CRUISER AND LINER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 540, 22 June 1909, Page 5

CRUISER AND LINER.

: SAPPHO COLLISION. ' MERCHANTMAN ABLE TO PROCEED. A j WAR&EIB BEACHED. ; : , (By Telegraph.—Press.. Association.-Copyright.) ■■•.'■' ■;■■,.;. London,- Juno. 20. Tho merdhiwrt steamer which collided with the second-class protected cruiser Sappho is also called-tho Sappho, peing ono of tho Wilson, liners, of. Hull. The collision, occurred during a fog; ' A". , : '■ . r':'\" f , .[The Sappho! of Hull, belongs to T. Wilson, Sons, and Co.', and was bnilt in 1903. She is of 1691 tons gross, 282 ft. long, 40ft. beam, and■ 18ft. sin. depth. The cruiser was towed into Dover in a sinking condition.!) THE CREW'S COOLNESS AND PLUCK. VALUE OF COLLISION DOORS.'.; ''■ ■ ' ■■■-.(Reo. June 21, 10.15 p.m.) , '■''','■ ■■.•..„ . ; ; -.', London, June ; '2l. ; ■ The oruiser Sappho was struck., an angular blow amidships, which shattered tho plates below the water-line over, an area of aft.'.by 4ft.' ::■■■ '...•■ >■"■'. a'aa ■ ;-'-.■:, The stokehold filled rapidly, and the water quenched the furnaces.- ;Tho prompt closing of th© collision.doors'and the. , crew.'e coolness and pluck enabled Commandor Harold Christian to boa'eh the , oruiser in.Dover harbour. . No one' was injured..' ; '■'.' -..- A '.A -Salvogo operations have been commenced, and. the -Admiralty anticipate no difficulty in floating the Sappho! ■;■' ■'. '.'■. The-, nucleus crew of the cruiser were taking' part in the naval ■, manoeuvres, and-the vessel was manned by the Naval Reserve and Naval Volunteers. "a i ■; - 1 ,; .. ■ - : ; The Wilson linsr Sappho w,aa uninjured,' and.is proceeding on 'her voyage,,to Algiers. NAVY PEACE LOSSES JIN SEVEN,'YEARS. ;. The 'Admiralty's last big , salvage work-was "the- raising of the oruiser Gladiator, sunk by' the American liner St. Paul.'- The Gladiator cost £288,000 to. build,, salvage'was estimated to cost i£50,000, and it was then,announced that the : cruiser, .'after '■ being' brought .'to'-'dook nt Portsmouth, .would be broken pp, probably at the Admiralty's exjpon'se.A 'A-.vy...'•. A.. •'..- a ■A return issued .by the-Admiralty ehowe that between January 1, 1901, and May. 27, 1908, I-β of-his Majesty's ships.and other craft of war met with accidents. ■''. Sixteen of tho 'vessels were totally, .lost, tho number .including loss by, fire;of the Forte coal.depot, but excluding tho' loss of M t)]e.-picket boaf of the -.Edgar/ the steamboat and pulling cutter of ..the .Vernon,' the gig of ■ the 1 Defiance, a submarine-mining vessel,, arid'the'steam cutter No/,219. .A 1 .

/.Between 1901 nnd 1806 218 Vessels; which had. boon damaged in accidents were repaired in Government dockyards and sixty, in private: .yards'; No .figures are available for the years lflOr.'ond. 1908. .The'following .table shows the cpstN of.-tho .'vesselsp lost, 'and gives other particulars -concerning;naval.acoidents during the period named-.—///■ .'. ,'■ ""; ';';. '//-. '■'. .' '[ Ships in' accidents, 442.. ; : ' ".'■' ■'■' /-"/-.' '. •. Ships totally lost, - Iβ: ■. : ;,.;■;/:: ■Cost of ships totally lost (including guns and naval ordnance stores), '.'£1,951,974. :'•■'■■ • :' Lives 105t,,408. ';■:,;.--...:::..'— ."'■.. ■: Pensions paid to .dependents of those killed, ; i£2592..-'. ; :v .;. : i .-;' .■'. .•■■.;•- /./-. , Bratuities paid \to .dependents - of 'those killed, £3290.. ,'.:':'..'. ; ; .;>.;.,.; :> : y..; '/...■-'■■/./.' Victoria and■ Campe'rdown. ' ' :'; ; Perhaps. the most-tragid and terrible of all collisions in, the '.history; of- the British ■ Navy was I that 'which resulted' in the sinking' of .the Victoria. 1 (Admiral.' Tryon), > flagship of the Mediterranean : Fleet, .on June. 22, 1893.' "An .orders had ..been given- to. carry, out the ."gridiron" evolution; in which two lines of ships turn., inwards; towards ..each other. :',The manoeuvre 'was: ordered in tho morning "of the , fatal day; and; the Victoria's captain, Bourke, had protested', in vain against its. danger. At, .8.28 p.m.',,the. signal: was/made to turn,;and' the- battleships. .Victoria . and .Camperdown,' at the;hend .of; the;'two lines; began to more in towards/each 'other..'.'. Three .minutes after; the signal it:.was rolear- to. all'that: a collision was imminent,- 'but- another minuto- passed before the.-nugles sounded, the "G," whioh-is the order for collisionVstations..and for, closing: watertight; doors.'. With a crash that.rang through tho>.airr-a.-'dreadful, crunohing. sound—the' Camperdown s' ram: tore. through the Victoria's ,bow:aud drove-the flagship bodily b'aok some aevehty'feet.or more in the water. '. •.' .:.: ■ V Efforts ivero ! made to save the -Victoria, but • imvain. ; The engineers, and.'stokers remained 1 at, their' posts-below, and' the engines steadily moved,ahead to roach shoal water: The rest of the orew-Were colled-on'deck and drawn up : in ; line there'.'on ■ the- port; side. .', As .the : tilt grow, , , the order/to jump was.given, and then, but not before, the lines < broke,': and the men threw themselves in the water.'.Almost at the same-.instant the Victoria dived.-stem foremost; and 'disappeared-in a cloud of .steam, taking down with, her her admiral, who remained at ihis post to the.last... 1 It'.is said that;according' to credible witnesses, hij .wraith was seen that same.day in London by. one-near and dear to him;, and,, this before .the catastrophe was known to u a soul.. '-.- 'I:,-.' ''.-• ;-'.- :'■;•[■■■ .■ J v *~