The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-09-28
HUNDREDS KILLED
IN NAVY DISASTER
Fire and Explosions Send French
Ship to Bottom.
SINKS IN T0UL0N HARB0R
Officers and Mems Loyalty to Duty
Causes Appalling Loss Of Life
Sailors Slain While Fight
Ing Flames.
SINKS IN T0ULoN HARBoR

Toulon, France, Sept 26.-The bat
ueship Liberte was torn apart and to-
tally destroyed by an explosion OF her
magazines. About 400 officers and men
| were killed.
The battleship Republique was Sc
verely damaged and the battleships
| Democratic and Verite also suffered
from the masses Of twisted iron and
armor plate that were hurled upon
| their decks.
This Is the greatest disaster that
has ever befallen the French navy, and
| in magnitude Is almost without prece-
dent in the annals Of the worlds
fighting ships.
A number of men already have been
extricated alive from the Enthusiastically
torn and twisted mass Of wreckage
which once was the Liberte, and the
hope is strong that there are others
within the broken hulk who can be
reached.
Fire Caused by Blast.
1t Ia now considered almost estab-
lisned that the disaster was due to the
defagration of "B" powder. as in the
case of the lena. The fire is believed
to have been the result Of the blast.
About a. m. the watch perceived a
dense smoke coming from the forepart
of the ship. He reported this to the
officers, who promptly ordered that the
mayazine be flooded as a first precau-
ton. Men went to open the valves
communicating with the sea, but re-
turned precipitately, saying that IL
was impossible to carry out their or
ders on account Of the poisonous FUMES
rising from the magazines.
Word Of the danger flew from mouth
to mouth. Men rushed to the boats or
Jumped into the sea. At this juncture
help arrived from the other ships, and
the officers of the Llberte, encouraged
by the re-enforcements, determined to
make another effort to conquer the
fire. The bugler was ordered to sound
the rally The spirit of discipline was
SO excellent that the men who had
Jumped into the sea asked the boats
which picked them up to put them
back aboard the Liberte.
Explosion Most Violent.
Some idea of the violence of the ex-
plosion may be had from the fact that
the officer commanding the gunnery
school ship Foudre, anchored three
kilometers Q.S6 miles) from the Lib
erte. was killed on his own quarter
deck by fragment OF shell hurled
from the Liberte, and two sailors
standing beside him were wounded.
or the vessels full complement OF
742 Captain Jaures, brother of the So
cialist leader, and the second officer In
command were both ashore on leave,
as we'll as 140 officers and men. The
command of the ship devolved on the
senior lieutenant, who persisted.
When the fire was first discovered
the bugles Immediately sounded the
alarm. The crew rushed to quarters
ard fought the spreading flames, but
it soon was evident that the fire had
obtained firm hold. Signals Of dis
tress were flashed to the other ships,
and these dispatched steam pinnaces
and launches at full speed to assist in
The work of extinguishing the flames
and rescuing the men. Rut their serv-
| ices were of little avail.
The position of the itre made it i'm
possible to food the magazines; never
| theless efforts to do so were made, and
finally the commanding officer, realiz-
| ing that the ship was doomed, ordered
| the bugler to sound the "sauve qui
peut" (let him save himself who cam
and shouted to the men to jump for
| their lives.
Windows Of City Shattered.
At 5:35 the first explosion occurred
| 1t was followed by three others at one
minute intervals. Then came the final
| terrific defamation, which shattered
the windows of the entire city and was
heard for a radius of many miles. The
Liberte was rent asunder, It's bows
were thrown high in the air. and then
the vessel slowly settled down and in
10 minutes nothing was visible except
the top works.
Those still on deck were hurled sky.
ward amid a shower of iron and steel
The boats of the rescuers were sunk
and serious damage was done to the
Republique, which lay at anchor close
by.