NAVAL DISASTER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 399, 27 September 1911, Page 5

NAVAL DISASTER.

BATTLESHIP EXPLODES. HUGE DEATH ROLL. Paris Monday. A dreadful naval disaster, involving the. loss of -If)!) lives and tho destruction of one of tho finest, vessels living- (ho French fla/;. occurred at Toulon, the chief French naval base

in (he Mediterranean, to-day. Tho Liberie, a hatflcship of fifteen thousand tons, wan swinging at her anchors in (he port, when a lire broke onl in her ammunition hold. It WBfl (!:e usual ru-dom in such cases to immediately hoed the hold, which can be. done in a few seconds by releasing a. valve, but little danger was apprehended, the fire apparently being a miner nno, and tin- usual course of admitting tin water was not followed. This omission proved a fatal one, i'er m a : hert. space of time the flames gained ground, and quickly reached the fore- ammunition hold. Four explosions followed in quick succession. The fifth explosion was th« greatest, so tremendous that it broke (he giant hull in halves, and the Liberie sank like a stone. Croat masses of steel were hurted with lerrific force over a wide area of (he harbour. Men on the decks were hurled high into (he air, and wore dead when they reaehc d She water.