Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-14
Messudieh, With Crew OF
600, is Victim of a
British Submarine.
LATTER UNDER 9 HOURS
Lieutenant Commander HoI-
brook Dives Beneath Five
Rows DardaneIIeS Mines.

London, Dec. 14.-Omclal: Sub
marine Bill yesterday, in charge Of
Lieutenant Commander Holbrook Of
the royal navy, entered the Dardan-
elles and in spite of difficult current
dived under five rows of mines and
torpedoed the Turkish battleship Mes
sudieh, which was guarding the mine
fields. Although pursued by gunfire
and torpedo boats, the Bill returned
safely after being submerged, on one
occasion, for nine hours. When last
seen the Messudieh was sinking by
the siern.
The Messudieh was a very old boat,
built at Blackwell, England, in 1874,
and reconstructed at Genoa in 1903. 1t
was 332 feet long, SO feet beam and
about ten thousands tons burden, with
speed of 171a knots. The main bat
terry were two 90 inch guns in the tur-
rets and IL six-inch guns in the bat
terry. In the war with Greece in 1912,
the Messudieh was reported badly
damaged in naval battle in the OAR
danelles. The ship carried 600 men.
Commander Holbrook of the sub
arine Bill is one of five brothers, all
serving with the colors, sons of Col
onel Arthur Holbrook, a newspaper
owner of Portsmouth.
Up to Nov 80, 966 British officers
were killed on the continent, 1918
wounded and 5s2 missing, according
to the British officers casualty list
given out officially in London. During
the week ending Nov 80, 70 officers
were killed, 131 wounded and 33 miss
ing.
Russians Pursue Turks.
Petrograd, Dec 14.-Official. "All
day Friday there was fighting on the
front extending through the villages
Pyrusk, Asmer and Tutak (southeast
of Erzerum). Turks everywhere were
repulsed and pursued beyond the
Euphrates with severe losses"
Petrograd, Dec. 13-Oficial: There
have been no engagements of impor-
tance on any of the fronts. In the re-
gion of Mlawa we continue to force
back the Germans. who are in retreat.
In the region of Mount Buekla Aus
trian columns are coming from tls3
northern slope of the Carpathians.'
Berlin Official Report.
Berlin, Dec. IA. = Official: Light
attacks by French between Meuse and
the Vosges mountains were easily re-
pulsed Otherwise there is nothing
important from the western theatre.
From east Prussia and southern Po-
land there is nothing to report. In
northern Poland our operations are
taking a normal course
French Line Advances.
Paris. Dec. 14.-An official state
ment today reports comparative quiet
in Flanders, with artillery engage
ments of minor Importance elsewhere.
In Meuse the German batteries are
said to be moving north. In the
Woevre district the French captured
a trench. Advance of the French line
into Alsace has brought it to a point
north of Altkirch and about ten miles
to the east Of the frontier.
In Servia, Dec. 10, II and u, the
statement says, the enemy continued
to retire alcrg the entire front. From
the time the Servians resumed the Of
fensive up to Dec. II, inclusive, the
Servians took 2S,0o0 prisoners. "A can
nCl, and "A machine guns After two
days fighting, Mcntenegrins captured
and drove the Austrians
back across the Drina.
French Holiday Mail Heavy.
Paris, Dec. 14.-Miiitary authorities
oday issued a note suggesting to fami-
les of soldiers that they reduce their
holiday gifts. Heavier parcels now re-
Iuire 100 freight cars a day. while
lighter packages of mail are averaging
100000 daily.