The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-26
DEAD NUMBER 235.
Official Estimate of the Casualties on
Board the Iiberte.

Toulon, Sept. 26.-A thin ships COM
pany was drawn up on the deck of
the battleship Suffren this morning to
answer to the roll call of the crew of
the illfated Liberte, which was destroy
ed by an explosion and fire q hours
earlier. The survivors of the disaster
with the exception of those in the hos
pital are temporarily Quartered on the
sister ship. When the name of an
absent one was called some one of his
comrades responded dead ''hospital-
ed or missing" The official estimates
of casualties in the loss of the Liberte
places the dead at 235 and the injur-
ed at S8 with one man missing.
The search of the wreckage of the
ship continued throughout the night
with the aid of great torches Occa-
sionally a launch drew away from the
Illuminated spot in the harbor disap-
pearing in the darkness to reappear
presently at he pier with its load of
wounded for the hospitals and dead
for the rnortuary.
During the night so bodies were re-
covered and eight wounded men were
rescued from that part Of the vessel
that remained exposed when the hull
sank. The men had been pinned in
the ruins from Is to rs hours. Most
of them were insensible from pain.
Admirable Discipline.
Lieutenant Aubert son of Vice Ad-
miral Aubert, commander of the feet,
described the admirable discipline on
The lieutenant who is serving on an
other warship was sent with a party
to help extinguish the fire on the Lii
berte. He found Senior Lieutenant
GARNER in command of the imperilled
battleship in the absence of Captain
Jaures and the second officer in COM
mand both of whom were ashore
A petty officer in command ap-
preached the lieutenant and said:
'sThe fire, sir, is near the magazine.
Isn't there danger of an explosion?' ?''
Attend to your orders Lieutenant
GARNER replied.
The petty officer saluted and with
out further question returned to his
post.
Lieutenant GARNER perished in the
destruction of his ship.
Captain Jaures visited the wreck this
morning and then spent the rest of the
day at the bedside of the wounded
sailors.
A number of them continue uncon-
scious due probably to the fumes of
burning powder which they inhaled
They may never recover their senses.
Force of the Explosion.
The immense force of the explosion is
shown by the fact that the turret OF
one of the twelve-inch guns was
wrenched from its base and thrown
upward. Afterwards, as might be seen
from an examination at low tide today
it plunged downward like a great pro-
the warship in two. The steel bridge
weighing many tons was broken from
it's supports and crashed through one
side of the warship, cutting the steel
flank as if that flank were made of
wood.
The cause of the disaster continues
to be discussed among the officers and
men of the fleet Whatever may have
started the fire aboard the Liberte, it
was pointed out, might equally well
fire any ship in the French navy. If
the initial cause of the tragedy were
the chemical change in the powder so
that by the mere lapse of time it be-
gan to burn, not a life aboard any war
ship, it was argued, would be secure.
The general discussion of this vital
question will it is believed, result in
an investigation of the most searching
and rigid nature. The opinion of ex-
perts is generally against the theory
| of spontaneous combustion, yet no
other adequate cause is put forward.
Judgment, it IS declared, should be
suspended until the searching official
| inquiry is completed.