The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-10-05

TOULON, FRANCE Special
French naval officers declared today
that a second disaster equally as ter
rible as that which sank the battle
ship Liberte, with a loss of life esti-
mated at almost 500, was only avert
ed by heroic work of sailors on board
the warship Patrie in extinguishing
fire which had broken out suspicious
~ near the ammunition hold. Shortly
before midnight fire was discovered
on the Patrie- The warship was rush
ed into drydock and deluged with
torrents of water. The flames were
soon conquered
An investigation was at once start
ed TO determine the origin OF the
blaze. So closely did IL resemble the
fire on the Inflated Liberte that a ter
rible suspicion rapidly gained ground
Throughout Toulon.
Divers Investigating
Divers have started an investiga-
sion of the hull of the sunken Liberte
10 determine whether or not she can
be raised and reconstructed or wheth-
er she must be considered q $4,000
600 loss. Naval experts say the Lib
erte was too badly shattered TO be
reassembled again into an engine of
war.
The work of removing tons of
debris and the bodies Of the dead
was rushed at top speed today. 1t
was a grewsome. sickening task, as
many Of the bodies had been terribly
torn by flying missiles OF steel. HUI
man legs and arms were found in
the broken superstructure which still
stands above the surface Of the water
marking the resting place OF the sea-
men who gave up their lives as mar
zyrs OF discipline.
Town I'm Mourning.
Public buildings in Toulon have
been turned into temporary morgues.
where the bodies are being laid out
and identified. Pitiful scenes of grief
were witnessed today as friends or
relatives recognized their mangled
dead.
Toulon was the seat of the great
national sorrow Flags fiuttered at
half mast and crepe hung from pub
lie AID private buildings. Captain Z.
prostrated with grief.
Other ships Damaged.
Ofncial dispatches TO Minister OF Ma
zine Del Case, In Paris, show that
heavier damage had been done TO the
Dattleships Democratic. Noyte and Re
Than had at irst been Thought A rain
OF steel. dying like solid salvo OF
artillery fire. denied and SCARED their
armor plate was shattered in some
places by the dying wreckage.
A fishing smack picked up a human
arm floating on a raft Of debris five
miles from the scene of the disaster.
= Pieces Of human flesh are being brought
the calamity and the apparent fact
that the same catastrophe might over
take any foreign battleship is lend
ing a keen interest TO the investigation
by the foreign naval attaches on the
ground.
Under Admiral Germinet.
Admiral Germinet will probably
head the Board of Inquiry, which will
officiate in the investigation of the dis
aster.
.'The tragedy Of Toulon" has become
a byword throughout France. The
effects of the accident were today seen
beyond the SCARED warships which lay
at anchor in the harbor. Windows
were shattered in this city, walls We're
cracked and other damage done by the
explosions. Survivors told thrilling
stories of the calamity. They described
how they were aroused by the first
cries of fire and the warning blast of
the ships bugler. Their stories OF the
bravery of their mates who stood fac
ing certain death form the most thrill
ing chapter of the entire affair and
one OF the most heroic in naval annals.
Public Funeral for Martyrs.
1t is announced that the Government
IS planning a public funeral for the
unclaimed bodies and for the remains
which were too shattered for identih-
cation. They will be buried with all
the honors OF war and a monument
reared over their graves. The cost of
the monument will probably be de-
frayed by public subscription through
out France.