Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-27
Search OF Wreckage Of Battle
ship Continued Monday Night.
Eight Men Rescued from Hulk
Pinned 10 Wreckage "a Hrs.
The Discipline on the Doomed Ship
Described as Admirable.

= N-AisS''f AAFiAh7tJ s2iFNs 4it lDtt0ot
official estimate places the number of
victims of the Liberte disaster as 235
dead and l61 wounded 40 dangerously.
II is believed that this estimate is very
near to be correct as il is the result
Of an exhaustive examination Of the
| muster rolls and roll call of those
who survived the explosion.
Many OF the bodies taken from the
Liberte We're unrecognizable.
Not a few Of the victims had been
literally scattered to the winds. Ev-
cry effort has been made to identify
portions of the bodies found entangled
| in the wreckage. but in many cases
the mutilation was too great to admit
of this.
The work of searching the broken
steel hulk continued throughout the
day. but even with perfect appliances
the explorers were unable to penetrate
some parts Of tie ship, so inextricably
was the wreckage twisted and tangled.
II is certain, however, that no more
living men are entombed. Those whose
cries were heard last night have either
been gotten out or died from their IN
juries. The last man extricated alive
Toulon, France. Sept. "a thin
ships company was drawn up on the
deck of the battleship Suffern, this
morning to answer to the roll call of
the crew OF the li-fated Liberte, which
was destroyed by an explosion and fire
twenty-four hours earlier.
The survivors of the disaster, with
the exception of those in the hospital,
are temporarily CHARTERED on the sis
ter ship, When the name of an alb
sentee was called, some one of his
comrades responded Dead" Hos
pitaledn or Missing"
The official estimates this afternoon
place the number of dead, wounded
and missing at between $50 and 400.
It is difficult to determine the actual
fate of the missing, as many bodies
were mutilated or burned. Some of
the missing were probably drowned
The search of the wreckage of the
hattleship continued throughout the
night. with the aid of great gas
torches. Occasionally a launch drew
away from the illuminated spot in the
harboI. disappearing IN the darkness
to reappear presently at the pier with
its load of wounded for the hospitals
and dead for the mortuary. During the
right 50 bodies were recovered and
eight wounded men were rescued from
that part of the vessel that remained
exposed when the hull sank These
men had been pinned in the ruins from
Is to "a hours. Most of them were in
sensible from pain.
Lieut.. Aubert, son of Vice Admiral
ALBERT, commander of the fleet, de-
scribed the admirable discipline on the
Ldberte. The lieutenant. who was seIf-
ing on another warship. was sent with
party TO help extinguish the fire on
the Liborte. He found Senior Lieuten-
tenant GARNER in command of the i'm
pcrilled battleship in the absence OF
Capt. Jaures and the second officer III
commend. both of whom We're ashore.
a petty officer approached Lieut..
GARNER and said
The fire, sir, is near the magazine.
Isn't there danger of an explosion"
ATTEND to your orders" the officer
replied
The petty officer saluted and viii
out further question returned to MS
post
Lieut.. GARNER persisted in the destruc.
ton of his ship.
Capt Jaures, who was in command O
the Liberte. visited the wreck this morn
ing and spent the rest Of the day at tbs
bedsides of the wounded sailors. a mum
Der of these continue unconscious from Z
cerebral disturbance, due probably to thu
fumes of burning powder which they in
hailed They may never recover thei
senses
The immense force of the explosion i
shown by the fact that the turret of on
of tho Pinch guns was wrenched from
its base and thrown upward. Afterwards
as might be seen from an examination a
low tide today, il plunged downward lik
a great projectile forward OF amidships
cleaving the warship in two. The stee
bridge, weighing many tons, was blow
from its supports and crashed throug
one side of the warship, cutting the stee
flank as If it had been made of wood.
| The causes of the disaster continue
.r"ntiuu.a on Page Twelve.1