A TERRIBLE DISASTER

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 34

A TERRIBLE DISASTER

LOSS OF THE LIBERTE. BODIES TERRIBLY MUTILATED. RAPID SPREAD OF THE FIRE. CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION. DECOMPOSED POWDER. OFFICIAL ESTIMATE OF THE DEATH ROLL. PARIS, September 25. But little ranger w.as at first apprehended, but the fire gained a hold and reached the fore ammunition hold, and explosion after explosion followed. A hundred men who were on deck jumped overboard, and the rest of the crew, when awakened, rushed on deck and were about to jump overboArd, but they were'ordered to their stations. Four explosions followed the first in quick succession. The vessel forwasrd was wrapped in a sheet of flame rising to a considerable height. . With the fifth explosion the vessel sank like a stone. Men who were hurled in the air were dead when they reached the water. When the smoke cleared part of the hull was still seen above the water, surrounded by a tangled mass of spars and wreckage, with many of the injured men clinging to the wreckage. . . Assistance from the other warships was promptly sent. Commander Jaures, a brother of the Socialist leader, was absent on furlough, Captain Joubert being in command: The smoke* of the burning battleship enveloped the roadstead. Three hundred and fifty men' are missing from the Liberie, and a hundred, men from other ships and rescuers were also lost. The Republique, which has a large hole caused by the flying debris, lost 50 men. The Democratic and Verite were ■ also badly damaged, both ships losing 20 killed and 50 injured. The Republique had to be hurriedly docked. - September 26. The second squadron, consisting of the Patrie, Liberte, Democratic, Justice, -Verite, and Republique, had been anchored at Toulon since the manoeuvres in order to give the crews taking part in the manoeuvres leave. The Liberte's full complement was 30 officers and 700 men, but 140 were on leave. They were waiting on the jetty to return aboard, and witnessed the catastrophe. The Liberte signalled that a fire had broken out forward, and the efforts to extinguish it were unavailing. At .5.30 five muffled explosions were followed at short intervals by three others, each louder than the one before. The other warships despatched boats to assist, and meanwhile scores of men jumped into the sea. Many of these, hearing the bugles sound the call to quarters, returned. Just before 6 o'clock there was a cloud of smoke and a pillar of fire mast high. With a terrific detonation the ship blew up. The bows rose out of the water, and the keel was seen to twist like a piece of rag. The vessel sank amidst the waves which she had thrown up all round, carrying down the bulk of the crew. Her mast was torn out and hurled into the air, and planted upright in the water The Liberte is now a shapeless halfsunken mass in 40ft of water. Only her upper works and the aft bridge are visible. A number of the boats' crews before the smoke cleared boarded the glowing wreck in search of comrades. Several men were

rescued from under masses of twisted ironwork. An officer was hauled from under an awning with a boathook, but he had sxtccumbed.

Many of the survivors are dazed, and their narratives are disjointed. One witness, who was ashore, states that he saw bodies momentarily quivering high in the air and then drop into the sea.

Windows were smashed throughout the town.

The explosion sent fragments- of armour plate, shells, and gun mountings, dealing death and destruction on all sides.

Many of the boats were swamped or drawn down by the suction, and the occupants were drowned. The Republique's aft turret was hit, and several of her plates were ripped. She has a heavy list to starboard. One of the Liberte's armour plates alighted on the Republique's port quarter, crushing the cabin of an officer who was on leave.

The Liberte's bugler was hurled aboard the Republique. He still held his bugle when he fell.

Splinters of shell struck the Foudra Gunnery School vessel, two miles distant, killing the commandant. Mutilated bodies were pickej up throughout the day. An officer declares that the fire spread so quickly that it was impossible to flood the magazines. Rescuers were busy all day boring holes in the plates, in the hope of rescuing any who were imprisoned. All the powder in the Liberte's magazine had been freshly shipped, and was likely to remain good for 40 months. During the recent hot weather the temperature of the magazine was above 85 degrees, and this was not considered dangerous. ■ The ammunition storage was subjected to special tests, and the results were entirely satisfactory. It was at first thought that the fire was due to a short circuit, but it is i now positively stated that it was due to decomposition of the powder, similar to that which caused the explosion on the Jena. According to some accounts, the first explosion occurred in the magazine containing the ammunition for the small guns. The injured include Lieutenant Besson, an admiral's son, who was found clinging to the Republique's cable. The dead or missing are officially estimated at from 350 to 400. -

The admirals who were returning from the funeral of the victims of the recent explosion on the Gloire viewed the Liberte's victims. The majority, of these, however, were so charred as to be unrecognisable. Some were pierced through and through with fragments of shells. The. Minister of Marine (M. Delcasse), when interviewed, said he believed that the fire originated outside the magazines. A fire also occurred in the evening in the forward casemate of the battleship Patrie, but was extinguished early, only slight damage being done.

