Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-13
HUNDREDS ARE
DEAD AND DYING
FRENCH BATTLESHlP BLOWN
TO ATOMS
Naval Circles Are Aghast at the APP
paIIing Catastrophe at Toulon.
Commander Is Among
the Victims
Continued from Page oneJ

Continued from Page One.)
ship, but quite a large party had been
detailed to attend a lect!re that was
being given forward.
The first shock of the explosion was
extremely violent and shook the vessel
fore and aft
1t was followed instantly by other
shocks. The crew rushed wildly about
the deck.
The men forward, who had been at
tending the lecture, clambered over the
bulwarks and jumped doN some of
them onto the uock and others to the
stone quay below, many being fatally
hurt.
Fumes Are Fatal
The men below deck were enshrouded
in smoke, and while they groped their
way toward the exits 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 and
masses of metal were hurled into the
air and fell about the decks and ar
senal. These flying missiles demolished
the torpedo shed, the engine works and
the pump house near by, and consti-
tuted a most serious menace to the
lives of those who made their way to-
/ Waru Ine pdLtlesHlp W pS6lA 'i0 WIN
of rescue.
| The lena was ahame from bursting
projectiles and the fire prevented ap-
proach.
1t is declared that for thirty minutes
the authorities were unable to discover
the keys with which to open the locks
to flood 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.
Search for Dead
Amidst masses. of dense smoke the
search for the dead and wounded was
commenced. The lower decks of the
lena We're Uttered with the fragments
of shattered and torn bodies, while the
surrounding water was dotted with
human fragments.
1t was impossible to ascertain the
exact number of killed and wounded
until tomorrow, when a roll call will
be held, as many of the men were COM
pletely blown to pieces, while others
were incinerated.
Many of the injured became tenn
porarily insane and rushed frantically
around until they fell exhausted. A
quartermaster gave an account of his
experiences. His face was blackened,
| his hair and beard had been burned off,
his uniform was in rags and he had sus-
tained number of minor injuries.
Il was on the bridge and just about
| to call the afternoon ROLL" said he,
"when the explosion occurred. I had
no idea what had happened. l felt my
self hurled into the air and few sec
onds later I found myself lying on the
quay. L tried to rise and run. 1 had
no idea where / was going"
Relates Experiences
An orderly of Rear Admiral Nance
ron, who was cut, bruised and blood
stained, gave the following recital OF
his experience:
Rear Admiral Mancerons quarters
are above the magazine. 1 was in the
dining room when the heavy shock oc-
Cured. The quarters were filled with
! fumes and choking smoke. l rushed to
! the rear of the admiraPs cabin. l saw
he was wounded and shouted to him to
run. After that don't know what hap
! poned. lost my senses and did not re-
gain consciousness until the rescuers
found me-"
Captain Vitier occupied a cabin near
the after turret near the magazine.
After the explosion he tried to get out,
but the door of his cabin was blocked
by debris and the only means of exit
was impossible. After the fire was ex-
tinguished the rescuers found his in
cinerated body as we'll as the terribly
burned bodies of several other officers
who had been caught in the after cab
in. Two midshipmen were killed out
right and others attached to the lena
have not been accounted for.
Seek Names of Victims
Until a late hour anxious persons be-
sieged the office of the maritime pre-
feet seeking the names of the victims.
Finally the officials persuaded the peo-
pie TO disperse, telling them there was
no chance Of learning the names be-
fore tomorrow morning.
Lieut.. Tercelln, one Of the wounded
survivors, believes everybody below at
the time of the explosion undoubtedly
was asphyxiated by the fumes arising
from the magazines or the combustion
of "B" powder.
There are tonight a total OF $50
wounded men being cared for in the
hospitals or at their own homes, but i'm
addition a number of people in the town
were struck by projectiles from the eX-
plosion.
A 2-year-old child was instantly killed
by some of the missiles.
The fire is now practically out and as
soon as the battleship is free Of the
deadly fumes, probably some time to-
night, the work Of bringing out the
bodies will begin.