The Ordway new era., 1907-03-15
SHIP BLOWN UP|
TERRIBLE SCENES ON A FRENCH
BATTLE SHIP, lena.
EXPLOSION IN THE MAGAZINE
several Officers and Eighty Men
Killed, and Hundreds Wounded
Cause a Mystery.

Toulon.-The powder magazines OF
board the French battleship lena blew
up at 1:35 Tuesday afternoon and
as result Captain Adigard. com.
mander OF the battleship: Captain Ver-
tier. chief OF stan of the Mediterranean
squadron. and from seventy TO eighty
blue jackets are dead, while Rear Ad-
miral Manceron and hundreds OF men
are suffering from injuries. Naval cir
cles are aghast and the public is
stunned by the appalling catastrophe.
coming so soon after the loss of the
French submarine boat Lutin, in which
sixteen men We're killed.
The entire after part OF the lena
was blown to pieces. The bodies OF
the victims We're hurled through the
air by succession of explosions and
panic-stricken worltmen at the arsenal
fled for their lives from the vicinity OF
the dry dock. Scores on board the
lena jumped overheard onto the stone
quays and sustained serious injuries.
The primary cause OF the accident
was the explosion OF n torpedo. What
originated this is not known. but the
powder magazines were set on fire
and the resulting explosions practically
destroyed what was considered one OF
the best vessels in the French navy.
The lena had just undergone final
inspection of her hull and machinery,
the latter part having been partly over
hauled preparatory to Joining the
squadron tomorrow. The crew was in
It's full strength. being composed OF the
rear adimal, twenty.four other officers
and $50 men. The magazines had been
replenished recently, and contained
many tons of powder as well as u num-
ber of charges for torpedoes.
The first shock OF the explosion was
extremely violent and shook the vessel
fore and aft. II was followed instantly
by other shocks. The crew rushed
wildly about the dock. The men for
ward clambered over the bulwarks and
jumped down, some Of them into the
dock and others to the stone quay.
many being fatally hurt.
The hundreds OF men below deck
were enshrouded in smoke. and while
they CROPPED their way toward the eN'
its they became the prey OF suffocating
fumes which caused many OF them to
fall unconscious.
Shells and charges OF explosives in
the magazines continued to explode.
siau LltSSfS Vi ul'tdi "tlt hhiith ihNo
the air and fell about the docks aud
arsenal. These flying missiles demol'
ished the torpedo shed, the engine
works and the pump house near by.
and constituted n most serious menace
to the lives of those who made their
way toward the battleship to begin the
work of rescue. The lena was ailame
from bursting projectiles. and the fire
prevented approach
1t is declared that for thirty minutes
the authorities were unable to discover
the keys with which to open the lock-
ers 10 food the dry dock and submerge
the ship. but when they did finally
open the locks the water rushed In on
the lena and the explosions came to
an end.
Amidst masses of dense smoke the
search for the dead and wounded be
gan. The lower decks of the lena were
Uttered with fragments of shattered
and torn bodies. while the surrounding
water was dotted with human frag-
ments.