Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-09-26
SEE DELIBERATE PLOT
TO WRECK THEIR ENTIRE NAVY
Blowing Up of the Liberte
Followed by Fires Elsewhere
Arouse Suspicion.
RESCUING THE SAILORS
Some of the Men Are Still
Alive in the Wreckage--In-
vestigati0n Started.

vestigati0n Started.
spsc'a1 b. United Press Wfrs.
Toulon, France, Sept. 2G-That
the destruction Of the magnificent
Franch battleship Liberte may have
been the result Of a deliberate plot
to destroy the entire navy, is a sus,
picion and is rapidly gaining ground
among naval officers today. The
many mysterious fires in the naval
arsenal here, the accidents to ships
in dry docks and finally the facts
that fires we're discovered on board
the battleship Patrie late last night,
which required desperate battle
to exuinguish, has caused the port
authorities to intimate that the most
rigid investigation is necessary. 1t
is understood that the French secret
service has been ordered to take
charge of the matter at once
The fire on the Patrie was near
the powder magazines. They were
Immediately flooded and the fire f.
nany extinguished. The naval offI-
cials now place the number of dead
at 435, but these figures will be re-
vised when roll calls are completed
on the ship and the number Of men
on leave located
Work of Rescue.
While the dry docks were being
hastily put into shape to receive the
Verite, Republique and Democratic,
all badly damaged as the result of
the fire that destroyed the Liberte
yesterday, detachments from every
ship in the harbor were working on
the wreckage of the Liberte trying
to rescue members Of the crew
known to be alive in the debris.
A repair ship is anchored along
side the mass of wreckage, only a
small portion Of which is stfl above
the water. The steel plates are be-
ing burned through with ies of gas,
but the work is necessarily very
slow, because Of the danger Of dis
lodging some Of the plates and
crushing the victims
Official Count of the Dead.
The official count of the dead and
injured is progressing and it is now
certain that the final number will
be more than 400. The Minister of
Marine and Admiral GeTminet, after
personal investigation of the Incl
dents in connection with the explo-
sion and a talk with the survivors.
rejected the opinion Of the experts
7s4JE siaf if - ss s s4
sion. They say they are convinced
that the fire started in the oil store
room, among a quantity of high
grade oils and turpentfne.
There Is a disposition tssQ y to
blame the higher officers of the Lii
berte for being absent. The fact
that the captain and the ! ext two
in command were away and that the
warship was ii command of d senior
lieutenant injured discipline 1t is
also intimated that the best means
were not employed in lighting the
fire.
Had the experienced officials been
on duty, it is said, bunkers and mag
aZines would have been flooded sim
ultaneously with the fire alarm, and
an explosion would have been i'm
possible.
Name Court of Inquiry.
The court Of inquiry to determine
the responsibility for the disaster
will be named at once. It viii con-
sist of officers of high rank and
they will be ordered not only to fix
the responsibility, but to recommend
such changes in construction that
prevent such disasters IN the future.
The Toulon waterfront has been
transformed into a vast hospital and
morgue. Many Of the victims are so
badly mangled that recognition is
impossible. In the temporary hos
pitfalls hastily established terribly
burned seamen are being taken care
of. OF fifty injured sailors in the
chief marine hospital, twenty-five
have already died and a few of the
others can recover.
Five sailors who were imprisoned
in the forward turrets part of which
is still above the water were rescued
this afternoon none the worse for
their experience. The work Of res
cuing the others Will be decidedly
more difficult
Fire on the Patrie.
II was while the dead and wound
ed were being carried to morgues
and hospitals in the city here from
the i'll fated Liberte that f1a was
discovered aboard the PatrIe near
the powder magazines.
The Patrie was taken Immediately
into a dry dock, which was flooded at
once TO prevent Il spread Of the danes.
Early this morning it was reported
by officers of the Patrie that the flames
were under control There is sus-
picion here that the Liberte disaster
and the dre aboard the Patrie are the
work Of criminal plotters. An inves-
tigauon of the second fire is being
made and officials hope TO be able TO
apprchend the criminals soon, If it is
found they are the cause of the at
tempt Mt wholesale destruction Of life.
Saw Danger and Jumped.
The crew of the Liberte soon saw
the danger Of an explosion of ths
magazines and began jumping over.
board. Many of these were picked
up by boats from other vessels.