The Red Cloud chief., 1907-03-15
MANY SAILORS ARE KILLED
FRENCH BATTLEsHiP BLOWS UP
WHILE IN DOCK AT ToULoN.
SEVENTY OR EIGHTY ARE DEAD
over six Hundred officers and Wen
on Beard When Torpedo Sets Fire
to Powder Magazine and Explosion
Follows-Arsenal Shops Wrecked.

OHopS V'SSNNS'
Toulon. March 13.-The powder
magazines on board the French battle
ship lena blew up, and as a result
Captain Adigard. commander of the
battleship. Captain Vertier, chief-of
staff of the Mediterranean squadron,
and from seventy TO eighty blueJack-
cts are dead, while Rear ADMIRAL Man
ceron and hundreds of other men are
suffering from injuries. Naval circles
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 SIX
teen 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
panic stricken workmen at the ar
senal fed for their lives from the
vicinity of the dry dock. Scores on
board of the lena jumped overheard
onto the stone quays and sustained
serious injuries.
Torpedo Causes Accident.
The primary cause of the accident
was the explosion of a torpedo. What
caused the explosion is not known,
but the powder magazines of the lena
were set on fire and the resulting eX-
blossoms practically destroyed what
was considered one of the best YES
sels 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,
The crew was in its full strength, be
ing composed Of the rear admiral
twenty-four other officers and 63C
men.
The magazines had been replen
ished recently and contained many
tons of powder, as well as a number
of charges for torpedoes.
The crew had finished their midda!
meal only a short time before the eX
plosion and had dispersed to various
parts of the vessel. Most of the mel
were engaged in work connected witt
the approaching departure of the wal
ship. but quite a large party had beef
detailed to attend a lecture that wa
being given forward.
The first shock of the explosion wa
extremely violent and shook the yes
sci fore and aft. 1t was followed In
stantly by other shocks. The GREY
rushed wildly about the deck. TIL
men forward, who had been attendin
the lecture, clambered owe the bu
warks and jumped down, some G
them onto the deck and others I
the stone quays, many being fatal
hurt.
The hundreds OF men below dec
were enshrouded in smoke. and Will
they CROPPED their way toward the e.
It's they became the prey of suffoca
ing fumes, which caused many
them to fall unconscious.
Explosions Continue.
Shells and charges of explosive
in the magazines continued to g
plode and masses Of metal we
hurled into the air and fell about Il
docks and arsenals. These fyir
missiles demolished the torpedo she
the engine works and the pump hou
nearby and constituted a most serio
n to the lives of those w
made their way toward the battlesh
to take part in the work of reset
The lena was afame from burstiI
projectiles, and the fire prevented 6
proach.
It Is declared that for thirty m
utes the authorities were unable
discover the keys with which TO op
the locks to flood the dry dock a
submerge the ship, but when they
finally open the locks the wa
rushed in onto the lena and the
plosions came to al end.
Then amidst masses of dense smo
the search for the dead and woun,
was commenced. The lower deck
the lena was Uttered with the fr
ments OF shattered and torn bod
while the surrounding water '
dotted with human fragments.
It is impossible to ascertain the
act number Of killed and wound
as many of the men were complet
blown to pieces, while others W
incinerated.
Many of the injured became t
porarliy insane and rushed frantic
around until they fell exhausted.