New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-26
Captain Suckers Views.

While not yenturing a definite opinion
TO the cause OF the explosion on the
Liberte Captain Robert Stocker. construc-
ton officer at the Brooklyn navy yard. de-
scribed yesterday the precautions which
Uncle sam takes in case Of fire aboard one
OF his battleships, and what would be done.
II the circumstances permitted. in case OF
a fire similar 10 that aboard the Lioerte.
The magazines on our battleships may
be flooded either from within the magazine
room itself or from the upper deck said
Captain Stocker "All that has TO be done
is 10 turn a small valve in either place 70
let the water into the magazine. The maya
zines are also provided with sprinklins
systems, which are not automatic. but
which are operated from the deck or the
magazine room, and will act more quickly
in wetting down the ammunition than in
flooding. an operation which requires sew
ersl minutes IL takes some time for the
water 20 rise 10 sufficient depth to cover
all the ammunition after IT IS turned on.
would imagine the French battlesnlps
have practically the same method Of
flooding the magazines. I don't know
whether they have the sprinkler system.
1T may have been that the fire started
I'm such a locality aboard the Liberte that
the valves for flooding the magazine we're
not available"
Captain Stocker said while he had not
read an account Of the circumstances sur
rounding the explosion on the Liberte he
vas al a loss to see how such an eXplo-
sion could have occurred from any fire
outside OF the magazine room itself on
FIRST class battleship, built with the Sc
curity and precautions in magazine con-
struction which undoubtedly were EN-
ploved in building the Liberte. or course,
II tho fire started in the magazine Itself.
II probably was caused from spontaneous
combustion, he said, and there probably
was little or no time 20 food the maya
zine after the fire was discovered.
There is a remote possibility that the
steel walls OF a magazine might become
so heated from the proximity OF the IRE
that when the water was turned into the
room sufficient steam would be generated
10 blow out one OF the bulkheads. and In
that way give the fire direct access TO the
ammunition said Captain Stocker.
Climax OF Misfortune.
Yesterdays disaster on board the Bberte
was the climax Of a remarkable series OF
similar accidents IN the French navy. II
the last five years, and without taking yes
terday's disaster into account, seven French
v,srships including two battleships, have
been totally DESTROYED, while dozen more
have been seriously damaged, involving In
the aggregate loss OF 100 lives. Most OF
the accidents were due TO explosions, and
Toulon where Yesterday catastrophe took
place. has been more frequently the scene
OF disaster than the other French ports.
on March 70. leJ7 the battleship lena was
almost destroyed by the explosion OF her
magazine. and 107 officers and men lost
their lives Until yesterday the lena dis
aster stood ss the heaviest calamity SUI
fered by the French navy in times Of peace.
Like the Libertt. the lena was blown up
in the har5or OF T0ulon, but the loss " life
was less mainly because the lena remained
afioat An investigation or the lena TX
plosion resulted in an official report that
# WIS due 70 spontaneous combustion OF =
powder In a magazine where me tempeia.
tire was trC high on account or the proA-
unity OF tho dynamo Compartment.
The report severely censured re or
ranizaton Of the navy, and said: The red
cause Of the disaster was tAv absence OF
accord. as well az the divisions and an
tagonisrs existing iu the different branches
OF the service The distressing weakness
OF the central power explains the prosres-
Give Weakening Of our naval forces Where
will IL lead us2'
A parliamentary committee appointed IN
{ 1861 presented a report scathincly condemn
Ing the naval administration Of the last ten
Years. and recommending a complete re-
organiza ton with special attention 10 the
/ elimination OF req tape and the distribution
Of responsibility.