THE FRENCH DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 83, 28 September 1911, Page 5

THE FRENCH DISASTER

FURTHER DETAILS. HOW THE FIRE OCCURRED. ' TRAGIC EXPERIENCES. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright Paris, September 26. The Liberte's bugler was hurled aboard the Republique, still holding his bugle. Splinters of a shell struck the Foudre, a gunnery school vessel, two miles distant, killing the commander. Mutilated bodies have been picked up throughout the day.

An officer states that the fire spread so quickly that it was impossible to flood the magazines. Rescuers have been engaged all day in boring holes in the plates in the hope of rescuing any imprisoned. All the powder in the Liberte's magazines was freshly shipped, and was likely to remain good for forty months. During the recent hot weather the temperature in the magazine was above 85deg., but this was not considered dangerous. The ammunition storage was subjected to special tests with satisfactory results. It was first thought that the fire waa due to a.short circuit of electric wires, but it Is now positively stated that it was due to the. decomposition of the powder, similar to the explosion on the Jena, at Toulon, in 1907, which was due to the powder having deteriorated owing to heat.

When the outbreak on the Liberte was discovered the men were ordered to flood the magazines, but they rushed on deck, declaring it was certain death to approach the sluices', owing to the poisonous fumes emanating from the magazines. Then the men were ordered to their stations', and the panic immediately ceased, and they went to their posts with the supremest courage. When the other explosion occurred the command was given to leave the ship in good order. This operation was being effected with perfect discipline, until the annihilating explosion occurred.

Many bodies and remains have been recovered, but a heap of fifty corpses is visible entangled in masses of wreck-

A man is alive in the turret, and food is being passed to him. He states that he is surrounded by fifteen bodies. A strenuous effort is being made to releaso him.

The newspaper generally accept the theory of spontaneous combusion of the powder, but several allege a connection between the fires on the Liberte and Patrie and the sabotage at Brest dockyard. According to some accounts the first explosion occurred in the magazine containing ammunition for small guns. The injured included Lieut. Besson, an Admiral's son, who was found clinging to the Republique's cable.

The dead or missing are officially es tiVited at from 350 to 400.

The Admirals, who were returning from the funeral of the victims of the recent explosion on the Gloire, viewed the Liberte's victims. The majority were so charred as to be unrecognisable. Some were pierced through and through with fragments of shells. M. Delcasse, in an interview, said he believed the fire originated outside the magazines.

A fire occurred this evening in the forward casement of the battleship Patrie. It was extinguished early, with only slight damage.

The Times says that France's loss is not solely personal; it is a material loss of great moment and gravity, inasmuch as the sudden extinction of so considerable aJid effective a unit as the Liberte is a strategic disaster, not incapable in certain contingencies of appreciably affecting the balance of naval power in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean.

KILLED AND WOUNDED. THE OFFICIAL FIGURES. HOW THE VESSEL WAS TORN UP. EXPERIENCES OF SOME OF THE RESCUED. Received 27, 10.10 p.m. Paris, September 27. It is officially stated that 143 were killed and are missing on the Liberte. and ill were seriously injured. On the other warships 24 were killed, 37 are mii-sing, 4.) were seriousl}' injured, and 48 slightly. 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 armor belt vn»* destroyed. The two forward turrets disappeared. Some of the forward magazines exploded and carried this portion into the air, whence it fell on the aft part, where it lies almost intact. The deck forms a huge arch turret. The starboard beam fell, crushing a crowd of sailors who were waiting to leave (lie ship. Their mangled bodies jtnd bare, feet, with clenched fists, were visible under a mass of twisted steel. Dr. CrMan. attached to the Verite. hoarded the Liherte. Immediately he was blown into the sea by a whirlwind of fire. He retained consciousness, and wti; v.■ ■.••- ' ;■ ;k| ns-istcd in tending to the injured.

One of the steam launches that was sunk was refloated. It contained an unrecognisable body and two injured men. The latter succumbed.

Of eighty who jumped overboard and returned at the instance of the Liberte's bugle call, fifty perished. A sailor of the Jena explosion survived the Liberte. His term of service expired yesterday. Quartermaster Leroy jumped overboard, but returned. Tie entered the turret, where he was engaged changing his clothes when he was thrown off his feet, and the whole ship heeled over. He lay for ten minutes paralysed by the shock. Realising that the catastrophe

was complrt" Im .'.iy;>''. ••>'.'* jumped into the sea and was rescued.

Sub-Lieutenant Mathieu got jambed between armor plates. He remained in this plight for two hours in the burning ship, and was rescued unhurt. THE SOLE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER. Received '2B, 1 a.m. London, September 27. M. Bellue, commanding the second squadron, states the powder was the sole cause of the Liberte catastrophe. The same powder had cause the explosion on the Gloire.