Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-09-25
CAME WITHOUT WARNING
MEMBERS OF THE CREW SLEPT
IN THEIR HAMMocks WHEN
THE CRASH CAME.
KILLED BY DISCIPLINE
MANY COULD HAVE ESCAPED BY
JUMPING ovERsoARb HAD 1T
NOT BEEN FOR OFFICERS.

i Toulon, France. Sept. 25.-An ap
palling naval disaster, attended witt
enormous loss of life, occurred a
daylight today when the battleshsl
| fLiberte blew up in this harbor. The
latest estimate this afternoon places
the number OF missing from the
Liberte at $50.
To these must be added huudreJ
men from the other ships who were
killed. Several small boats which
had gone from the other warships to
the aid of the Liberte sank when the
final explosion occurred. =
| Twenty men were killed and fifty
injured on board the Democrat and
there were fatalities on the verite
and Republique. The latter was dam
aged and was obliged to dock hastily.
Two hundred of the crew escaped
death, owing to the fact that they
were ashore on leave Commander
Jaures, brother of the socialist
deputy, was not on board
The carnage in the explosions was
more than could ever have occurred
in an actual naval engagement. The
first crash came when the crew was
for the most part dispersed In var.
ious sections of the vessel They
were without warning of their dan
ger. Scores of bodies were hurled
high into the air, accompanied by
great fragments of framework,
armor, bursting shells and binding,
suffocating smoke of the powder
The men below, who had not yet
been awakened, were killed in their
sleep Others, awakened by the ex-
plosion, started to jump overheard
and were caught by the second de-
tonation. The crew was panic
stricken and rushed wildly about,
cropping through the binding smoke,
in which many fell unconscious from
suffOcation.
There were many vessels in the
harbor at the time, including a num-
Der of warships, which have been
maneuvering here since the first of
the month. The first explosion
brought quick response from the
nearby menlof-war, and the shore,
dozens of boats put off and picked up
survivors and floating bodies.
There were three tremendous ex-
plosions in quick succession after the
fire reached the magazines. One hun
dred men saved themselves by
jumping and others would have es-
capped but for the discipline which
held them at their posts. At the first
explosion the men below, suddenly.
awakened, tumbled from their berths,
ana rushing to the side of the YES
sci. were throwing themselves over
board when an order calling them to
their stations rang out and held to
their death those who had not al
ready escaped. The first alarm of
fire was sounded shortly after 5
O'Clock a. m. This was followed by
four successive explosions Of increas-
ing intensity as the fire neared the
powder magazines, when at 5:S5
deafening explosions literally tore
great warship to pieces and sent 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 framework of
the warship A piece of armor plate
was hurled against the cruiser Re-
publique with great force, damaging
her plates.
On the first explosion the men
rushed from their quarters and a
hundred or more sought safety in
plunging overheard But the great
body Of men, officers and the crew
remained on ship and were hurled