The Victoria Disaster.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7288, 16 August 1893, Page 2

The Victoria Disaster.

A PERSONAL NARRATIVE. The best account that has been written of the fearful naval disaster, not excepting the official despatches— says the London Daily News—is the following thrilling account of the disaster to the Victoria as written by a young sailor to his parents on the day following. It is dated from Tripoli “ Since I last wrote we have been on a cruise with the fleet of sixteen ships, two admirals in charge—Vice (rir George Tryon), Rear (Admiral Markham) —to the ports in the Holy Land. Yesterday morning we left Beyrout for this place (Tripoli} with fourteen ships, steaming along in two lines, the flagships leading. Vice in Victoria, Bear in Oamprrdown. Being Thursday.the signal was made at dinner time for the hands to make and mend clothes. That means a stand off for iho hands during the afternoon, except the people in the stokehold, engine-rooms aod wheel chains, etc. Everything went on well until 3 30, the sea like a sheet of glass; and about two miles from the land is tho Bay of Tripoli, Sir George made a signal for a counter movement-that is the lines to turn back by wheeling inwards—the lines of ships being only six cables’ length apart. We all looked amazed at such a signal, knowing very well that there was not room for the ships to turn in; but orders bad to bo obeyed. The consequence was that tho Camperdown struck the Victoria with her ram just abaft the anchor beds. As soon as the collision occurred the whole fleet cleared down lower decks and manned all side baats, and prepared the boom boats for going out by steam launches, steam pinnaces, torpedo boats, etc. Sir George there and then, although the ship was sinking under him, made a signal “ No boats to be lowered,” which bad to be 1 obeyed As soon as the Camperdown went astern her ram came clear of tho Victoria ; the fleet closed round them ; we could see them in the latter ship getting collision mats over the side, they also closed the water tight doors, many being drowned below deck in the attempt. May [ never see such a base of wholesale murder again. After doing what they could, the men aboard had the i oader to fall in on the forecastle, four deep. , We could see them standing there, and us not allowed to help them, the water coming up to the level of the forecastle, and closing round their feet. This will show you bow naval discipline is ground into people. As her forepart went under water they received orders to fall in on the quarter-deck, which is j much higher, and there we could see them fall in, the ship sinking under them, heeling over to starboard. At the same time they never , j attempted to go near their boats. All of a I sudden she gave a tremendous lurch on 1 her beam ends, throwing her 110 ton guns , and turret of armour over. The whole 1 would be close on 2000 tons- Goodness only knows how it was done, but as she ; lurched, up went her last signal, ” Send boats to rescue.” As one the whole fleet lowered ' boats, half a dozen from each ship. The same > instant she turned upside down, going down bows first, her stern up in tho air, both her propellers still going round. Then the sight was sickening to look at. Men scrambling for life up her sides and along the bottom, some i being caught by her propellers,and, terribly out to pieces, thrown up into the air by them. She gave one plunge, smoke and steam coming out of the water when her boilers must have burst, and went down in eighty fathoms of 1 j water, quite close to the land. Many of the people that cleared her were drawn down by the suction she caused, and many killed by the wreckage that struck them. No sooner did she disappear than boats were among them. Wo only saved about thirty in ours. The ships altogether saved 286 out of 640 lives. The whole affair, after bsing struck to the last seen of her, seemed an age to us willing to help but helpless spec* tutors, but is logged as eight minutes. But I should say that it was near fifteen minutes. The most dreadful deaths of all would be the poor stokers and artificers, engineers, &c., below—watertight doors closed on them, and no means of escape. The former wonld bo burnt or scalded to death. The latter, when she turned over, would be thrown in among the moving machinery and torn limb from limb. We came in, loft our ship to stand by and pick up anything coming to the surface from her. The Camperdown is at anchor in a sinking condition. The divers from all ships are down below at work patching her up. Borne of the rescued have died to-day, eleven I think, in different ships. It is to be hoped nobody will ever see such a sight again.” An officer of the Barham, the ship next in line to the Victoria, thus describes the end of the vessel and tho loss of the men ; —“ In another minute the Admiral apparently realised the futility of the efforts to keep the water out of the vessel, and I could tell by the action of the men on deck that he had ordered them to save themselves in any way they could. Signals had been run up on the \ doomed vessel calling for aid from the rest of the fiaet, and as quickly as possible boats were lowered and the entire squadron seemed to realise at once what was trans piring before their eyes. But everts now happened with awful rapidity, and men could be seen leaping from the side of the Victoria into the ocean and swimming away. In fact, it was only those who sprang away from the vessel almost at the first alarm, certainly at tho very first order of the Admiral to do so, that were saved. The magnificent discipline and the loyalty of the crew prompted many, for the first time in their naval life, to disobey the order of the Admiral and ternaio with their brave commander on the deck. Unhaoo'ly, those who delayed in that way wore sacked down by the terrific whirlpool made by the vessel when she turned over. The sight as the vessel finally sank was nrs f . thrilling. The enormous twin screws wore whirjirg rapidly in the air, in the absence of any resistance, going at a tremendous rata; and although the sea around the vessel had become at the moment comparatively calm, .when the hull esttled so that the blades of the screw struck the water an enormous cloud of spray shot into tho air, and in another second, wth a sound that appeared to be a giant gargle, the vessel passed out of B : ght, a-id the water for 200 ft in every direction foamed a d hissed and rushed towards tho maelstrom that circled over the grave of j the Victoria. The waters were still agitated when two mufflsd sounds from below and a heaving of the water showed that the boilers < bad exploded beneath the surface, and then in a few moments the sea became calm, and there was nothing but some floating debris to I mark the spot ” J