H.M.S. BULWARK BLOWN UP AT SHEERNESS

SHIP'S COMPANY ALMOST ELIMINATED , BATTLESHIP DISAPPEARS IN THREE MINUTES I ' ■ ('.Times" and Bydney "Sun" Services.) London, November 26. Official.—H.M.S. Bulwark, was bio wn up in Sheerness Harbour at 8 o'clock ■■this morning, it is believed owing to an explosion in her magazine. I Only twelve were saved out of a crew of 780. The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Winston Churchill), in the House of Commons, when announcing the disaster, said the Admiralty was convinced that an internal magazine had .exploded and rent the ship asunder. //There was no upheaval of water. ! The Bulwark had entirely disappeared when the smoke cleared away. Her los 6 has not sensibly affected the military position, but the loss of life was very severa. The Bulwark disappeared in three minutes. _ The explosion shook every building in the vicinity, and some of tho debris iff as thrown six miles. The concussion was felt at Southend. . ' ' ■ Dense clouds of smoke arose across the estuary of the Thames.

GRAPHIC DETAILS OF THE TERRIBLE MISHAP, (Reo. November 27 a 11.5 p.m.) • London, November 27. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent states that most of the Bulwark's grew were breakfasting below when the explosion occurred. ,•' . Eye-witnes6es state that a_ long muffled roar was heard fourteen miles ' away, accompanied by a terrific flash, the ship_ momentarily resembling a fireworks A great white cloud arose similar to cordite explosion. 'Apparently tho forward magazine blow up. ■ When the smoke cleared away not a vestigo of the vessel remained. ; ' ■At the time of the explosion the Bulwark was signalling another ship tho .Signalling officer of which watched the smoke clear, and was astounded to seo | nothing left. Workmen on shore counted the vessels at their moorings, not crediting Wthat one had entirely gone from the harbour. Instantly on the explosion commissioned officers and men of the ships in ' ■port rushed on deck half stunned and rescue boats were put off in all directions. _ :• The vessel is visible in throe sections at low water; the masts and funnels Vfrre gone.. A chest of drawers was found in a marsh half a mile away, and all glass t and crockery on the vessels near by were shattered. ' The general opinion in Chatham is that the bottom of tho vessel waa illown out. A number of men were drilling on deck at the moment of the disaster. A sailor on a vessel near by states that there were two heavy reports, fol- . lowed by a flash of fire. The whole ship seemed to heave and then drop into (fragments. ' I ' Another eye-witness affirms that there were two 'explosions, one fore and tiho other aft. He belioves they wcro simultaneous explosions. ' , _ The concussion shook the Southend Pier, and was felt by hundreds of •'civilians and ,tho Germans interned on tho ships at tho Southern Road. ' • The first thought of the people ashore was that it was a Zeppelin 'raid, v'thon there was a suspicion that an aeroplane had bombed tho gas-works, (Until it was found that the aeroplane was British. j Three minutes after tho explosion there was only a whirling sea of white jtfoam and specked with caps, wreckage, and which marked the 6pot. ' _ Fourteen of the crew were conveyed to tho Hospital at Gillingham suffering from concussion, and fractured limbs. Four are in a critical condition. No officers were saved, and vory few were actually aboard at the time. | Other craft were moving midway at the time. One. boat was protected j feom the direct efforts of the concussion by tho river bank and the headland, yet L she was flung out of the water. When she righted sho picked up the blue»jackets' ! _ One of the latter stated he was sitting on the grating when the explosion threw him high in the air. He turned somersault after somersault and {found himself in the river little hurt. Ho was able to swim until he was up. j It is suggested at Sheerness that the disaster was duo to a fall of a jjtwelve-inch lyddite shell into the Bulwark's magazine. j . Lord Charles Beresford, who once commanded the Bulwark, states 'ihe magazines were in a very safe position, and protcct- ' ed. by ovory modern device to keep tho ammunition at the right tem- ! perature. Even a shell might havo dropped in tho shell-room without exploding tho magazine. Sir Hiram Maxim says the faulty manufacture of guncotton is impossible •'under modern conditions of manufacture, but there might have been somo accidental fulminating powder present to set tho cordite off. ■' Hundreds of tho crew wcro Portsmouth men. There woro pathetic scenes tho barracks whero there were many grief-strickcn women.

