The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-09-28

awning with 4 boat hook. This
evening forty bodies had been TAX
en- out and ninety-four injured have
been transferred to hospitals.
Cries of the Dying.
Electric shears to cut through
the plates of the Liberte, and Il
powerful floating crane. to lift the
masses OF steel We're used in CON
/ nectiOn with Il crew of divers who
We're at work exploring the inter
Tor Of the hull. This afternoon
the Libcrte appeared as if her bow
had doubled over the stern. Men
buried i'll that part of the wreck
age above the water could ne heard
sroanlng and screaming for help.
which often the rescurcrs were um-
anle to give. The lower deck was
an internal sight. One man had
his foot held under a mass of
steel weighing tons. After three
vain efforts to lift the mass of sur
seon amputated the foot Through a
mole In the armor portions of bod
les. contorted and piled together,
| could be perceived, all of them
charred by the flames.
one of the survivors. a warrant
| o11lcer, who came out of the hurri-
cane of fire with only slight cut
on the forehead, telling of the dis
aster tonight said:
Graphical Recital.
The fire broke out in the gen.
eral store among cans of oil, tur-
pentne, lint and other inflamables
In spite of every effort the flames
reached the coal bunkers and after
that it was difficult to prevent
them from gainin & the powder
magaZines.< 1t was $50 o'clock and
dawn was breaking before the dan
ger seemed to be realized Assist
ance was then being sent TO us and
from the port and three other war
shlpS lying in the harbor
Just when the whole ships crew
seemed to have reached the boats
IN sa1ety there was a terrific ex-
ploslon. The Liberte was hurled
over on her side and the forepart.
where the full force OF the explos,
ION was felt, lurched forward heay-
lily with an appalling crash. Cries
res" ohded on all sides. The
greater part of the ships boats
wlth the rescurers and the men from
the Llberte instantly sank.
Told of Disaster.
HOW l escaped from this fright
iul calamity, | do not know. From
lhat moment all | was conscious of
was being carried aboard the Re
p"nnque, where / was taken care of.
when l had somewhat recovered
my senses they told me what haa
n.tppehed. Alter the explosion
enormous fragments detached from
the boats of the Liberte and other
que, smashing the bridge and
pieces of iron fell on the Republi-
que, smashing the bridge and
plunglng between the decks. The
Dugier of the Liberte was hurled
through the air from our ill-fated
snip to the deck of the Repub-
ilque, where he was picked up bad
~ hurt. In his hands he still
held the bugle with which he was
sounding the alarm"
An eye witness of the disaster
says:
While walking with my family
this morning about $50 O'Clock !
saw little flames darting out from
the sides of the Liberte. Having
heard rumor that the vessel was
atlre, | said to my wife:
II VIII be better TO go home.
there is sure to be an explosion
Hardly had / spoken the words
when the most appalling report |
ever heard in my life almost
threw us to the ground. A great
sheet of flames suddenly appeared
Illuminating the entire roadsted.
lhen, looking up at the sky | dis
tlnguished black specks whirling
through the air and falling back in
10 the sea. 1t seemed only a mo-
ment, so rapidly did the ghastly
scenes pass, and the Liberte had
vanished, leaving in the place of
the great battleship shapeIess
mass on the water"
A newspaper reporter who was
on the quarry Immediately after the
disaster occurred, said the smoke
ooscured the entire harbor and the
sun shone red through the veil
On the way out to the wreck he met
sloop from the Patrie which had
been moored close to the Liberte.
Boats Vanished.
The work OF rescue was in
full swing" said sailors of the
sloop, when an immense pillar of
smoke arose slowly and the flames
spread fast. Suddenly tongue of
fire shot up, there was a deafen-
ing roar and all kinds of debris
rained down upon our heads. All
the boats which surrounded the
Liberte were engulfed in the whirl-
pool caused by the sinking ship.
Then vanished amid the despairing
cries of the crew. We could see
nothing of the Liberte; it dis
appeared in the dense smoke and
the boiling waters"
Petty Officer Leon, one of the
survivors, who was taken aboard
the Republique said:
81 was in my hammock, and hear
ing shouts, got up in terror. /
saw smoke and flames all around
Tnn Il In
Commander De Keraudren, of the