The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-03-13
JENA BLOWS Up.
French BattleShip Is De.
StrOyed at TOulOn.
OFFICERS AND MEN PERISH.
Caused by Explosion Of Compressed
Ix-.xlx
CAPTAIN BURNED IN HIS CABIN.


Explosion uurisd the Dead s.d
Wounded Men and Fragments Of
ship In All Direction.-AmonG Vie
tim. Are Com ma sder Adigsrd, Cap
tain vsrtisr, chief Of sausdres
stan. aud rive other ofbcer.-o,sr
seventy BiuejscLets Met Horrible
Dcsth-AdmiraI Msnceres and Mere
Than a Husdred of the Crew SAT-
fer From chastity wo.sss - sss-
vivor- Interviewed.
ToULoN, France. March 13.-The
explosion OF a compressed air torpedo
on the French bsttleshlp Jsss, lying At
the Misslessy dock at the arsenal here.
resulted Ia the explosion Of the ships
powder magazines aud the fetal de-
structlon OF the vessel Great damage
was also done TO ether vessels In the
vicinity and loss OF life that 10 near
~ hundred.
When the powder magazines blew up
Captain Adigsrd. the commander OF
the battleshIp: Captain yertier. chief
Of stan Of the Mediterranean squad.
ron. and from seventy 10 eighty blue
Jackets were Killed outright. while
Rear Admiral Manceron and hundreds
OF other men are suffering from horri-
bic injuries.
Naval circles are sShast az the cx.
tent OF the fearful catastrophe. and the
public IL stunned by the appalling de-
tails OF this accident. coming 90 soon
after the loss OF the French submarine
boat Lutin. In which sixteen men met
a fearful death.
The entire after part OF the Jena was
practically blown 20 pieces. The bod
les OF the victims were hurled through
the air by a succession Of explosions.
aud the panic stricken workmen al the
M ..iial cd Z. om the vicinity OF the
dry dock for their lives. Scores Of the
men who we're on board the Jena
Jumped either overheard or on 10 the
stone quays aud sustained serious in
juries.
The primary cause Of the accident
was the explosion OF n torpedo. Why
this instrument exploded II not known.
hut the powder magazines Of the Jena
we're set on IRE and their contents IN
exploding practically destroyed what
was considered one Of the finest YES.
sells In the French navy. The Iena
had Just undergone a final inspection
OF her hull aud machinery. the latter
having been completely overhsuled pre-
paratory TO Joining the squadron TO
day.
The crew was In its full strength.
being composed Of the rear admiral
twenty four other officers aud go men.
The magazines had been replenlshci
recently and contained many tons Of
both smekelcss and black powder a.
well ne a number Of explosive charges
for torpedoes.
The crew Of the Jena had finished
their midday meal only q short time
before tho explosion aud had dispersed
10 various parts Of the vessel Most Of
the men were engaged In work con.
necicd with the approaching departure
OF the wsnhlp. but quite n large party
had been detailed 10 attend a lecture
that was being given forward.
The explosion came without VAN.
ing. The first shock was extremely
violent and shook the vessel fore and
aft. n was at once followed by other
shocks. The crew were thrown Into a
condition Of terror stricken panic. They
rushed wildly hithcr and thither abou,
the deck. The men forward. who had
bccn attending the lecture. clsmbered
over the bulwarks and jumped down
some Of them into the dock and Others
on Ia the stone apay. Many Of the men
who jumped sustained fatal injuries.
The hundreds Of mcn below deck
were In a fearful position. They wer,
cnshrouded In binding smoke. aud
while they CROPPED their way toward
the exits they became the prey OF suf
locating fumes. which caused many OF
them 90 fall unconscious where they
stood
In the meantime tho detonations had
become more frequent. and che cltlrs
after part Of the Jena. which was vir
tualiy blown 10 pieces. caught on Ore
sholls and charges OF explosives IN the
magazine. continued 90 explode, and
masses Of metal ware hurried into the
air 10 fall everywhere about the docks
and the arsenal. These flying missile.
demolished the torpedo shed. the en-
cline works and the pump house neal
by and constituted a most ssriouI
menace 10 tho lives Of those who mad.
their way toward the III fated battle
ship 10 begin the work Of rescue.
In spite Of tho danger many heroic
efforts were made 10 render assistance
but for the most part In vain. TIT
Jena was aname from bursting projec
tiles. and the Gre prevented approach.
tt IL declared that for thirty min
utes the authorities were unable 10 dis
cover the keys with which 10 open tn
locks 10 food the dry dooh and sub
merge tho ship. but wheo they az
npsiiy spsp hs lschs the wsis reel