FRENCH DISASTER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10435, 28 September 1911, Page 5

FRENCH DISASTER

I CABLE NEWS

United Press Association—-By Eleo* trie Telegraph—Copyright.

OFFICIAL LISTOF FATALITIES INCIDENTS IN THE CATASTROPHE.

(Received Last Night, 10.10 o'clock.) PARIS, September 27. ' It is officially stated that one hundred and forty-three were killed, or are missing, from the warship Liberie, and ninety-one seriously injured: On otiher warships twenty-four were billed, thirty-seven are missing, and forty-five seriously, and forty-eight slightly injured. After the Liberte's sides were opened, thirty-four bodies, and numerous human remains .were recovered. The roar of the explosion was heard thirty miles away. Everything above the armour belt was destroyed. T!he two forward turrets [have disappeared. j Some of the forward magazines, in . exploding, carried this portion of the I vessel into the air, whence it fell on | the aft part, where it lies almost tact upon the deck, forming a huge arch turret. The starboard beam fell, crushing a crowd" of sailors-,who were waiting to leave the ship. Their mangled bodies, bare feet, a.nd clenched fists are visible under a mass of twisted steel. \ Dr. Cristian, who is attached to the Verite, boarded the Liberie-, r ] was immediately blown into - sea by I a whirlwind of fire. He retained consciousness, and was rescued, and assisted in tending the injured. One of the steam launches, which was sunk,, has been re-floated. It contained the unrecognisable j bodies of two of the injured. The latter succumbed. Of the eighty sailors who jumped i overboard, fifty perished when returning to the Liberte in answer to the bugle call. A sailor who ha'd been in the Jena explosion survived the explosion on the Liberte. His term of service had expired yesterday. Quartermaster Lergy, who jumpW „ overboard, returned and entered the | turret. i He wfis changing his clothes when he was blown off his feet, tlhe whole ship heeled over. He lay for ten minutes paralysed from shock. v | Realising that the catastrophe was j complete, he crept out 'and jumped into the sea, and was rescued. Sub-Lieut. Mathieu was jammed between the armour plates and retailed in this plight for two hours in the burning ship. He was rescued unhurt.