The men were ordered to flood the magazines, but they rushed on deck, declaring that it was certain death to approach the sluices owing to the poisonous fumes emanating from the magazines. Then the men were ordered to their stations, and the panic immediately' ceased. They went to their post with supremest courage. When there was a further explosion the order was given to leave the ship, and the operation was effected with perfect discipline until the annihilatory explosion occurred. Many bodies and remains were recovered. A heap of s*o corpses was visible among, the tangled masses of wreckage.

A man who is alive on a turret is having food passed to him. He says that he is surrounded by 15 bodies. Strenuous efforts are being made to release him. The newspapers generally accept the spontaneous combustion theory. Several, "however, allege a connection between the fires on the Liberte' and Patrie and the acts of sabotage in the Brest dockyard. September 27. ;

It is officially stated that 143 were killed or are missing from the Liberte, while. 91 were seriously injured. On the other warships 24 were killed and 37 are missing, while 45 were seriously injured and 48 slightly. After the Liberte's sides were opened 34 bodies and numerous human remains were recovered.

The roar of the explosion was heard 30 miles away. Everything above the armour belt vrae destroyed. Two of the forward turrets disappeared. Some of the forward magazines exploding carried this portion of the vessel into the air, whence it fell on the aft part, where it lies almost intact on the deck, forming a huge arch. A turret on the starboard side fell, crushing a crowd of sailors who were waiting' to leave the ship. Their mangled bodies, bare feet, and clenched fists are visible under a mass of twisted steel. Dr Cristau, who was attached to the .Verite, boarded the Liberte, but was immediately blown into the sea by a whirlwind of fire. He retained consciousness and was rescued. He assisted in tending the injured. One of the steam launches sank, but was lefloated. It contained an unrecognisable body and two men who were injured. The latter succumbed.

Out of 80 who went overboard and who returned on hearing the Liberte's bugle call, 50 perished. A sailor who went through the Jena explosion survived the disaster on the

Liberie. Hie term of service expired yesterday. A quartermaster named Leroy jumped overboard, but returned, and entered a turret. He was changing his clothes when he was thrown off his feet. The whole ship heeled over, and lie lay for 10 minutes paralysed by the shock. On realising that the catastrophe was complete he crept out, jumped into the sea, and was rescued. A sub-lieutenant named Wathieu was jammed between the armour plates, and remained in this plight for two hours in the burning ship. He was rescued unhurt. Admiral Bellus, commanding the second squadron, states that the powder would be the sole cause of the Liberie disaster. He knows of cases in which a rise in temperature was sufficient to explode shells in 18 minutes. The same powder caused the explosion on the Gloire. Admiral Bellue has ordered the naval squadron to land all ammunition enanufactured prior to 1902. He says the navy has a right to ammunition which is not an eternal menace and a perpetual terror. The defects in the powder they had were not unknown, because they had been advised to exhaust the stock without delay. September 28. The latest official figures are that 216 were killed or massing as a result of tho Toulon disaster. Tho Liberte's stock of powder was 125 tons. An explosion preceded the outbreak of fire. Several officers perished in attempting to flood the magazines. The electrical machinery was jammed. Admiral Bellue emphasises the statement that 19 minutes elapsed between the two first explosions, each of them preceding any fire and the final catastrophe. There was a similar interval, he says, in the Jena's case. The first subscription taken on the Bourse on behalf of the victims' families amounted to £4OOO. . t The French Press Association will open a national relief fund. September 29. An Association football team, representing the crew of the warship Suffren, were proceeding ashore to play a match, but went to-the assistance of the Liberte. In the last explosion the whole of the team was killed. LONDON, September 25. The disaster to the Liberte occurred at Toulon, and was due to neglect to flood the ammunition hold after the outbreak of fire, which at first was not regarded as serious. The bulk of the crew were asleep when the first explosion occurred. They were wakened by the i-eport, and then went to their stations. September 26. The Times editorially says that France's loss is not solely personal. It is a "material less of great moment and gravity, inasmuch as the sudden extinction of so considerable and effective a unit as the Liberte is a strategic disaster not irir capable, in certain contingencies; of preciably affecting the balance of naval power in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean. September 28. Madame Rejane, the famous actress, is organising*'a benefit, at the Hippodrome for the Liberte. sufferers. Several persons are paying 28 guineas a box. - . SYDNEY, September 29. The local French newspaper has started a- fund. for.the relief of the relatives of the victims by the explosion of the warship Liberte.