Norwich bulletin., 1911-09-26
A Horrible Spectacle.

When it shifted a horrible spectacle met the eyes of the people of Toulon, who, awakened by the first explosions, had hurried to the shore. The batter ed upper works of the battleship were rrotruding from formless wreckage, among which struggled the seamen of the rescuing boats which had been sunk by the flying debris or sucked down in the maelstrom.
 Forty Bodies Taken Out.
 The work of rescue was quickly be- gun. Ar ambulance station was in stalled in the arsenal, and Admiral Marin-Darbel, maritime prefect, went out to the. wreck and superintended the work of extricating those impris- oned under the shattered steel. The first body recovered was that of an officer. which was hauled from under an awning with a boathook. Up to this evening forty bodies have been taken out. and 94 injured have been | transferred to the hospital.
 Men Hoard Groaning and Screaming
 Electric shears to cut through the plates of the Liberte, and a powerful floating crane, to lift the masses ot steel, were used while a crew of divere were exploring the interior of the hull This afternoon the Liberte appeared the stern. Men buried in that part of the wreckage above the water could be heard groaning and screaming for help which often the resouers were unable to give.
 Eeot Amputated to Release Man.
 The lower deck was an internal sight. One man had his foot held down by a mass of steel weighing tons After three hours vain efforts to lift the mass, a surgeon amputated the foot. Through a hole in the armoi portions of bodies, contorted and piled together could be perceived, all o1 them charred by the flames.
 Fire Reached Coal Bunkers. One of the survivors, a warrant of fcer, who came out of the hurricane | of fire with only a slight cut on tho forehead, said ton:ght of the disaster:
 The fire broke out in the genera store, among cans of oil, turpentint and paint and other inflamnla bles. IT spite of every effort the flames reach ed the cpai bunkers, and after that it was difficult to prevent them gain ing the powder mas gazine. It was about 5.30 o'clock, and dawn was breaking before the danger seemed to be real ized. Assistance was then being sen to us from the port and three other warships lying in the harbor. Boats of Reseuers Sank. Just when the whole ships crew seemed to have reached the boats fl l safety there was a terrific explosion | The Liberte was hurled over on he! side and the fore part where the full | force of the explosion was felt, lurch. l ed forward heavily with an appalling
 crash. Cries resounded on all sides l The greater part of the ships boat
 with the rescuers and the men from the Liberte instantly sank How I es caped from this frightful calanit,
 I do not know. From that moment al I was conscious of was being aboart the Republique. where I was takel l care of When I had somewhat recov cred my senses they told me wha had happened.
 BueIer Hurled to RspuhIique. After the explosion an enoromu l fragment detached from the bows 0
 the Liberte and other pieces of fro, fell on the Republique, smashing tn 1 bridge and pIunging between the decks | The bugler of the Liberte was hurled | through the air from our i'll fated shi] l te the deck of the Republicue, wher he was picked up, badly hurt. II
 his hands he still held the bugle witt
 which he was sounoing the alarm l Petty Officers Experience. Petty Officer Leon, one of the sur i vivors who was taken aboard the Re
 publiaue, said:
 T was in my hammock and hearin, l the shouts got up in terror. I say
 smoke and flames all around me am
 knew nothing more.'
 l Republique Severely Shaken. 1 Commander oe Kerauden of the Re pubiiaue said that when the explosion
 occurred his vessel was shaken iron l stem to stern.