The Sentinel=record., 1911-09-26

For a few minutes after the fina explosion an intense black cloud oi smoke lowered over the harbor When 1t shften a horrible spectacle met the eyes of the people of You lon, who awakened by the first ex- lplosions, had Hurried to the shore lThe twisted upper works of the bat ttleship were protruding from mass of formless wreckage, among which lstruggled the seamen from the res cung boats that had been sunk by uhe flying debris or sucked down in the maelstrom.
 The work of rescue was quickly begun An ambulance station was in- stalled in the arsenal and Admiral Martin-Darbel, maritime prefect. went out othe wreck and superintended the work of extricating those i'm prisoned under the shattered steel {. The first body recovered was that of Ian officer, which was hauled from under an awning with boat hook
 This evening forty bodies had been taken out and 94 injured have been transferred to hospitals.
 Electric shears, to cut through the plates of the Liberte. and power ful floating crane to lift the masses of steel. were used in conjunction with crew of divers who are at work exp bring the interior of the hull This afternon the Liberte ap- peared as if her bow had doubled Iover onto the stern. Men buried in that part of the wreckage above the watr could be heard grooming and for help. which often the rescuers were unable to give.
 The lawer deck was an internal sight. One man aiad his foot held under mass of steel weighing tons. After three hours vain efforts to lift the mass, a surgeon amputated the foot. Through a hole in the armor. portions of bodies contorted and piled together, could be perceived, all of them charred by the flames
 One of the survivors, a warrant Of ficer who came out of a hurricane of fire, with only slight cut on the forehead telling of the disaster to- night said:
 The fire broke out in the general store, among cans of oil, turpentine paint and other inflammables. Tn spite of every effort the flames reached the coal bunkers and after that it was difficult to prevent them gaining the powder magazines. I. was about 5:30 o'clock and dawn was breaking before the danger seemed to be realized. Assistance was then being sent to us from the port and three other warships lying in the Iharbor.
 Just when the whole ships crew Iseemed to have reached the boats in safety there was terrific explosion The Liberte was hurled over on her side and the forepart, where ;Ihe full force of the explosion was felt, .lurched forward heavily with an ap- palling 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 from this frightful calam ity U ont know. From that moment all I was conscious of was being Icarried aboard the Republique, where was taken care of When had somewhat recovered my senses they told me what had happened.
 "After the explosion enormous fragments detached from the boats of the Liberte and other pieces of iron fell on the Republique, smashing the bridge and plunging between the decks" "
 Commander de Keraudren, of the IRepublique. said that when the ex- plosion occurred, his ..vessel was shaken from stem to stern.