The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-09-26
DETECTIVES SIFT
NAVAL DISASTER
Try To Learn II Explosion on Liberte
Was Result Of Deliberate Plot
Living Men Rescued.

TOULON, Sept. 26.-That the de
struction of the French battleship
Liberte may have been the result OF
deliberate plot to destroy the en-
tire navy is a suspicion that is rap
idly gaining ground among navy Of
ficials today. The many mysterious
fires In the naval arsenal here, the
accidents to ships in drydock. and,
finally, the fact that Are was discov-
cred In the hold OF the battleship La
Patrie late last night which required
a desperate battle to extinguish. has
caused rigid investigation. 1t Is
understood that the French secret
service has been ordered to take
charge OF the matter at once.
The fire on La Patrie was near the
powder magazines. They were imme-
diately flooded and the fire finally ex'
tinguished.
The naval officials now place the
number of dead in the Liberte dis
aster at 435 but these figures will be
revised when roll calls are completed
Oh bn0 blllRb anu tuC huLhOCA w AhCA
on leave located.
While the drydocks were being
hastily put into shape to reCetve the
Verite, Republique and Democratic,
all badly damaged as the result OF
the fire that destroyed the Liberte
yesterday, detachments from every
ship in the harbor were working on
the wreckage of the Liberte trying
to rescue members of the crew known
to be alive In the debris.
A repair ship u anchored alongside
the mass Of wreckage, only &smah
portion OF which is still above water.
The chrome steel plates are being
burned through with acetylene jets
but the work is necessarily very slow
because of the danger of dislodging
some of the plates and crushing the
victims in their prison below the sur
face OF the water In the roadsted.
There Is a disposition today to
blame the higher officials Of the Ii
berte for being absent. The fact that
the captain and the next two In COM
mand were away and that the war
ship was in command Of senior lieu
tenant affected discipline, II Is claim
ed. 1t Is also intimated that the best
means were not employed in fighting
the fire.
Had experienced officials been on
duty, It Is intimated, bunkers ana
magazines would have been flooded
simultaneously with the fire alarm
and an explosion would have been Inn
possible.
The court OF inquiry to determine
the responsibility for the disaster
will be named at once. II will con-
sist of officers of flag rank and they
will be ordered not only TO fix re-
sponsibility but to recommend
changes in construction to prevent
such disasters In the future.
Five sailors who were imprisoned In
tie forward turret, part Of which Is
above the water, rescued this after
noon none the worse for their expert
ence.
Later three additional seamen only
slightly hurt were taken from the
wreckage, making eight in all recov-
cred alive. The work of getting the
dead out was then begun. Up 10 late
this afternoon SO bodies had been
taken from the forward part OF the
demolished ship.
Although the officials privately say
that the list of dead will exceed 400,
the minister Of marine this afternoon
issued a statement placing the num-
ber OF dead and missing at 2O4 and
the wounded at 1874.