The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1911-09-29
NAVAL HORROR
400 Go Down to Death in
French Battleship
Magazines of Great Fighting
Machine ExpIode-Carnage
Was Terrible.

Toulon, France.-Havoc of life more
appalling than wars ~fiercest clash could
have wrought occurred on the French
battleship Liberte early Monday when
an incipicnt blaze grew into sweeping
flames and ate their way into the fight
ing vessels magazines.
Terrific explosions that followed killed
from $50 to 500 men.
Most of the death toll is confined to
the Liberties but men and officers of
other French ships lying at anchor off
Toulon were killed when they wen. to
the rescue of the doomed Liberties tars.
First intimation of trouble that was
to grow into one Of the most appalling
naval disasters IN times of peace, came
at 5 o'clock in the morning, when an
alarm of fire was sounded on the Libsrte.
Immediately water was turned onto a
blaze in the hold that was not consid-
cred menacing until some time after its
discovery.
As the stubborn fire ate its way to-
ward the magazines there came q slight
explosion and this gave impetus to the
blaze. In an another moment there fol-
lowed a series of denotations.
By this time sailors, panic-stricken by
their sudden realization that the flames
were kissing their way perilously close
to the main magazine, began to hurl
themselves from the side of the vessel.
Before many could escape, however, the
fire broke through the magazine vaults.
There came an explosion that rent the
giant fighting ship in twain. Great
gashes were torn in her steel armor and
from these assures bodies of officers
and men were hurled for great distances
into the harbor's waters.
Pieces of armor plate, kissing through
the air amid corpses of stricken sailors,
struck sister vessels of the Liberte.
The disaster to the Liberte is a start
ling climax to a long series OF accidents
in the French navy.
> The Liberte was broken in two by
the violence of the final explosion. She
!. sank in forty feet of water. Large por'
{ tions of the upper structure remained
above the surface. These were swept
Z by the flames.
With the last CONFUSION Of the mighty
sea fighter, men and wreckage vert
e tossed high in the air, and a shower o.
+ human limbs, bits of flesh, articles o.
clothing, pieces of armor plate and splint
ers of wood fell upon the decks of thu
Verite and upon the wide circle of thu
men of war and small boats standing by
The carnage in the explosions wal
r worse than could ever have occurred il
an actual engagement. The first crasl
. came when the crew was for the mos
n part dispersed in various sections OF TIN
v vessel. They were without warning o
d their danger. Scores of bodies wer
hurled high into the air, accompanied b.
i great fragments of framework, armor
n bursting shells and the binding, suffo
eating smoke of the powder.
Men below, who had not yet bee
awakened, were killed in their SLEEP
, Others awakened by the explosion start
y ed to jump overheard and were caugh
:, by the second defamation.
/, The crew was panic-stricken and rusf
: ed wildly about cropping in blindin
>. smoke in which many fell unconsciou
from suffOcation.
= The first explosion brought a quick re
:. Spouse from the 7earby men of war an
from the shore.
Dozens of boats pls off and picked Il
= survivors and floating bodies.
There were three tremendous expl'
sions in quick succession after the fir
reached the. magazines. Ont hundre
a. men saved themselves by jumping an
re others would have escaped but for tn
Re discipline which held them at thei
e. posts. At the first explosion the me
% below, suddenly awakened, tumbled froi
e, their berths and rushing to the sides c
ID the vessel were throwing themselve
le overheard when an order calling them t
Is their station rang out and held to the
death those who had not already e
capped.
Smoke poured from the warship an
d attracted the attention of other ships {
G. the squadron, which hurriedly dispatche
pinnaces with men and fire apparatus t
le the aid of their sister ship.
" Presently minor explosions began wit
lie in the Liberte and many seamen fun
e. themselves overheard.
II. Cries of "save yourselves; fire nef
Is magazine" could be heard ringing acro'
j. the water in the stiffness of the clef
morning.
Scores Of sailors leaped overheard an
swan frantically for safety, but scare
- ly more than one hundred had plunge
- into the water before the series of mint
o d~etonations eliminated in a terrific e
\, plosion. In the side of the great ste
H. vessel a giant hole was gashed, then 81
listed and sank swiftly.
In a moment dead bodies and debr
IN were floating about in the disturbed W
he tiers that splashed around in the upp
works. In a wide circle around the sp'
where the craft had foated so proudly
n. few minutes before, the seamen who G
capped death were struggling desperatel