LOSS OF H.M.S. BEDFORD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9333, 6 October 1910, Page 2

LOSS OF H.M.S. BEDFORD.

STRIKES ;REEF WRILeI»RUNNING OS KNOTS. THRILLING STORY OF THE DISASTER. PORT DARWIN, Sept. 26. Files by the E. and A. steamer St. Albans contain full accounts of the lose of H.M.S. Bedford, on. the island of Quelpart, off the coast of Korea. The Japan Weekly Chronicle ' publishes ! tho following account of the disaster:— ■ ■ Four large bhips of the British China squadron, viz., the flagship Minotaur and the cruisers Bedford, Kent, and Mon- ; mouth, left Wei-hai-Wei on .Saturday, August 20, for. Nagasaki. On the voyage a speed trial was to be run, and at * on Sunday morning (Wei-hat-Wei time) the veesnis were steaming at the rate of 19 knots an hour. The ueual change of watch then took place, but just as the watch below were turning in, the Bedford, which was the leading vessel, ran on to the Samaranga rocke, which lie off the south-west coast of Quelpart Island, Southern Korea. The shock wae terrific, and had the accident occurred during the working hours of the day many of the men would doubtless have received severe injuries by being thrown down. As it was, no casualties were sustained apart from the victims of the flooded stokehold. The crew promptly turned out, and mustered -jh deck. There wae no panic, and officers and men awaited orders as calmly as though the ordinary evolutions were about to be performed. The condition of the ship was hastily ascertained by those whose duty it was to do so, and then the first order to. the ship's company was given: "Lash and stow hammocks, making known to the men there was no immediate danger, and the period of anxious suspense ended. ; ' . . Some time necessarily elatsed before it was known that lives had been lost. The first : .ntimation of the fact was the report of the chief engineer that 15. men who had been at work in No. 1 boilerroom were missing, which in the circumstances was synonymous with killed or drowned. A little later the number was increased to 18, the addition being three seamen who had been employed as coal trhnmem.: '• ■ ■■ •■'■", The day had scarcely broken, "and within 10 minutes all the ship's machinery ceaeed working. Below the top deck darkness reigned, and added to thediscomfort of the occasion. Nothing could be done but wa.it for daylight. As soon as the accident to the Bedford wjis reported on H.MiS. Minotaur, which waj the second.vessel of the line, she steamed out to sex, and signalled to the Kent and Monmouth to follow her example in order to avert further disaster. Meanwhile the Bedford lay bumping on the rocks, and her crew did what could be done in such circumstances. The boats were got out by hand, and other preparations made to leave the wreck. When it was light enough to accurately gauge the position of the Bedford, the Minotaur and Monmouth stood in as close as possible to the reef, and the crew of the Bedford was transferred. Meanwhile H.M.S. Kent had been dispatched co Nagasaki to report the occurrence to the Admiralty, and make arrangements for salvage. The burial service in connection with those who lost their lives in the illfated cruiser was held on Thursday evenr ing, August 25, and was a most impree6ive ceremony. As the Monmouth slowly steamed past the wreck on her voyage to Nagasaki, the crew of the Bedford assembled aft. Their chaplain, Rev. W. H. Maundrell, conducted the service. In addition to the ordinary ritual of the Church of England, two hymns, "Rock of Ages" and "Abide with Me," -were sung , , by the assembled ship's crew. The . service lasted about an hour, and concluded with the usual three volleys and sounding by the bugles of the laet post. The officers and men of the abandoned Bedford left by the Nubia on Saturday. The once stately cruiser <s now a hopeless werck;