New-York tribune., 1914-11-27
NY C,hl. 70 The Trlhunel

NY Cable 10 The Trihune.l
Sheerness. Nov. 26.--The whole ma
tion will be plunged into mourning at
the disaster which occurred to-day to
II. NJ. $. Bulwark. II is not the loss
Of the vessel, serious though it is. That
which will count as the real tragedy
is the loss of some eight hundred gal
liant men swept out of existence IN a
moment of time.
Living at her moorings in the har-
bor. the Bulwark was literally torn TO
pieces bv an internal explosion. A
huge flash Of flame, a dense cloud oil
smoke, and the battleship had van
ished almost as completely as though
she never existed. OF more thah
eight hundred men on board only
about a dozen we're saved.
Many eye-wituesses have described
he terrible moment in which the mag
rificent ship met her doom. Workmen
ashore waiting to b. relieved after the
night shift state they were looking
casually at the shipping IN the haroor
not observing anything in particular
when a terrific flash shot up into The
sky. followed Immediately by clouds
OF smoke. For q few brief minutes this
nall hung over the scene and then
drifted seaward, and to the onloohers
ama2emcnt not q vesuge OF the great
Lattleship remained. So utterly stag
gering was the blow that the workmen,
who had been dazed by the severity OF
the explosion for a few moments, even
discreditcd their own senses ana de-
bated among themselves as 10 how
many ships they had counted.
Heavy Plate Glass Broken.
on some Of the vessels near there is
not a piece Of glass or crochery leil
whole. even the half-inch plate glass
I'm the portfolios being shattered. Men
on deck were hurled several yards and
thrown down. in a very few moments
boats were being lowered from various
warships, and rescue boats soon
steamed up from all directions. Ihey
came, however, on an almost truluess
errand. A warship cleared tor action
is so closely stripped Of woodwork thai
there is nothing left 20 float, and the
vast mass of metal that had been a hne
oattleship minute before had van
ished almost as completely as ihougn
she had never figured on the navy list
Here and there were hoating a ie'
still living men, and most OF these
were terribly injured. These, with
number of mutilated dead bodies, were
Of th4 disaster AS
spcedilv as possible living and dead
we're picked IN and taken TO other
warships. A little later they were re
moved I'm boats TO Sheerness pier,
where motor ambulances from Chat
ham we're ready TO take them 20 the
Naval Hospital.
The living are said 90 number only
twelve. Overnight leave had been Civ
on TO q limited number OF men from
the ill fated ship, and these were re-
turning down the midway aboard cut
ter boat No. 117 80 reioin the Buiwarh
when the disaster occurred. Anothei
three minutes and they, too, would
have been eugulfed as the liberty boa
was actually steaming up TO 90 along
eide the Bulwark when the explosion
occurred.
This liberty boat anded its sur
,.ivors at Sheerness dockyard just be-
fore noon. Four motor ambulances pear
ing Red Cross doctors arrived at the
new dockyard in response TO summons
for assistance. Into these the sur
vivors. landed here, were placed ana
sent bv road 10 the Royal Naval HOS
pital, Chatham.
All the time Of the disaster most Of
The men were below at breakfast, and
only a few Who were on deck mad me
SLIGHTEST chance of life. a well known
.binbuildcr who was i'm his house near
Sheerness pier at the time sand tbtt
the whole house reeled under the force
of the explosion and everything seemed
to rattle.
The whole Of Sheerness was shaken
and people ran into the streets TO IN
uuire what was the matter, as the roar
and shock of the explosion were lar
more severe than the occasional gun
fire 20 which the people IN naval ports
are accustomed.
40 evil significance was attached at
first at Sheerness TO the explosion, ac-
customed as 10 is to heavy gun fire.
Not until n couple of hours later was
the truth known. but even then the
full extent Of the disaster was not
realized. Eye-witnesscs OF the terrible
event say that the cloud that rose
above the pillar Of fame was white.
such as comes from the explosion Of
cOrditc.
In such a complete disaster nothing
definite is known as TO It's immediate
cause. There seems no reason 20 douol
however. that the ships forward maga-
zine blew up. Anything beyond this
can only be LEFT 20 surmise Tor The
present. Perhaps some survivors may
he able TO throw some light on the
mystery later
IN 9 .mpossibiity Of any official
statement being made yet as TO the
cause of the exp sion has left the
fcid clear Tor every kind Of rumor and
tbcorv. The generally accepted theory
l. tbat the magazine Of the Bulwark
blew up through -ome accident or de-
feet other than the explosion OF mines
or torpcdo. Il must be remembered
Tho every man who vas below al the
tiTe and anywhere near the magazine
has bocn lost so that all rumor5 and
theories as 10 what actually took place
4 member Of the crew Of collier
living near the Bulwark gives the io!-
lowing story of the disaster:
81 Was on deck when suddenly
hoard most tremendous explosion
and at the same time saw a sheet OF
~ed flame shoot up. Then there was
s dense volume of black smoke, and as
that cleared away there was simply
nothing, Just a gap between the other
.,... ,.,l, ;re rubbed my ewes and won