The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-04
THIRTY-SIX ARE DEAD
LOSS OF MANY OF CREW OF THE
 TIGER.
Engltsh Torpedo Boat Was In Manoeu- vers When She Was Cut in Two by British Cruiser
 Berwick.

Portsmouth. Eng, April 3-Thirty six men. including Lieutenant Middleton the commander of the torpedo boat de- stroyer Tiger. lost their lives in the collision off the Isle of Wight last night between that vessel and the Brit. ish cruiser Berwick.
 The vessels belong to the Portsmouth division of the British home fleet, and were engaged in night manoeuvers in the channel while on their way to Portland The night was very dark and the Berwick was steaming slowly When the destroyer attempted to cross the Dig cruisers bow she was caught amidships. and cut in half with knife life precision. sinking almost immedi' ately.
 The deck crew. who were dressed ir heavy oil skins and boots. went down with the vessel. not having time tc free themselves from these heavy en- cumbrances
 Of the twenty-two men who were rescued most of them were engineers and stokers. who, having light cloth afioat until boats from other ships which were immediately launched could pick them m
 The collision occurred at S:10 o'clock last night. The ships were manoeuver' ing without lights. It Is believed tha' several of the men were killed by thu impact.
 Tugs W ere dispatched to the scene o the disaster at daylight and divers will make an attempt to recover the bodtei of the men who were drowned.
 The smaller naval vessels were in th' midst of an attack on their bigger con sorts when the disaster occurred. Th' entire fleet was under masked lights and in the absolute darkness the Tlge was suddenly struck square amidshlp' by the Berwick. The sharp stem of thii vessel, to use the words of an eye wit ness. cut the destroyer fin two as | she had been made of paper. The for ward half sank instantaneously and th' sea became so dotted with struggling men. Most of them. however. sank be fore help could reach them.
 The warships in the immediate VI cinity quickly had their boats over board and the sceen of the tragedy wal brilliantly illuminated by eoncentra tion of search lights.
 The after portion of the Tiger float ed for q minute or two. just Ions enough to enable those on board t' seize life belts. They threw themselves into the water and were able to keel afloat until picked up.
 Lieutenant William E. Middleton was on the bridge at the time Of th' disaster part of the ship.
 An officer who was an eye witness to the sinking of the Tiger gave out th' foIlnwjng account of the accident
 "The first we knew that ahytnint had happened was when we saw hasl and heard load report. This we sup ,,osed to he a gun. In reality however inc flash and the report resulted iron inc sea water reaching the boiler room of the Tiger. causing an escape o stea-n which must hay" scaideh t' death everybody that it touched. The men in the stoke-holds must nave '"" If was horrible to see the forms struggling in the water. Many of then then vent under just as hel2 was "ithlr reach, ,. to,,o ot saving the Tiger or recovetins ,n oenT en' water" -.,o,,. o.c,dent ,as, Sep.ember. when during the nlgh ,',snoervers she piled herself up on tho Portland br2akwater'