Milford chronicle., 1907-03-15
DISASTER ON
FRENCH WARSHIP
Magazines Blow Up, Killing Many
and IDiuring Hundreds.
MEN HURLED THROUGH AIR

Toulon. March ia terrible disas-
Ger occurred here. The powder maya
zines on board the French battleship
lena blew up, and as a result Captain
Adigard, the commander OF the battle
ship; Captain Vertier, chief Of staff of
the Mediterranean squadron, and from
20 to so blueiackets are dead, many
being blown to pieces, while Rear
Admiral Manceren and hundreds of
other men are suffering from injuries,
some of them horrible in their extent.
Naval circles are aghast, and the pub
lie is stunned by the appalling catas-
trophe.
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 the
panic-stricken workmen at the arsenal
fed from the vicinity Of the dry dock
for their lives. Scores Of men who
were on board the lena jumped either
overheard or onto the stone quays
and sustained serious injuries.
The primary cause of the accident
was the explosion of a torpedo. What
caused the explosion is not known.
The crew was in its full strength, be-
ing composed of the rear admiral, "a
other officers and $50 men. The maga-
zines had been replenished recently,
and contained many tons OF both
smokeless and black powder, as well
as a number of charges for torpedoes.
The explosion came without warn
ing. The first shock was extremely
violent and shook the vessel fore and
aft. It was followed instantly by other
shocks. The crew were thrown into
condition of panic. They rushed Wild
" hither and thither about the deck.
The men forward who had been attend
ing a lecture clambered over the bull
warks and jumped down, some OF them
into the dock and others to the stone
quay. Many Of the men who Jumped
sustained fatal injuries.
The hundreds of men below deck
were in a fearful position. They were
enshrouded in binding smoke, ana
while they groped their way toward the
exits they became the prey OF suffocat-
ing fumes which caused many OF them
to fall unconscious.
In the meantime the detonations had
become more frequent, and the entire
after part of the lena, which was Virtu-
ally blown to pieces, caught fire. Shells
and charges of explosives in the maga-
zines continued to explode and masses
of metal were hurled into the air to
fall everywhere about the docks and
the arsenal. Those flying missiles de-
molished the torpedo shed, the engine
works and the pump house near by and
constituted a most serious menace TO
the lives Of those who made their way
toward the battleship to begin the work
of rescue.
The lower decks of the lena were
Uttered with the fragments of shatter-
ed and torn bodies, while the surround
ing water was dotted with human trag-
ments.
Captain Vertier occupied a cabin near
the after turret over the magazine. I'M
mediately 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 Yer
Ter died a horrible death. After the
fire had been extinguished the rescuers
found his incinerated body, as well as
the terribly burned bodies Of several
other officers who had been caught in
the after cabin.