FOUNDERING OF A FRENCH IRON-CLAD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 166, 16 May 1879, Page 4

FOUNDERING OF A FRENCH IRON-CLAD.

LOSS 6f -FOBTY-BEVEN lit es. A terrible disaster in the. French Navy took place on 26th; March in the middle of the islands df Hyeres, which lie just off Toulon. The Arrogante, ironclad floating battery, finding her-

self unable to weather the sea, which was very stormy, tried to run on to the bench, but she was caught by the waves as she wns in the act of manceuvreing, and suddenly went down in six fathoms of water. The captain, M. Artiguenave. happened at the moment to be on hoard the Implacable, which together with the Souverain, the Janus, and the Flore, weathered the storm, but they were unable to give any assistance to the ship in danger. ( The vessel sunk at a distance of one kilometre from the shore, The trainingship Souverain was near the scene of the disaster, but was unable to render any assistance in answer to the signal of distress made by the Arrogan to. The crew of the latter is believed to have numbered 122 men, of whom 47 are stated to have been drowned. The report that all the officers of the ship had perished is incorrect. A storm prevailed at the time, and an attempt was being made to beach the Ar. ogaute when she sunk. The Arrogante was launched at Nantes in 1864. Her armour plates were 12 centimetres thick ; she was 43 metres long, 14 metres wide, and drew three metres of water. Her arroameut consisted of three monster guns of 24 centimetres, and four small ones ot 12 centimetres. Her engines were 120 horse-power, and her speed seven knots. The authorities hope to get her afloat again.