EXPLOSION ON A BATTLESHIP.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8763, 14 March 1907, Page 2

EXPLOSION ON A BATTLESHIP.

A Heavy Death Roll; Press Association—Copyright. Pabis March 18. The! Jena was one of tho finest French battleships and flew Admiral Manceron's flag, commanding the second division of the Mediterranean squadron. , At the time of the catastrophe she was dry.-docked in the Mlssessy.k basin.' \. During the luncheon hour the powder magazine was left open for j ventilation. There were 25 j powder and many shells aboard. The j explosion of a torpedo occurred in the . after magazine supplying the 12-inch j guns, and this was quickly followed : by a far more terrible explosion, j which ripped up the after deck and ' destroyed the stern of. the ship. j A fire then broke out, which was [ seen blazing from stem to stern. _ A I succession of deafening explosions occurred every few minutes for nearly an hour as the ammunition stores ignited. j Finally breaking away from the supporting timbers in the dock the Jena rolled over on her side. Efforts to flood the dock failed for some time owing to the difficulty of j opening the sluices. Finally the battleship Patrie fired a gun blowing the gates open, and the inrush of water extinguished the fire and flooded the .magazines, thus stopping the explosion, of shells. Lieutenant Roux was killed while heroically endeavouring to open the sluice gates, The flames nearly reached the battleships Suffren and Bouvet, and set the dockyard on fire. The Fire Brigade displayed great heroism. The electric cable, wires on the \ quays were fused, electrocuting , several workmen.

Ten men in the port gun turret were killed at the first explosion. Paris is deeply affected. There was indescribable panic among the crew owing to the impossibility of escaping owing to the fire' exploding the shells. Many jumped into the dock, 50ft below, and were killed. A number of the rescued were scorched and blackened, and their hair burnt off. Fragments of shells were hurled 500 yards, and several were killed by them in the city, including a baby. Before the second explosion a. few officers and men on deck escaped over the shore gangways. Most of the crew, however, were below and experienced a horrible time owing to the fire exploring the shells. The wildest reports were first current as to the fatalities and damage to the docks and the pity. But these were much exaggerated. The authorities are still quite unable to give a reliable estimate, but admit that tho Jena is a total loss. They admit that 6.0 have been killed, 20 seriously injured and many slightly. The killed include Adigerd, cap tain of the Jena, Commandant Yertier, who was burnt in his cabin, the doorway bping blocked by debris preventing iiis escape, and "Admiral Manooron is badly burnt. The first and second engineers, the surgeon, and other officers were also killed. The origin of the disaster is doubtful. Admiral Bienuiine attributes it to spontaneous combustion of the powder, King Edward telegraphed his sympathy, and sympathy is uni versal. ' Paris, March 13. It is officially announced that, out of a crew of G3O, 407 and 24 others aboard the "Jena we.ro uninjured, 44 are in the hospital leaving 175 killed and missing. A fragment cut off the arm of Lieutenant Eonud aboard the Bouvet in the next dock. A bursting shell killed Lieutenant Roux as he was trying to open the sluice, but six companions continued the work amid a hail of projectiles. M. Thomson, Minister of" Marine, attributes the explosion to a short circuit, which was possibly due to an explosion of compressed air breaking some electric wires. The Kaiser has sent a telegram, of condolence. Sir Edward Grey condoled on behalf pf Britain. 3880 melinite shells were among the Jena's explosives.