The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-13
Captain Of |ENA
AND 90 MEN DElQ
Admiral MdnCeron and
Hundreds of Crew
Are Injured. NJ
FRANCE STUNNED II)|
BY CATASTROPH
The Battleship Was Ready to Put
to Sea When Explosion Oc-
curred-Bodies Fright 8
fully Mangled, Were SS q
Blown in the
| ] Air.

TOULON, FRANCE, March IA tor HI
rible disaster occurred here this afterrgssS2
noon The powder magazine on board Sss
tho French battleshp lena blew up ~ SSS
thirty-tive minutes past l. and as q re1sss
suit Captain Adigard, commander OF TN ,sSS
battleship; Captain Vertiez, chief q staik
Of the Mediterranean squadron, ana rom AZ
seventy to eighty bluejackets are saoa dsS
while Rear Admiral Manceron and num-;
dreds of other men are suffering fr0rnssSs| IN
injuries, some Of them horrible IN W heitss
extent Naval circles are aghast ana tne ss3a ts3
public is stunned by the appalling cata s--s sSS
3trophe, coming so soon after the Jos sasg
Of the French submarine boat Lu TIN, N ~ Ss sa
which sixteen men met death. sSs
The entire after part OF the lena w. .11A8 s8
blown to pieces. The bodies of tbs vlcssssS
fms were hurled through the air hy e
succession Of explosions, and the panic-s a
stricken workmen at the arsenal NEG Sss43ss
from the vicinity of the dry-docKK rs e IS loEssSs s
their lives Scores Of the men VINO WssssosasS W.a9sssN
on board the lena jumped eitneri .oye.Sss 1e.sSs
hoard or IN to the stone auays, anu sussssssss
talned serious Injuries. 8 SSs
Ship Full Of Explosives. n
i The urinary cause of the accldemAsass
was the explosion Of a#torpedo do.sI.15ss IN
What caused the explosion t d q 8 l.Iosaa V
known, but the powder ma 8 azines sYlN
l.
| contents. in exploding, pract1 t1callya ne;s
| stroyed what was considered one 80 Sc VI
/ thc finest yesse s in the French navy
| The lena had lust undergone "a n Tina ~ NJ I.
| inspection of her hull and nnchtneryssS yssS
4 the latter having been compile Z. III
4 hauled, preparatory to tolnin s. Y nsssSs
4 squadron to morrow. VI The crew wa ~ sttllsS
| its full strength being composed p otss o1tss|
4 the rear admiral. twenty-four otilersS
\ ofIlcers and $40 men. The maj agaxinaas
MAD been replenished recently nyas
contained many tons of hoth stnoi elssas
A and black pow era as wei n as g nannas s
a OF charges for torpedo oes, sSss
q The crew OF the lena had a2Sft tsneos
their midday meal onl g short ttSsiai
d before tile explosion ana had d dispersadS
Il to various parts of the yes sci MOST
A or tho mel, were engaged in work con:sss n:s
4 nected with the approaching departEnEeS i
sl$of the warship, but quite a lar ge party
II had been detailed to attend ~ lecturs1s tll'
d that was being given forward.
q Widest Confusion.
i, Tho explosion came without warlnlingss
The first shock was n yioleMs y.
q and shook the vessel fore and al ~
81 was followed instantly by ttsr
u shocks The crew was thrown NJ TO aI
I condition Of panic. They rushed WI II
!, ly hither and thther about the deck.
!, | The men forward who had been al tend
ing the lecture clambered over the bull
warks and jumped down. some of them
T into the dock and others to the stone
$ quay. Many Of them who Jumped Ssus-
! tained fatal injuries
~ The hundreds Of men below eek
were in fearful position. They were
y enshrouded in binding smoke, and
q while they groped their way toward
/, the exits they became the prey; OF suk-
: locating fumes which caused many @oe
. them to fall unconscious. M S 5SSs Nm.
. In the meantime the detonations had
!, become more frequent, and the entire
q after part OF the Iona, which was yir-
!. tually blown to pieces, caught ftre,sf
N Heroic Work of Rescuers.
u Shells and charges OF explosives 81 In
. tho magazines continued to explode,
l. and masses of metal We're hurled gintn
d tho air to fall everywhere about the
=. docks and the arsenal These flying
"a mlssiles demolished the torpedo shed
\, the engine works and the pump-hOu
~, nearby, and constituted q most seriopi
! menace to the lives of those who madA
= their way toward the battleship to- ba.
:, gin the work of rescue. In spite OF ths
- danger many heroic efforts were madt
:. to render assistance. but for the mos
- part in vain. The lena was aflans
from bursting projectiles and the FIR,
prevented approach. 8aiSi
m 1t Is declared that for thirty nin
ia ntes the authorities were unable88sts
III discover the keys with which to opei
rs the locks to flood the dry dock and sub
IS merge the ship but when they dis
m finally open the locks the water rush
us cd In on the lena and the explosions
hn came to an end.
,r Then amidst masses of dense smok
~ the search for tho dead and wounde,
~ was commenced, The lower decks a
M tho lena We're Uttered with the frag
~ of Shutterpl and tom hnd las
~ while the surrounding water wa
d, dotted with human fragments. sS
On 1t Will be Impossible to ascertain til
exact number OF killed and wountle
- until Tomorrow, when roll-call wi
be held, as many of the men were com
t1,l1 ..Li..