NAVAL DISASTER.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3750, 6 April 1908, Page 3

NAVAL DISASTER.

DESTROYER RIPPED IN HALVES. THIRTY-SIX LIVES LOST. London, April 4. A terrible collision, accompanied by great loss of life, occurred in the English Channel last night. The Portsmouth division of the Home Fleet, including the cruisers Berwick, Argonaut, Prince George, Essex, and Foote, and a flotilla of torpedo boats, was carrying out night manoeuvres in the English Channel. These were being carried out as under actual warfare conditions, the division being engaged in repelling an attack by a foreign fleet on the South Coast. All lights were extinguished on evei’y vessel of the division, the manoeuvres being carried out by syren-given signals. When the fleet was off Saint Catherine’s Point, the extreme south of the Isle of Wight, the armoured cruiser Berwick, while going at full speed ahead, collided with the torpedo boat detsroyer Tiger, which was steaming in the opposite direction. The collision was bow to bow, and the lightly-built destroyer was smashed like an egg-shell, being ripped in halves from keel to gunwale by the enormous force of the impact with the stoutly-built and heavily protected cruiser. The water rushed in through the great gap made in the bow of the destroyer, and within a few seconds she had filled and sunk.

So rapidly did the final act of the disaster occur that those below had no possible chance of reaching the deck, and went down with the vessel. Several who were stationed in the bow of the destroyer were killed by the impact, being crushed by the rending plates of their own craft or by the bows of the cruiser when they crashed into the frame of the Tiger. Boats were immediately lowered away from the Berwick, all the available searchlights were turned on the scene, and some 22 of the crew, who were on deck at the time, were picked up safely. When the roll call was made it was found that thirty-six had perished. Lieutenant Middleton, who was in command of the destroyer, perished. (The Tiger was a twin-screw torpedo boat destroyer of 400 tons, and an indicated horse power of 6400. She was quartered at Portsmouth, and retained for the Home Fleet as a tender to the torpedo depot ship Hecla. She was in charge of Lieutenant and Commander W. E. Middleton. Accidents to torpedo boats have unfortunately not been On April 17, 1906, a torpedo boat was rammed and sunk by the Ardent off Malta. A month later another torpedo capsized off Damietta, four of the crew being drowned. The destroyers Leopard and Boyne were in collision on August 26, 1905, but there was no loss of life. On January 15, 1903, the torpedo boat destroyer Oswell was run down by the cruiser Pioneer while manoeuvring in Corfu Channel without lights,ls lives being lost. In 1903 the Prince George, one of the vessels engaged in the present manoeuvres, was rammed by the Hannibal, but the damage sustained was not very serious.)