Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1914-12-04
BULwARK DESTROYED BY
EXPLOSION FROM WITHIN
Vessel Goes Down Almost Instantly,
Giving Men No Fighting Chance
Band Playing at Time Of Acct.
dent-vessei Built Twelve
Years Ago.
By International News Service.
But IL Of Crew Saved.

tleshtp Bulwark was blown up and
sunk in the estuary Of the Midway
river. Between 700 and 800 men were
lost, including Captain Guy Belater.
her commander, and all her officers.
Only twelve of her crew were saved,
It is announced officially that the ex.
plosion was internal and originated in
the ships magazine.
The disaster is the most appalling
the British navy has suffered in the
war. It is even more of shock than
the loss Of the Aboukir, Greasy and
Hogue at the hands of a single sub
marine in the North Sea, for the Bull
wark was destroyed from within-de-
stroyed utterly and instantly. The men
aboard her had not fighting chance
for their~lives.
Band Playing at Time.
The band was playing aboard the
Bulwark. Near her were anchored
several other ships. The morning was
calm and but for the presence of the
battleship swinging at her anchor
chains there was nothing to suggest
anything. but peace. Alongside the Bull
wark was a lighter. From it we're be.
ing loaded over the side of the 10000
ton battleship fresh ammunition stores
for her 12-inch and 6-inch guns. The
Bulwark sank in three minutes from
the time Of the explosion. -.
A vice admiral and q rear admiral
of the Royal navy, who were at Sheer.
.peas, investigated Immediately and re-
ported that It was their conviction that
twas an internal magazine explosion
! that rent the.ship' asunder. ..,s.
liz. Basis for Conclusions. Il
aH Winston Spencer Churchill, first
lord Of the admiralty, so annpunoed
to the House Of Commons, where ha 81
ficially reported the disaster. There
was no upheaval Of water, such as &C.
companied the detonation Of a. mine or
the blowing up Of torpedo. The bot.
tom was blown out, of the ship, she
was broken, warped, and bent. There
was nothing left Of her to flo1f and
shA went to the bottom. -, !
The Midway river rises in Surrey
county and flows through Kent in a
northeasterly direction. At Chatham.
just south of east and distant about
20 miles from the outskirts of London,
the rivers mouth spreads into a nav
igable delta. This extends for 10 miles
to Sheerness on the Kentish coast,
where the Midway empties into the
Thames. Across the Thames, six
miles from Sheerness and from IL to
IA miles from the Bulwark's anchor.
age, lies Essex.
Explosion Very Violent.
The explosion was so violent that
debris from the battleship was scat.
tered over the coal fields in Essex
county, littering the towns and coun.
tryside. At Southend.on.Sea, on the
Essex coast, the conclusion of the ex.
! plosion was plainly felt and likened
I by the inhabitants to severe earth
quake. Bulldogs in the vicinity of
Sheerness were shaken to their founda-
tons.
Mr.. Churchill expressed deep sym.
pathy and sorrow for the relatives
and friends Of those who lost their
lives.
Submarine Theory Discredited.
First reports were that the vessel
was the victim Of q German subma.
rine. but the officers Of the port Of
sheerness and the admiralty officials
all discredit this public impression.
The Bulwark cost $5.000,000.
Although IL years old and no longer
In the first fighting line Of the navy, the
Bulwark still was q useful unit. Her
speed was Is knots and her tonnage
$4,000. Her armament included four
12inch guns and twelve 6.inch ahead
or astern. She had four submerged
torpedo tubes. The battleship was
Ill feet long, Is feet wide, and drew
20 feet. She was one Of the light type
Of battleships and q sister ship Of the
London and Venerable. In her early
career she wss quite favored ship
and for long time was the flagship
OF Admiral Lord Charles Beresford on
the Mediterranean station,
confers Iron Cross.
Berlin. Nov. 27.-(Via The Hague tc
1