The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-26
Dead and Debris Fall in
Showers On Decks of
Other Vessels
NARROWLY ESCAPE
FATE OF CONSORT
Explosion Follows Fire Which
Starts in Paint Room
and Spreads to
Magazine

french SallOrs---p roD4bIy mOre--ulet
death to-day when FIVE terrific explo-
siors blow the battleship Liberte, the
100000 pride of the French navy.
| to pieces and sank her In forty-four
feet of wator. The explosions fol-
lowed "a FIRE that had its origin in the
paint room and spread to the maya
zines. the progress Of the flames be-
ing denoted by three explosions fol-
| lowing each other with startling
swittnesS.
Tho paint room did noe Immediately
adJoin any Of the magazines
Ii IL assumed that the fire must
have been burning In the paint room
for several hours. and that it slowly
ate its way to the magazines. while
the entire crew OF men and officers.
save only the few on dog watch, We're
fast asleep.
Nice-Admiral Beiiue, commanding
tho second squadron. in his report
tonight to the Ministry OF Marine.
makes no allusion TO the cause Of the
disaster. but as TO Its extent says;
"A bout four hundred are dead or
missing, which estimates include
those from other ships IN the mar
boz"
Other Crews Are Injured.
The entire fleet In tho harbor had
tho narrowest sort of an escape from
sharing the fate OF the wrecked bat
tlashlp, The debris from the L4beTte
was hurled with terrific force on
board the Democratic, the Nerite and
the Republlque, lying nearby. ON
hoart. the Democratic twenty are dead
aud fifty wounded A number are
dead and wounded on the other two
vessels also.
a resident of Toulon was Il spec
tatoI OF tho disaster from the cliHs
overhang!ng the harhor. This man
reports that he saw the ship on IRE
for scxue time before the first explo-
sion occurred. The flames, he de-
claree.. were squirting from variou
parts Of - vessel. and fearing a
great explosion, he turned to leave
tho spot lie had scarcely started
away. when terrific conclusion shook
the ground under his feet. 1t was
followed by "a second. third fourth
aud fifth defamation even more mighty
than the first
+ Where the Lberte had been moor
ed the water appeared like a mighty
geyser. while high In the air could
be seen pieces OF debris and the
forms Of men flying In al directions.
Shock Felt For Ten Miles
Then for some few moments the
scene WAS OiStuI tti ny GbLlSS N4oA0s
of smoke So great was the force
Of the explosion that the shock as
felt for ten miles around and windows
and doors were broken at that dis
tance-
This Liberte had crew OF ri men
of whom lao were on leave. The com
mander OF the Liperte. Capt Jaurs1.
a brother OF the socialist leader, Jean
Leon Jaurez. VAS on shore
The ire in the paint room was hrst
discovered a little while before
O'Clock. How long 1t had been burn
ing, no one alive knows. The bugles
immediately sounded the alarm. A
portion OF the crew rushed 10 quarters
and fought the spreading flames
desperately. IL was seen evident that
the fire had obtained firm hold. and
signals of distress were flashed TO the
other ships OF the fleet. This brought
aid. but the rescuers were only in
time to meet the explosions which
sent them to death before they could
Gid their imperilled comrades
Crew Below Decks.
Many OF the Liberties crew were
below fighting the flames when the
first explosion occurred. Some OF the
survivors rushed on deck. only to meet
a second explosion which shattered
the huge fighting craft from stem TO
stern. The cali to quarters was quick
ly given. and the remainder true to
disciple rushed to the aid of the fire.
fighters. There they worked knowing
that the fire was spreading and would
soon reach the other magazines. Ex-
plosion followed explosion. each throw :
ing its quota of dead and injured high
In the air. until the fifth defamation
finished the work began by the first,
xxfft ha
remnants Of iaar gallant crew crumhied
and sank. only the higher parts OF her
upper structure showing above the
water.
Two hundred yards from the Liberte,
the Republique lay at anchor. Flung
high into the air great pieces of ar
NOR dropped upon her decks, crushing
in two OF them. Other pieces Of ar
NOR crashed against port demolsh-
ing the cabin of the ensign.
Rescuers. when the smoke cleared.
could be seen struggling, some OF them
members of the crew OF the Liberte
and others from the rescue boats who
had been sucked under in the vortex
Searching at Night.
All day the work of rescue pro-
crossed. Even by night all the bodies
had not been recovered and search
went on by the aid OF strong search
lights. Already fifty bodies have been
recovered and ninety-six injured HAD
been transferred to the various hospi-
tails.
1t would appear according to the
divers that the bows Of the Liberte.
that so great was the force of the ex-
plosion, had doubled over into her
stern. Men buried in that part of
the wreckasa above the water line.
could be heard grooming and crying
for help. which. although near, was
unable to reach them.
On lower deck one man was held
fast because his foot was lodged I'M
der a mass of steel weighing two or
three tons. Efforts to lift this mass
were without avail. and finally q sur
geon amputated the mans foot.
Through holes In the armor plate
bodies OF men, piled in huge heaps. can
be seen. all OF them charred by the
flames.
One Of the survivors. a warrant Of
hcer. who came out Of the wreck with