H.M.S. Bulwark was a fine examplo of the class of heavy battleship holding a foremost position at tho end of last century and for a, few years later. : Sho was one of tho threo vessels forming tlio London class, the others being j the London and tho Venerable. The last-named ship was engaged in tho first -[.bombardment of tho German land forces on tho Belgian coast a few weeks ago. ( The Bulwark, which was laid down in March, 1899, and completed in 1902, i was a, vessel of 15,000 tons, having a speed of ISi knots. She carried four 12in. guns, of moderate power according to present standards, and a secondI ary battery of twelvo 6in. guns, with sixteen 12-poundors, and several other f smaller guns. Sho was well armoured, tho main protection beiug ft Din, (..KruflD etcol belt amidships, continued forward 6iu. and 2iti. thick, and lieavx

bulkheads of 12in. steel. The total weight of the armour was 4295 tons. Tho ship was in tho "second fleet" according t-o the disposition of the Navy prior to tho war. If, as is stated, tho loss was due to the explosion of a magar zine from internal causes, the occurrence is the first of its Kind in the British Navy'' since the introduction of smokeless powder, and the nature of the explosives usod has been so ofton tested and found satisfactory that tho Admiralty has never felt in the least nervous about the possibility of such accidents occurring spontaneously. Tho following wore the vessel's officers: —Captain Guy L. Sclater; Commander Albert 11. H. Phillips; Lieutenant-Commanders John S. S. Penrose and Cecil M. Quoripel; Lieutenants Nigel R. Forgusson, Edward T. D. Finch, Frank Clarke, Alexander C. Montagu, and Douglas H. V. Wilson; Lieutenants (R.N.R.) Hugh R. Hughes and Edward G. B. Watt; Engmeer-Commander Edward W. Chamberlain; Engineer Lieutenant-Commander Alfred E. J. Murray; Engineer-Lieutenant William A. Wood; Captain Royal Marines, Herbert C. Morton; Lieutenant Royal Marines, Henry J. Lock; Chaplain, Rev. Georgo H. Hewetson; Fleet Surgeon Percivai IC. Nix, M.8., 8.A.; Fleet Paymaster Frederick A. Cornford; Surgeon William Miller; Surgeon (R.N.V.It.) Robert T. Brotchio; Sub-Lieutenant Edward L. Gunner; SubLieutenants ■ (R.N.R.) Albert E. Kenyon, George Dingwall- Chief Gunner | Arthur J. Breakspere. There wero twelve naval cadets onboard.

