Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-09-29
HUNDREDS KILLED
IN NAVY DISASTER
Fire and Explosions Send French
Ship to Bottom.
SINKS IN T0ULON HARB0R
Officers and Mems Loyalty to Duty
Causes Appalling Loss OF Life
Sailors Slain While Fight
inc Flames.

Toulon. France.-More than 400 off,
GERS and men were killed in the
harbor of this port when the bat
| tleship Liberte, one Of the finest
ships in the French navy was blown
up and totally destroyed by an expIo-
sion of her magazines
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.
1t is thought that the disaster was
due to the defagration of "B" pow
der, as in the case of the lena. The
fire is believed to be the result of the
blast. About a. m. the watch per-
ceived a dense smoke coming from
the forepart of the ship. He reported
this to the officers, who promptly or
as a first precaution. Men went to
open the valves communicating with
the sea, but returned precipitately,
saying that it was impossible to carry
out their orders on account of the poi
sonous fumes rising from the maya
| zines.
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 Liberte, encouraged
by the endorsements, determined to
make another effort to conquer the
fire. The bngler was ordered to sound
the rally. Ifhe spirit Of discipline was
so excellexit that the men who had
/ jumped into the sea asked the boats
which picked them up to put them
back aboard the Liberte.
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
erie, was killed on his own quarter
deck by fragment of shell hurled
from the Liberte, and two sailors
standing beside him were wounded.
Of 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 well as 40 officers and men. The
command of the ship devolved on the
senior lieutenant, who persisted.
The position of the fire made it i'm
possible to flood 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" Qet him save himself who CAM
and shouted to the men to Jump for
their lives.
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 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 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.