The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-13

cover the keys with which to open the locks to flood the dry dock and sub merge the ship, but when they did finally open the locks the water rushed in onto the lena, and the explosions came to an end.
 1 Thus amidst masses of dense smoke the search for the dead and wounded commenced. The lower decks of the lena were filtered with the fragments of shattered and torn bodies, while the surrounding water was dotted with hu man fragments dripping blood. It will be impossible to ascertain the exact number of killed and wounded until to- morrow, when roll call will be held, as many of the men were completely blown to pieces, while others were in- cinerated.
 Many of those who escaped with their lives suffered most severe injuries, and, becoming temporarily insane, rushed frantically around the vicinity of the drydock until they fell exhausted.
 The arsenal authorities organized an ambulance service without loss of time, and soon a long procession of injured men were on their way to the hospi- tals. A quartermaster gave an account of his experiences. His face was black ened his hair and beard had been burnt off bis uniform was in rags and he had sustained a number of minor injuries. T was on the bridge and just about to call the afternoon roll,' he said, when the explosion occurred. had no idea what had happened. felt myself hurl ed into the air, and a few seconds later I found myself lying on the quay. I managed to rise and run for my life, I had no idea where I was going" | An orderly of Rear Admiral Man ceron who was cut, bruised and blood stained, gave the following recital of his experiences: "Rear-Admiral Man cerons quarters are above the maga- zine. was in the dining room when the first formidable shock occurred The quarters were at once filled with aciduous fumes and choking smoke. l rushed to the rear-admiral's cabin, where he sat awaiting his coffee. l saw that he was wounded and I shout ed to him to run. After that don't know what happened. lost my senses and did not regain consciousness until the reseuers found me-"
 Captain Vertier occupied a cabin near the after-turret over the magazine. Immediately after the explosion he tried to get out, but the door of his cabin was blocked with debris and the only means of exit was impossible. The flames then broke out, and Captain Vertier died horrible death After the fire had been ,extinguished the res cuers found his incinerated remains, as well as the terribly burnt bodies of several other officers who had been caught in the after-cabin. The mid shipmen were killed outright, and the others attached to the lena have not yet been accounted for.
 Until late hour this afternoon a crowd of anxious persons besieged the office of the maritime prefect, seeking the names of the victims. Finally the officials persuaded these people to dis- Iperse, telling them there was no chance of learning the names of the killed and injured before to-morrow.
 Lieutenant Tlercelin, one of the wounded survivors, is of the opinion that everybody who was below at the time of the explosion undoubtedly was asphyxiated by the deadly fumes aris- ing from the magazines particularly from the combustion of "B'' powder.
 There are this evening total of 15O wounded men being cared for in the hospitals or in their own homes, but in addition number of people in the town were hit by projectlles from the explosion. A two-year-old child was killed instantly in the town by such a missile.
 The fire is now practically out, and as soon as the battleship is free of the deadly fumes, probably sometime to- nigtat, the work of bringing out the bodies will begin.
 POSSIBLE CAUSE OF EXPLOSION
 Paris, March 12.--Inspector-G Genera Admiral Bienaime expresses the opin- ion that the explosion on the lena was caused by the spontaneous combustion of powder, which disintegrates after . certain time and which requires con. stant inspection for safety. Spontane' ous combustion was the cause of the terrible explosion of the Touon powder magazine in 1899.
 The ministry of marine received a dispatch from Toulon late tonight saying that while the number of vic tims was considerable, it would not be so large as at first reported. Seven of Hcers are reported missing They are