The Paonia progressive and the Paonia newspaper., 1911-09-28
PRIDE OF FRENCH NAVY, BAT
TLESHIP LIBERTE, SUDDENLY
DESTROYED BY EXPLOSION.
CAUSE NOT KNOWN
OFFICER IN COMMAND AT TIME
OF DISASTER PERISHED
WITH HIS MEN.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service
Toulon, France.-When the French
battleship. Liberte, was torn apart
and totally destroyed in the harbor
here by an explosion of her maga-
zines. 400 officers and men lost their
lives.
The Battleship Republique was badly
damaged. and the battleships Demo-
cratic and Verite suffered heavily
from the masses of twisted iron and
armor plate hurled upon their decks.
This is the greatest disaster that
has ever befallen the French navy,
and in magnitude is almost without
precedent in the annals of the worlds
fighting ships.
The explosion. which wiped out one
of Frances most powerful battleships.
occurred at 5:35 o'clock in the morn
ing. II was the result of an outbreak
of fire. The flames spread rapidly in
spite of all efforts TO extinguish them
and reached the magazines before
there was time to flood them. The
magazines exploded with tremendous
violence. sowing death and destruc-
tion in every direction.
1t will be necessary to go through
the ships muster rolls. a task of days.
before a full list of the victims of the
Alberto explosion can be prepared.
Exactly from what cause or when
the fire broke out has not been estab-
lished, but 1t is believed it had smoul-
Co. ~. f.,ll
complement of 742. Captain Juares.
brother OF the Socialist leader, and the
second officer in command, were both
ashore on leave, as were 140 officers
and men. The command of the ship
devolved on the senior lieutenant. who
perished
The fire was first discovered at a.
m. and the bugles Immediately sound
ed the alarm. The crew rushed TO
quarters and fought desperately the
spreading flames, but it soon was evil
dent that the fire had obtained firm
hold. Signals OF distress were flashed
to the other ships. and these dis
patched steam pinnaces and launches
to assist in the work of extinguishing
the flames and rescuing the men.
The position of the fire made It i'm
possible to flood the magazines. and
finally the commanding officer. realiz-
ing that the ship was doomed. ordered
the bugler to sound the "sauve qui
peut" (''Let him save himself who
CAM. and shouted to the men to jump
for their lives.
The first explosion was followed by
three others at one-minute intervals.
Then came the final terrific detonation
which shattered windows over the en-
tire city and was heard for a radius
of many miles. The Liberte was rent
asunder; her bows were thrown high
in the air and then the vessel slowly
settled down and in nineteen minutes
nothing was visible but the top works.
Those still on deck were hurled
skyward amid a shower of iron and
steel. The boats of the rescuers were
sunk and serious damage was done to
the Republique. which lay at anchor
in and one OF the Liberties armor
plates were hurled against her port
side and demolished the cabin of an
absent ensign.
For a few minutes after the final
explosion an intense black cloud Of
smoke hovered over the harbor. When
1t shifted a horrible spectacle met the
eyes of the people of Toulon, who,
awakened by the first explosions had
hurried to the shore.