Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-03-14

RESULTS ARE FRlGHTFUL.
Entire After Part - shs Isaa Utterly
DsneIishsd. Largs Nsnbsr - Grow
Killed o. Wssndsd snd Ssas Vic
tins Are Cssnatsd.

Toulon. March IA terrible t's.
aster occurred here. The powder mar.
sxine on board the French battleship
lena Tor Jena) and as q result Capt.
Adigsrd. commander Of the battIeship.
Captain vcrtier. chief Of staff Of the
Mediterranean squadron. and from sew.
eaty TO eighty blue Jackets are dead.
while Rear Admiral Manceron and hun
dr0ds Of other men are suffering from
injuries. some OF them horrible In their
sxtent. Naval circles are aghsst. and
the public is stunned BY the appalling
catastrophe. coming % soon after the
less Of the french submarine. Lutin.
n which sixteen 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
panicstricken workmeu At the arsenal
fled from the vicinity Of the dry dock
for their lives. Scores Of those on
board the lena jumped overheard on
the stone Quarries and sustained seri-
ous injuries.
The primary cause Of the accident
was the explosion Of . torpedo. What
caused the explosion II not known. but
the powder magazines Of the lena were
set on fire and their contents. In ex-
ploding. practically destroyed what
was conceded one of the beat vessels
ef the French navy.
The explosion came without warn
Ing. The first shock was extremely w.
olent. and shook the vessel fore and
aft II was followed instantly by 9th,
srs shocks. The crew was thrown into
q condition OF panic.
They rushed wildly about the deck.
The men forward. Who had been at
tending the lecture. clambered over
the bulwarks and jumped down, some
TO the deck and others to the stone
quarry. many sustaining fatal injr-
ries. The hundreds Of men below
deck were In fearful position. They
were engulfed In SNAKE. and while
they CROPPED their way toward the exits
they became the prey Of the suffocat-
ing fumes. which caused many Of them
TO fan unconscious.
In the meantime the detonations had
become more frequent. and the entire
afterpart OF the ship. which was virtn.
ally blown TO pieces caught fire. Shells
and charges OF explosives In the mag.
azines continued to explode, and mass-
es Of metal were hurled into the air 10
fall everywhere abotu the decks and
the arsenal. These flying missiles de.
nolished the torpedo shed. the engine
works and the pumphouse near BY and
constituted most serious menace TO
the lives OF those who made their way
toward the battieship TO begin the
work OF rescue. In spite of the dar-
ger. many heroic efforts were made
to render assistance. but for the mos.
part in vain. The lena was aflamc
from bursting projectiles. and the fire
prevented approach.
Many Of those who escaped with
their lives suffered most severe In.
turies. and. becoming temporarily in-
sane. rushed frantically around until
trey fell exhausted.
Captain vertier occuried a cabin
near the after turret. Immediately aft.
er the explosion he tried 10 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 rescucrs found his In.
cinerated body. as well as the terrible
burned bodies Of several other officers
who had been caught In the after cham.