The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1911-09-29
pRiog o. sRgMcH NAVY. UAv
rtgsHip LloGRvs. suooGsslv
ogsvRoveo ~ Gxplo osoee.
CAUSE NOT kN0Wn
oFF,coa IN COMMAND A. rsne
or oisAsraR pGRlsMGo
WITH me MEN.


Toulon. France. ~ FrsacA
battleship. Liberts. was torn apast
and totally destroyed In the Aast0s
here BY IN explosion Of her nagA-
sines. 600 officers and mes lost thsis
lives.
The Battleship Republique was ha1ly
damaged. and the battleships Dsaso-
cratic and verite suffered heavily
from the masses Of twisted iron aa1
armor plate hurled upon their Asc1s.
This Is the greatest disaster thaG
has ever befallen the Preach sasy.
and In magnitude ID almost without
precedent In the annals Of the worries
fighting ships.
The explosion. which wiped out oae
Of Frances most powerful battleships.
occurred At 5:35 O'Clock in the morn.
ing. II was the result Of an outbreak
Of fire. The flames spread rapidly h
spite OF all efforts to extinguish then
and reached the magazines before
there was time to flood them. The
magazines exploded with tremenaoua
violence. sowing death and destruc-
tion 10 every direction.
II will be necessary to 10 through
the ships muster rolls. . task OF days.
before q full list Of the victims Of the
Alberto explosion can be prepared.
Exactly from what cause or when
the fire broke out has not been sstab-
lished. but II 10 believed Il had smoul.
ders1 for hours. OF the vesssl's fan
comulcmens q IA Captain Juarea
brother u tie S0clallBt lsa1ss. ea1 IL
second officer In command. we're both
ashore on leave. - were leo officers
and men. The command Of the ship
devolved on the senior Lieutenant. who
persisted.
The fire WAS first discovered at I ..
m and the bugles Immediately sound.
ed the alarm. The crew rushed Ia
quarters and fought desperately the
spreading flames. but II soon was evil
dent that the fire had obtained firm
hold. Signals Of Distress were flashed
TO the other ships. and these dis
patched steam pinnaces and launches
to assist In the work Of extinguishins
the flames and rescuing the men.
The position Of the fire made II I'm
possible to flood the magazines. and
finally the commanding officer. reaiis
Ing that the ship was doomed. ordered
the bugler TO sound the ''sauve Qul
peut" t"Let him save himself who
cam. and shouted to the men to jump
for their lives.
The first explosion was followed b.
three others at one-minute Intervals
Then came the final terrific detonation
which shattered windows over the en-
tire city and was heard for Q radius
Of many miles. The Liberte vas rent
asundcr: her bows were thrown high
In the air aud then the vessel slowly
settled down and In nineteen minutes
nothlng was visible but the top works
Those stiil on deck we're hurled
skyward amid . shower Of Iron and
steel. The boats OF the rescuers wers
sunk and serious damage was doas u
the Repabllque. which lay at anchor
close by. Two Of her decks vers stove
In and one q the Liberties armoI
plates were hurled against her port
side and demolished the cabia Of an
absent ensign.
For . few minutes after the fina
explosion IN intense black cloud Of
smoke lowered over tho harbor. whef
Il shifted = horrible spectacle INST TIL
eyes Of the people Of Toulon. who
awakened by the first explosions hat