THE CAMPAIGN IN RUSSIAN POLAND VERY CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS PARTIAL SUCCESS CLAIMED BY BOTH SIDES Petrograd, November 26. ■The military authorities have deprecated the publication of an incomplete account of the Vistula-Wart'a fighting. It is believed in military circles that two German army corps broke through a section of the Russian defence. The Russians, in a countering rush., drove thorn southward, .and practically Burrounded them on Monday between Lcdz and Lowicz. There is now no doubt that the German offensive is broken. The Russians are bringing up fresh troops to meet each German assault. When the Germans gave way, the Russian cavalry; did terrible execution, capturing several guns. General Hindenberg is weak. He is isolated from the Crown Prince, who is commanding the army south of Czenstochowa,. Tho failure of the turning movement in the direction of Wielun was due to tho Russian Grenadiers, who took five thousand prisoners and captured several stores and machine guns. _ _ The trophies captured at Czenstochowa. include the Kaiser's carriage, with his blue cloak in it. CROWN PRINCE'S ARMY RETREATING IN DISORDER. Rome, November 26. 'A Russian official report states that the Crown Prince's army is retreating in disorder, abandoning arms, ammunition, and provisions, also horses with saddles bearing the Imperial monogram.' RUSSIAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF. THE BATTLE.. (Reo. November 27, 9.20 p.m) Petrograd, November 27. Official.—'The lodz battle continues to develop, and the Russians have secured the advantage. The German, efforts have been directed to extricating an army corps which penetrated to Prezezing, about eight miles due east of Lodz, and which is now retreating towards the Strykon region, north of Lodz, under very favourable conditions. GERMAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT CLAIMS VICTORY FORTY THOUSAND RUSSIANS TAKEN PRISONERS, (Rec. November 27, 9.20 p.m.) 1 Amsterdam, November 27. 'An official message from Berlin states that General Von Macksen was victorious at Lodz and Lowicz, and captured forty thousand uninjured prisoners, 70 cannon, 160 ammunition wagons, and 136 machine guns, Mid destroyed 30 cannon. The final result of the fighting is pending. REMARKABLE ENDURANCE OF RUSSIAN SOLDIERS. Petrograd, November 26. 'As showing the soldiers' remarkable powers of endurance, some corps were continuously engaged for fifty days. Tlioy 6tormed several fortified positions, and marched a thousand versts on bad roads. They are so inured to hardships that they, are now of greater fighting valuo than. over. TERRIBLE PLIGHT OF AUSTRIANS IN GALICIA ENTIRE DETACHMENTS WITHOUT FOOD FOR DAYS. , ~ Rome, November 26. Eye-witnesses from Galioia describe the 'Austrians' extraordinary confusion and disorder. Entire detachments wore without food for days. There has been wholesale pillage, and residents have been shot on the slightest protext. One officer committed suicide after writing to his wife: "I am going- mad. lam unable to fulfil such orders. I would rather commit suicide than be a murderer."TWO AUSTRIAN REGIMENTS CAPTURED, (Reo. November 27, 9.20 p.m.) Petrograd, November 27. The Russians made prisoners of 2000 'Austrians on November 25, including two complete regiments. RUSSIANS HOLD THE ADVANTAGE GERMAN RIGHT FLANK ENVELOPED, (Reo. November 27, 10.40 p.m.) London, November 27. The "Daily Chronicle's" Petrograd correspondent says the Battle of Koluszki was the crowning victory of the Polish campaign. While the main German Army was hurrying do mi from Thorn to Plo6k, a strong Russian force was thrown across Koluszki, the junction of three railways east of Lodz. The 1 Germans knew that the main Russian force was attacking Czenstochowa, and believed it impossible for the Russians to face about before Warsaw fell. But the success with which the Germans had torn up bridges and railways blocked them at their own game and made the Russian advance so difficult that reserves were still in the vicinity of Lodz when the news came of a second attack' on Warsaw. The Russian wing made a halfturn, and battled its way towards the German rear, driving the Germans thirty miles in a single day and finally enveloped the right flank of the Germans in the Lodz district. Meanwhile the Russians broke the German Centre north of Lodz, severing the right flank from tho main body. They are now striving to hew their way northwards, but the chances of escape are slight. The reserve army at Wielun was 6ct in motion too late, the Russians being able to check the ad•vance. Captured cannon and prisoners are already pouring into Warsaw, including Prussian Guardsmen, who, though they received winter clothing, many were maimed and disabled by frostbite. '

PITCHED BATTLE BETWEEN AUSTRIANS AND SERVIANS .'ABOUT HALF A MILLION ENGAGED. (Ree. November 27, 11.55 p.m.) , Nlsh, November 27. 'A' pitched battle, in which half a million men aro engaged, is being fought at Lazarevatz. The Austrians are using five Army Corps, hoping to overwhelm tie Servians by. weight of numbers and metal.