THE LOSS OF THE VICTORIA.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 15, 8 July 1893, Page 9

THE LOSS OF THE VICTORIA.

A REMINISCENCE. “ R.N.” writes; —Sir, Those beautiful lines you published last week, in which Captain Hare sang his own requiem, and hence seems still (to one acquainted with the facts) like “ the dead speaking,” had a strange fascination for me. I served in the Royal Navy from 1871 to 1881, and was stationed at Bermuda from 1877 to 1880. The Eurydice was a small frigate without steam, used as a training ship for young seamen, exactly similar in all respects to another ship (the Atalanta),and both were on a training cruise round the West Indies in 1878 and 1879. In the spring the Eurydice arrived at Bermuda on her way home, and I dined one day on board, and remember looking in horror at her lower deck ports, great gaping openings so near the water She sailed for Spithead. Twelve days later, on Sunday morning, she appeared off the S.E. end of the Isle of Wight, all sail set to a light breeze. Some hours later she was close to the cliffs, and all hands below at church, when a snow squall came over the cliffs and laid her sails in the water. Only one person, I think, was saved. Some months later the Atalanta arrived at Burmuda —a similar ship on a similar course. It was said her captain had a presentiment that he would never reach England. I remember the Sunday before she left in the dockyard church, joining in “ Eternal Father, strong to save.” The Atalanta sailed and was never heard of again. Accidents such as the Victoria’s seem almost impossible to justify. With twin screws turning on their own axis almost anything can be accomplished, for to be any good as a ram, the ship must turn rapidly so as to dodge or catch a less rapid turning enemy. When a collision threatened steam was there to take the way off : by going astern. It is all very well to talk of wisdom afterwards. The wise will, in future, build these ships in different compartments, without doors, for experience has proved that the rush of the water prevents any chance of shutting doors in time of need.