Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-26

the wreckage above the water, could
i be heard groaning and screaming for
help, which often the rescuers We're
j unable to give.
The lower deck was an Internal sight.
One man had mis- foot held down by a
nass of steel weighing tons, After
three hours eff vain efforts to lift the
mass q surgeon amputated the foot
Through q hole In the arnor portions
OF bodies contorted and piled togeth-
! er could be perceived, all of them
charred by the flames.
one Of the survivors. warrant Of
feer. who came out of the hurricane
of fire with only slight cut on the
+ forehead, said tonight of the disaster:
THE fire broke out in the general
! stores, among cans of oil, turpentine
and paint and ether infiammables- In
| spite Of every effort the flames reaeiis
/ ed the coal bunkers and after that Ii
was difficult to prevent them gaining
the powder magazines. It was about
sac o'clock and dawn was breaking
before the danger seemed to be real
lied. Assistance was them being sent
to us from the port and three other
/ v-arshins lying in the harbor.
Just when the whole ships crew
seemed to have reached the boats In
safety there was terrific explosion.
I The I.iberte was hurled over on her
size and the fore part, where the full
! force Of the explosion was felt. iurched
forward heavily with an appalling
crash. Cries resounded on all sides. The
greater part of the ships boats with
the rescuers and the men from the
Liberte, instantly sank. How / escaped
frem this frightful calamity l do not
knew. From that moment all 1 was
conscious Of WAS being carried aboard
the Republique where / was taken
care OF. When / had somewhat reeov-
cred my senses they told me what had
/ happened.
After the explosion an enormous
fragment detached from the bows of
the Liberte and other pieces of iron
fell OH the Republique, smashing the
bridge ami plugging between the
decks. The bugler of the Liberte was
hurled through the air from our ILL
fated ship to the deck of the Repub-
liqpe, where he was picked up badly
hurt. In his hands he still held the
bugle with which he was sounding the
alarm. "
It is now considered almost estab-
lished that the disaster was due to
he deflagration of "B" powder, as In
tne case OF the lena. Towards 5 A. M,
the watch perceived a dense smoke
coming from the fore part of the ship
lie reported this to the officers, who
promptly ordered that the magazines
be flooded, but it was impossible tc
carry out their orders on account Of
The thick poisonous fumes.
Word of the danger few from lnout1
to mouth. Men rushed to the boats o.
jumped into the sea. At this junctur'
} help, asked from the other ships, ar
} rived and the officers of the Libert
: were encouraged by the reinforce
: mants. They determined to make an
other effort to conquer the fire. Tn
bugler was ordered to sound the rally
The spirit of discipline was so eX
cellent that the men who had jumpee
into the sea asked the boats which
picked them up to put them bacl
aboard the Liberte.
Stimulated by the example of the of
feers the men rushed TO their stations
and the last desp, rate fight agains
Inc iiaHitS BeSdH4
, Almost Immediately the first eXplo
= sion foreshadowed a terrible disaster
The officers, then realizing the use
: lessress of sacrificing the lives of the
: men to save the ship instructed th'
crew to leave the Liberte in as order
! ly manner as possible 1t was whil'
:, this was being done that the final ter
rifle explosion came. engulfing al
those on the ship and these around.
Some idea of the violence of the ex
plosion may be gained from the fac
. that the officer commanding the gun
= merry school ship Foudre, anchore,
three kilometers O.GS miles) from tn
Liborte. was killed on his own quartz
deck by a fragment of she'll hurlet
from the Liherte. and two sailor
!, standing behind him were wounded
, , A small outbreak of fire was discov
cred aboard the battleship Patrio thi
evening. An alarm was inmediatel,
sounded but the flames were extin
gtlishod before they had done mucl
damage.
There was roll cali of the remnan
of the crew of the Liberte or boar,
the battleship Suffren tonight. rh
I SCsue was pltIluI one, loI iilhiiy
/. the men We're injured and most o
/, them We're in tears.
Experts are of the opinion that th'
, fire on the Liberte was not the cause
s. but the result of the explosion. Eye
= witnesses declare it was not until aftel
the minor explosion that smoke wa,
seen issuing from the ship.
, Rear Admiral Bellue has appointed
t committee to begin an investigation