Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-25
view Of the fleet by President F'allieres,
A Hint to Germany.

to Germany the terms upon which the re-
public offered a settlement of the Moroc-
can dispute with Germany.
Following the review the fleet resumed
the autumn maneuvers and gun practice.
September ~ the armored cruiser Gloire
was engaged in target work when a port
gun exploded as a projectile was being
inserted I'm the breech One gunner was
killed and thirteen others were Injured
Five of the latter subsequently died. 10
days disaster came with little warning.
The fire was discovered about D ocloch
and a signal sounded throughout the YES
sci summoning the crew to fire quarters
Immediately the order was given to Mood
the holds, but the inrushing water Ia1iea
To check the rapidly spreading names
Smoke poured from the warship and at
tracted the attention of the other SHIPS
of the squadron, which hurriedly dis-
pa tched pinnaces with men and nre appa-
ratus to the aid of their sister ship
Jumped Into the Sea.
Presently minor explosions began with
In the Iiberte and many seamen flung
themselves overheard.
Cries of Save yourselves: fire near
magazines could be heard ringing
across the water in the stiffness OF the
clear morning.
Fran every side scores of sailors
for safety but scarcely more than ln
mad plunged into the water before the
series of detonations eliminated in ter
rifle explosion that seemed TO tear out
the side of the great steel vessel. Whlch
swayed over TO one side and sank swiftly.
In moment dead bodies and debris
were floating about in the ulstnroed
waters that splashed around the upper
works. In wide circle around 'he
spot where the craft had fioated SO
proudly minutes before the seamen VINO
had escaped death were struggling des-
perately and small boats We're plcklnS up
as many as they could reac.:
AS the battleship went down several Oh
her guns discharged a requiem salute.
The Liberte had a complement OF .U
men. OF these ~ were away on snore
leave, so that $50 were aboard when the
tire broke out a rough estimate places
the number of those who jumped over
board somewhere between 1N and 0O.
The rumble of the explosion was heard
throughout the city and immense crowds
of people gathered at the wharf.
Stunning Blow to French.
PARIS September 25.-The news of
the explosion of the magazines OF the
battleship Liberte came as stunning
blow 10 the French republic and TO
naval officials. 1t is the climax of
long series of disasters which have
marked the history of the French navy
since the blowing up of the battleship
lena March 3. 1907. The accounts Of
the disaster as received here during
the morning hours varied widely.
The most authentic dispatches stated
that the sinking came nearly two
forward hold Another account said
that the ship broke in half from the
force of the explosions and sank
twenty minutes later. According to
this version the battleship afterward
reappeared at the surface for a time,
a grim carcass of iron surrounded by
a tangled mass of wreckage
Estimates of the number of dead vary
from $50 to 500.
Official Report Received.
The ministry of marine has received
the following telegram from Admiral
ALBERT. commanding the fleet at Tou-
lon:
-Four explosions were heard on the
Liberte this morning at intervals of
one minute beginning at 5:35 AMI fol-
lowed by smoke and flames. which
mounted steadily. The fina, explosion
occurred at $50 o'clock. The ship
sank. After the smoke had blown
away one perceived that portions OF
the structure stood above the water
The ministry of marine issued this
note:
The last report of the general in
spector showed the Liberte to be III
completely satisfactory condition and
especially regarding the precautions
taken IN caring for the maeazines.'
Scouts Combustion Theory.
The minister of marine. NJ. Delcasse,
received the members of the press this
afternoon and talked to them about the
catastrophe. He was greatly distressed
and spoke with emotion Of the. deplora BILE
event coming SO soon after the splendid
naval review.
The minister had before him many Off
cial kilograms from Toulon. but he was
unable TO estimate accurately the loss
of life. The ship had III officers and
men, of whom 141 We're ashore on leave
Two hundred and seventyfour others
have been accounted for. leaving 303
missing, besides some losses among the
men of the other ships.
In considering the possible causes of
the explosion, NJ. Delcasse excluded that
OF spontaneous combustion of powder,
since it had been regularly renewed and
the magazines We're Kept at a moderate
temperature.
Referring to an official report of Sep
TENDER upon this very subject. the min
lister said that the commanding admiral
specified that during the hottest weather
b
sometimes been 1O1 degrees Fahrenheit
when the temperature in the magazines
was from 81 to 81 degrees. NJ. Delcasse
thought that the theory of a short circuit
wire advanced technically at Toulon was
the most probable.
Beheld Awful Picture.
Nearly every vessel of the squadron lost
some men from the parties sent to the
aid of the burning battleship. The Verite
was moored nearest. being about 10
yards from the Liberte. Eight of the
Verite's men We're wounded by flying
fragments blown from the Liberte or by
pieces of bursting shells.
The decks of the Verite were crowded
full spectacle and who were targets for
the flying debris.
The Liberte was broken in two by the
violence of the final explosion. She sank
in forty feet of water. Accordingly, large
above the surface. These were swept by
der caused a dense smoke, that obscured
the wreck.
With the last convulsion Of the mighty
seahghter men and wreckage We're tossed
high in the air. and shower of human
limbs. bits of flesh, articles of clothing,
pieces OF armor plate and splnters of
wood fell upon the decks of the Verite.
and upon the wide circles of the men-of-
and small boats standing by.
The officers and men of the Nerite be-
held an awful picture of disaster and