EXPLOSION ON THE JENA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13995, 30 August 1907, Page 5

EXPLOSION ON THE JENA

FINDING OF THE'.COMMISSION OF

INQUIRY

A SCATHING REPORT.

Pteaa Aseociatiou—By Telegraph-Copyright, PARIS, August 29.

(Received August 30, at 0.17 a.m.) The commission which .was appointed by the Senate to inquire' into the circumstances surrounding the explosion on the battleship Jena on March 12 scathingly denounced the lack■ of co-ordination existing amongst the various branches of the naral service, and goes on to say that tho constructors were unaware of the composition or nature of the powder stored. In some instances tho warships' magazines were placed next to a compartment where the. temperature was always high.

The Jena was ono of the finest French battleships, and flow tho flag of Admiral Manceron, who commanded the second division of "tho Mediterranean squadron. Tho warship was in the dry doclo i'n the Misiessy Basin, and during the Juncheon hour the powder magazine was left open for ventilation, there being.2s torn of powder and many shells aboard. The explosion of a. iorpec'o occurred in tho after magazine, and the supply of powder for" tho 12m guns quickly, followed. Thia was a. far more terrible explosion, ripping up the after deck and destroying tho stern. A fire then broke out, and the vessel was soon blazing from stem to storn. There was then a succession of deafening explosions every few minutes for nearly an hour, as tho ammunition stores ignited on breaking tiway from tho supporting timber. The Jena rolled over on her side, but the efforts to flood the dock failed for some time, owing to the difficulty of opening tho sluices. Finally the battleship Patrio fired a gun, blowing tho gates i open, . and the inrush of water extinguished tho fire. It also flooded the magazines, and put a stop to the explosions and the firing of. the shells. Lieutenant Rouk was lulled while heroically endeavouring to open tho sluice , gates. Tho flames r.early reached tho battleships Suffren and Bouvet. Tho dockyard tiro brigade displayed great heroism in their efforts to extinguish the tknies. Tho electrio cable wires on the quays fused, electrocuting sovoral of the workmen. Ton of the inon in tho port gun turret were killed' by the first explosion. An indescribable panic occured , among the crow owing to Iho impossibility of escaping from tho firo of the exploding shells. Many men jumped inlo tho dock 50ft below, and were killed. A number wore rescued in a. scorched and blackened state, their hair ■Sburnt.

Tlio- list of the hilled included Captain •Adigard and Commandant Yeitier, who wore burnt owing to the cabin doorway being blocked by debris, which prevented their escape. "Admiral Mancoron was badly burnt. The liret and second engineers, the surgeon, and other officers were killed.