The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-05-01
FRENCH WARSH|P BLOWN
UP At HER DOCK
Fatal Disaster to the lena in
TouIon Harb0r.
POWDER MAGAZINES EXPLODE
Spectacle a Terrifying One-Bodies
of Victims Hurled Through the
Air-Scores Jumped Into Water
Death Roll Large.


Toulon, France.-By n of the
most terrifying and strangest disas-
tiers in history, the great battleship
lena, the pride of the French navy,
was blown up. AS a result, Captain
Adigard, the commander of the bat
tleship; Captain Vertiez, Chief Of
Staff of the Mediterranean squadron,
and from seventy to eighty bluejack-
cts are dead, while Rear-Admiral
Manceron and hundreds of other men
are suffering from horrible injuries.
Naval circles are aghast at the ex-
tent of the fearful catastrophe, and
the public is stunned by the appall-
ing details of this accident, coming
| so soon after the loss Of the French
submarine boat Lutin, in which six
teen men met a fearful death.
There were about $50 officers and
men on board the lena at the time of
the disaster, but many of them
jumped into the water.
The lena was undergoing an in
spection of her machinery in the first
basin of the M~issiessy dock.
The conclusion caused by the ex-
plosion of a compressed air torpedo
set fire to the after powder magazine,
blowing the whole afterpart Of the
vessel up.
Further explosions on the lena oc-
Cured at frequent intervals and de-
bris flew over the dockyard for a dis
lance Of 500 yards. The windows of
the workshops around the scene of
the explosion were all broken. The
electric wires flashed in the fuses and
then broke down all about the Mis-
siessy dock.
A shell weighing twenty pounds
was hurled a quarter Of a mile be-
fore striking and sinking into the
ground.
A complete panic prevailed among
the employees of the arsenal, who
were returning to work from lunch
when the powder magazine blew up,
and many of them made a rush tow
ard the Missiessydock, whence clouds
of thick smoke were arising.
No one seemed to know what had
happened until some one shouted:
1.-The lena has blown up!"&
An officer then peremptorily called
out: Save yo%urselves!" and all the
workmen and others made a rush
for the nearest exit from the arsenal.
Later squads of workmen and sail.
ors approached the scene of the dis.
aster, at the peril of their lives, and
as. they neared the dock they could
dimly observe through dense smoke
human remains flying constantly In
the air, following further explosions
on the doomed vessel, which present
ed a terrifying spectacle and caused
the arsenal employees to wiring their
hands with horror.
Suddenly blackened forms with
haggard eyes rushed madly through
the lines of spectators, not knowing
where they were fleeing.
Officials declare that the magazines
of the lena were completely filled
with explosives and that the recur.
rent detonations indicated that they
were all on fire.
A signalman on the lena, named
Giudicelli, who escaped, says that a
large number of the crew of the bat.
tleship were gathered in the forepart
of the ship, listening to a lecture
which was being delivered by an Off.
Ger when the first explosion came.
Most of these were able to escape.
Many of the crew saved their lives
by climbing down ladders and reach.
ing the quays, whence they fed to
places of safety.
The lena Was flying the flag Of
Rear-Admiral Manceron, command.
ing one of the divisions of the Med
~iterranean squadron. The command
er of the vessel was Captain Adj
gard.