The Washington times., 1911-09-25
THREE HUNDRED AND
SIXTEEN KILLED IN
NAVAL DISASTER
Battleship Liberte Is Blown
to Pieces at Toulon,
4sEf FTdIlCe.
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omen, coming, as IT does, on the heels
of the peaceful settlement of the
troubles with Germany over Morocco.
Rejoicing has been turned into mourn
ing, and there is a concerted demand to
have the entire naval system thorough
ly investigated, experts declaring the
higher officers of the navy untitled to
command, and the personnel of the rank
and file very low.
Confusion As to Details.
There is still much confusion regard
ing the actual details of the explosion.
The Minister of Marine was in C0mmu'
nlcStinn by long-distance phone with the
port captain at Toulon. and received 4
detailed description OF the disaster.
According to the report. the compile
ment of liberte was 10 men and 3 Off
GERS. OF this number onc-thiTd Of the
officers and 120 of the men had been
given uver-Sunday leaves Of absence.
Most Of the crew Of the Warship were
sleeping below decks when the fire
broke out. There are several stories
10 where II started. The minister of
marine believes that It broke out IT.
storeroom adjacent to the after maya
zine, and was caused bv a short circuit
in the lighting wires.
Fire Alarm Sounded.
The fire alarm was sounded, and the
watch on deck rushed to fight the
flames while the officers OF the deck or
dered all hands to their posts. As the
half-clad figures rushed to their posi-
tions for fire drill there came a slight
explosion, which shook the structure Of
the giant warShip.
Instantly flames seemed TO break out
all over the after quarter of the war
ship. Two other explosions followed at
minute intervals and with the third
the flames spouted mast high.
By their light the officers and men of
the warship could be seen at their
POSTS vainly trying to keep the fire back
from the main magazines
Suddenly, just as the other vessels Of
the fleet and the fire tugs from the yard
were heading toward the blazing war
ship, there came a decoration of ter
rife force, which shook the waters Of
the harbor with the force of a tidal
wave and crushed into -atotms thou
sands of lights of glass in the sleeping
city adjoining.
Breaks In Dozen Pieces.
The big warship seemed TO break in a
dozen pieces. while the force of the ex-
plosion was so great that a giant hole
was torn IN the steel starboard side of
the warShip Republic, anchored broad
side TO the Liberte
AS the smoke cleared away II was
seen that the Liberte had been totally
destroyed although the nuIk was still
above the water.
Lifeboats dropped simultaneously from
every ship In the anchored fleet, and the
great launches Of the officers were press
ed into service, and the floating debris
was soon being searched. One hundred
burned and wounded survivors of the
Inflated battleship were rescued and
taken on board the other vessels. All
were so badly hurt that they had to be
placed Immediately IN the ships hos
pitfalls, and none could tell a coherent
story Of the cause Of the disaster.
While there are many theories here
as to the cause Of the explosion, there
Is also wonder as to why the fire could
noe have been held in the room in which
II was discovered. In addition to being
equipped with a complete up-to-date
fire fighting device, every magazine
was isolated and so arranged that 1t
could be flooded by the throwing of
an electric lever.
One theory, held by several Of the
experts at the ministry Of marine, Is
that the initial fire, which the reports
say was caused by crossed electric
wires put the electrical equipment of
the vessel out of business, and made il
impossible 70 close all OF the compart-
uent doors.
Sunday launched Frances biggest
dreadnought Courbet and on Friday the
new Jean Bart, is completely prostrat-
ed over the disaster. He is preparing
to leave for Toulon on a special train
to assume personal charge the work
OF placing the responsibility for the dis
a6teE