks and jumped down, some
the mimic the dock and others t.
the stone quay. Many of those who
jumped sustained fatal injuries,
The hundreds Of men below deck
were in a fearful position. They were
enshrouded in binding smoke and
while they grouped their way toward
exits they became the prey OF
s~uffocating fumes which caused many
Of t2em to fall back unconscious.
In the meantime the detOnatiOns had
become more frequent and the entire
afterpart Of the lena which was vir-
tualIy blown to pieces, caught fire.
Shells and charges of explosives in the
continued to explode and
masses OF metal were hurled into the
air TO fall everywhere about the decks !
md the arsenal. These flying missiles |
demolished the torpedo shed, the en-
CINE works and the pump house nearly
md constituted a most serious menace |
% the lives of those who made their
way toward the battleship to begin the |
work of rescue. In spite of the dam
ger many heroic efforts were made to
'ender assistance, but for the most
part in vain. The lena was afame
rom bursting projectiles and the fire
prevented approach.
1t is declared that for thirty minu-
es the officers were unable to discover
he keys with which TO open the locks
food the drydOck and submefge the
hip, but when they did finally open
he locks the water rushed in on to
he Ioena and the explosions came to
n end. When amidst the dense smoke
be search for the dead was commenc-
The lower decks of the lena were
ttered with fragments of shattered
torn bodies while the surround
1g water was dotted with human
rag1nents. It will be impossible TO
scertain the exact number of killed
nd wounded until tomorrow when a
oil call will be held, as many OF the