The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-25
BLOWN UP.
French Battleship Liberte
Wrecked by Explosions.
Ripped From End to End She
Goes to the Bottom.
CAUSED BY A FIRE.
Kany Of the Crew Were Caught
in Their Beds.
y Efforts to Escape Checked by
i Orders of Officers.
WITHOUT WARNING.
Scores of Bodies Hurled High
into the Air.
Efforts at Rescue Cause Ad-
ditiOnaI Loss of Life.
Scores of Bodies Hurled High
into the Air.
Efforts at Rescue Cause Ad-
ditiOnaI Loss of Life.

ditiOnaI Loss of Life.
Toulon, Sept 25.-An appalling naval
disaster attended with enormous loss of
life occurred at daylight today when
the battleship Liberte blew up in this
harbor. The death loss is varfously
estimated from $50 to 500 or more. The
killed include officers and men of the
Liberte and also a large number of
those from nearby warships. The first
alarm Of fire was sounded shortly after
o'clock a. m. This was followed bv
four successive explosions of increasing
intensity as the fire neared the powder
magazine. when at 5:35 a deafening ex-
plosion literally tore the great warship
to pieces and assent her to the bottom
mass Of twisted wreckage.
The force of the explosion was so
great that huge fissures were opened in
the steel armor and frame work of the
warship. A piece of armor plate was
hurled against the cruiser Republique
with great force, damaging her plates
Scores of bodies were hurled high into
the air with huge fragments of frame
work, armor. bursting shells and the
suffocating smoke from the exploded
magazines.
On the first explosion the men rush
ed from their quarters and a hundred
or more sought safety in plunging over
board But the great body of men, Of
ficers and the crew remained on ship
and were hurled high in the air or into
the water as the eliminating explosion
tore the ship into fragments. One re-
port says the ship broke in two in the
middle as she sank. Another report
says that before she took her final
plunge several of her guns discharged
q requiem salute
Toulon, Sept. 25.=More than half
of the crew Of 1913 officers and men of
the battleship Liberte, counted one of
the finest vessels in the French navy.
were killed today in fire and explosions
which wrecked the great ship.
The fire was discovered at 3 o'clock
At first it did not appear to be serious
but somehow or other it gained
quick advantage over the squad OF
sailors sent to extinguish it and sud
denly without warning it reached the
magazines, which had not been flooded
on account of the apparently trifling
nature of the blaze
Ripped from End to End.
The force of the explosions was ter
rifle They shook the vessel fore and
aft each one seemingly stronger than
that preceding, opening up great f1s-
sures in the armor and framework of
the vessel
The vessel imm ediately became a
mass of fire and smoke and soon, al
most demolished by the terrific detona-
ton. sank to the bottom of Toulon
harbor.
At an early hour unofFfciol estimates
of the number of dead ran as high as
500 Estimates by naval men varied
the loss of life was more than 800.
Scores of the seamen died in their
berths. A few dozen saved themselves
by jumping overheard. Many of those
injured leaped into the water and were
drowned before the boats from the
other ships in the roadstead could
reach them.
Two Hundred Escaped.
Two hundred of the crew escaped
death owing to the fact that they were
ashore on leave. Commander Jaures,
a brother of the Socialist deputy, was
The carnage in the explosions was
worse than could ever have occurred
in an actual naval engagement The
first crash came when the crew was
for the most part dispersed in various
sections Cf the vessel. They were
without warning of their danger.
Scores of bodies were hurled high into
the air. accompanied by great frag-
ments of framework, armor, bursting
shells and the binding, suffocating
smoke of the powder
Men below. who had not yet been
awakened were killed in their sleep.
others. awakened by the explosion.
started to jump overheard and were
caught by the second detonation-
The crew was panicstriclxen and rush
ed wildly about cropping through the
fIinding smoke in which many fell un-
conscious from suffocation. There were
many vessels in the harbor at the time,
Including a number Of warships which
have been u1aneUvering here since the
first of the month. The first explo-
sion brought a quick response from
the nearby men of war and from the
shore. Dozens of boats put off and
picked lip survivors and floating bodies
Ordered to Their Death.
There we're three tremendous explo-
sions in quick succession after the fire
reached the magazine. One hundred
men saved themselves by jumping and
others would have escaped but for the
discipline which held them at their
posts At the first explosion the men
below. suddenly awakened, tun bed
from their berths and rushing to the
4 sides of the vessel. were throwing
there selves overheard when an order
calling them to their stations rang out
and held to their death those who had
not already escaped
From 800 to 35G of the crew of the
Liberte and about 100 men from the
other warships which had been sent te