The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-11-27
Disaster Occurred Near the
Mouth of Thames River
and Only 35 Miles from
London-Admiralty Scouts
Idea That the Ship Was
Struck by German Sub
marine Missile

London Nov. 81, 1855 a. m.--Addi-
tional details concerning the loss Of
Sheerness yesterday of the British bat
tleship Bulwark and her entire crew Of
between 700 and 800 with the exception
of fourteen men make the theory of the
admiralty that she was blown up by an
internal explosion more and more plaus-
ible. An official inquiry was opened in
private at Sheerness this morning
| The explosions occurred at 1888 a. M,
and the force OF it was sufficient to
shake violently houses in Sheerness and
even in Southend, seven miles away and
on the other side OF the Medway The
people in those places fed into the street
in alarm.
So terribly was the Bulwark rent
that it was impossible to render her any
assistance. Immediately aftr the explo-
sion the vessel was blotted out by smoke
and as the veil slowly lifted a handful
OF men were seen struggling in the
water Small craft rushed to their aid
and picked them up. Some of the crew
were badly mutilated
A touch of the dramatic was added to
the catastrophe by the fact that the
band of the Bulwark was playing when /
the explosion came.
The disaster occurred while the Bul- |
wark was lying at anchorage off the |
naval port of Sheerness near the mouth /
of the Thames. but the officers of the /
port scout the public impression that |
the vessel was the victim OF German
submarine. This seems TO be supported /
by the absence OF an upheaval in the 4
water as the first lord of the admiralty
explained. Although only Is years old 4
and no longer on the first fighting list.
the Bulwark still was a useful unit. The
loss Of the ship, however. was nothing
with the heavy loss in trained
officers and men, with whose relatives
Mr.. Churchill expressed in the House OF
Commons his deep sympathy and sorrow
The Buwark in her early career was
quite a favored ship. For long time
'he was the flagship of Admiral Charles
Beresford in the Mediterranean.
Went Down in Five Minutes.
An eye witness who was on ship
hort distance from the Inflated Bul.
yark said yesterday;
Il was at breakfast al about 10 min.
ties 10 eight this morning when heard {
m explosion and went on deck Nv fr-t
was that the report was pro- =
uoed by the firing Of salute by one {
T the ships, but the noise was quite ex-
optional
"Wheu ! got on deck ] soon saw that :
omething awful had happened. The "
'ater and the sky was obscurcd by dense 1
olumes Of smoke We at once we're or.
cred 20 the scene Of the disaster % :
snder what assistance We could Al first !,
e could see nothing but when the y
noke cleared we were horrifed to find
bat the battleship Bulwark had gone.
be seemed 70 have entirely vanished !,
-om sight, but a little later We d.. :
.cted a portion of the huge hatfleship !,
lowing about four feet shove the water =
We kept a FiVilant lookout for thp
nfortuuate crew. bot saw only two rneu. =
don't know whether tho other boats 9
acued anv one. one man We sau was "
'ad Tie disaster uas the result Of a.
.rideut H.
Another eve witness snid that when
n explosion occurred rreat volume ~ y
Irne and smoke siut INTO tire air. The
~ seemed - split in two and tt,an
sled over and sank She disappeared
iess thnn Eve minute #N
The Brtish hattiesiip Hulwark. 81 npa ~
ne Displacement. uss laid doxn IN 4.
~ and completed in 1902 She was
} feet bong IS Feft uiis. snd drew % y.
e of water Der armament eDuslstad
four ~ inrh. tuelue G-iueh rrrns. sir
~ Q ruouhders. sir 3roundrrs end
af sHtlrserrud torpedo tutes. Sire had
rr.rlr.iernant af 80 men.
sharrrss Is ~ ths 1haaas 81 49,
nth "a tts estusrv uf tha Waauar
ss ~ mflss anar tisr rirsr F-rw r-.r