Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-09-28
400 Go Down to Death in
French BattIeship
Magazines of Great Fighting
Machine Explode
Was Terrible.

battleship Liberte early Monday when
an incipient 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 of
Toulon were killed when they Went 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 Liberte.
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 anne a 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
by the flames.
With the last CONFUSION of the mighty
sea fighter, men and wreckage were
tossed high in the air, and a shower of
human limbs, bits of flesh, articles of
clothing, pieces of armor plate and splint'
ers of wood fell upon the decks of the
Verite and upon the wide circle of the
men of war and small boats standing by.
The carnage in the explosions was
worse than could ever have occurred in
an actual engagement. The first crash
came when the crew was for the most
part dispersed in various sections of the
vessel. They were without warning OF
their danger. Scores of bodies were
hurled high into the air, accompanied by
great fragments of framework, armor
bursting shells and the binding, sutfO
eating smoke of the powder,
Men below, who had not yet beer
awakened, were killed in their sleep
Others awakened by the explosion start
ed to jump overheard and were caught
blythe second defamation,
The crew was panic-stricken and rush
ed wildly about cropping in binding
smoke in which many fell unconscious
from suffocation.
The first explosion brought a quick re
spouse from the nearby men of war ant
from the shore.
Dozens of boats put off and picked W
survivors and floating bodies.
There were three tremendous explo
sions in quick succession after the fir
reached the magazines. One hundred
men saved themselves by jumping an'
others would have escaped but for tn,
discipline which held them at thei
posts. At the first explosion the me
below, suddenly awakened, tumbled from
their berths and rushing to the sides 0
the vessel were throwing themselve
overheard when an order calling them t.
their station rang out and held to thei
death those who had not already es
capped.
Smoke poured from the warship an
attracted the attention of other ships o
the squadron, which hurriedly dispatcher
pinnaces with men and fire apparatus t.
the aid of their sister ship.
Presently minor explosions began with
in the Liberte and many seamen fun
themselves overheard.
Cries of Save yourselves; fire nea
magazine" could be heard ringing acros
the water in the stiffness of the clea
morning.
Scores of sailors leaped overheard an
swan frantically for safety, but scarce
ly more than one hundred had plunge
into the water before the series of minc
detonations eliminated in a terrific e.
plosion. In the side of the great ste,
vessel a giant hole was gashed, then 81
listed and sank swiftly.
In a moment dead bodies and debr
were floating about in the disturbed vi
ters that splashed around in the upp'
works. In a wide circle around the spC
where the craft had foated so proudly
few minutes before, the seamen who e
capped death were struggling desperatel
Small boats were picking up as many
they could reach.
The Liberte had a complement of II
men. Of these lao were away OH shot
leave, so that $50 were aboard when Il
fire broke out. A rough estimate nlac