The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-26
Five Hsudred Trench Sailors Bet Death
in Awful Esplosin On
BATrLESHIP LIBERTE
After Series Of Terrific Detonations
the Fine w,rship Sinks to the Bot
som.-Bodi,ss Hurled High i'm the
Air in Great Clouds Of Dense Black
Smoke.

A dispatch from Touion, france
says death to more than half the crew
oaS793 officers and men Of the battle
ship Liberte, counted one Of the fin
est vessels in the French navy, fol
lowed fire and explosions, whicf
wrecked the great ship Monday.
The, fire was discovered at :
o'clock. 1t first did not appear to be
serious but somehow 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 flood.
ed on account of the apparently
trifiing nature of the blaze.
The force of the explosions was
terrific. They shook the vessel fore
and aft, each one seemingly stronger
than that preceding, opening up
great assures in the armor and frame
work of the vessel.
The vessel Immediately became q
mass of fire and smoke and soon al
most demolished by the terrific deto'
nations, sank to the bottom OF Tou'
Ion harbor.
At am early hour unofficial esti"
mates Of the number of dead ran al
high as 500. Estimates by nava.
men varied widely but there was nc
doubt that the loss of life vas more
than $50. Scores Of seamen died
in their bertlls. A few dozen saved
themselves .ty jumping overheard
Many Of those injured ieaped tntc
the water and were drowned before
the boats gathered in the roadstec
could reach them. Two hundred oE
the crew escaped death owing to the
fact that they, were ashore on leave.
Commander ,iaures, a brother OF the
socialist deputy was not on board.
The carnage in the explosions was
worse than could ever have occurred
In an actual naval engagement. The
1rst crash came when the crew was
for the most part dispersed In t- yari-
GUS sections CT the vessel. They were
without warning Of their danger.
Scores of bodies were hurled high
into the air accompanied by great
fragments CT framework, armor,
bursting shells and the blinding. SUI
locating 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 overboard / and were
caught by thu second detonation. The
crew was ps.nic-stricken and rushed
wildly about, cropping in the smoke
in which many fell unconscious.
There were many vessels IN the
harbor at tha time, including num-
ber of warsh;ps which have been
maneuvering there since the first OF
the month. The first explosion
brought a quick response from the
nearby uen.of-war and from the
shore. Dozens of boats put on and
pickd up survivors and floating Dog
les. There we're three explosions IN
Quick succession after the fire reach
ed the magazines.
One hundred saved themselves by
jumping and others would have es-
caped. but for the discipline which
held them at their posts. at the
first explosion the men below sud
denly awakened. tumbled from their
oerths, and rushing to the sides OF
the vessel were throwing themselves
overheard when an order calling them
to their stations rang out ana nelo
to their death those who had not
already escaped.