Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-02
odd BattIeShip Not Valuable,
but Il Is Known That About
Six Hundred Seamen Per-
iShed in Catastrophe,
FIERCE FIGHTING IS
GOING ON CONTINUALLY
German Offensive in Russian
Poland Is Checked at All
Points, According TO Petro-
grad Reports,
Lsx aoanlna lounnAL aslelLL ll.asn Mlarl


London. Jan. 00:20 p. m)-The
destruction Of the British hattleship
Formidable in the English channel
today by a mine or submarine boat,
although one OF these events English
men now realize must be expected go
long as the British navy is compelled
to keep the seas, has caused wide-
spread grief
This Is due not so much to the loss
of the ship, which was fifteen years
old and cost about $4,000, 600, as IL
Is for the men--600 In number--whu
are believed 10 have gone down with
her Thus far only l50 men of the
Formldable's crew OF $50 are known
TO have been rescued, a light cruiser
picked up eighty and Torhay traw-
Ter seventy. Among the rescued are
eight officers and six midshipmon
Probably Submarines Work.
The British admiralty has not given
the locality where the disaster oo-
cured and declares It Is unable to say
whether the ship struck mine or
was torpedoed but as the British fleet
again has been active in shellng Ger
man positions on the Belgian coast
and as German submarines have been
more and more using Ieebruge as a
base the inclination here If TO be-
lieye that submarine again has been
successful In an attack
The news from the front was dwarf
ed today by this latest loss to the Brit.
lsh navy although battles of consid
cradle proportions are taking place
along the two long fronts.
Largely Artillery Fire.
The fighting in Flanders and north
ern France has been confined largely
TO artillery engagement except near
Bethune where the Germans claim
they have taken British trench.
They admit, however, that the loss of
ST. Georges near the Belgian coast
which the official report from Berlin
says II was decided not TO attempt TO
retake, owing TO the high level OF
water.
In the Argonne region where the
battle has been almost continuous for
weeks it has been the Germans turn
Il make little progress, as an offset
to which, however, the French declare
they have continued their advance In
upper Alsace.
Small Gains by Either Side.
On the whole the situation seems
virtually to have reached position
Of stalemate. Neither side has been
able to make any great impression on
their antagonists line and both being
very strongly entrenched ii is consd
cred unlikely that either the 1ermans
or allies will attempt another general
offensive until superiority in numbers
Is attained by relnforcementa
Much the same situation prevails IN
northern Poland where the Germans
are reported to have found II impos-
sible To get across the Iizura ami
Rawl1n rivers and have been equally
unsuccessful In advancing along the
Pllica river. They are said to be dig
gng themselves in, preparatory TO re-
naming until the hardening of the
ground by the frost mikes the move
ment Of troops less difficult
The growth of the British army is
shown by an army order issued to-
night constituting six armies of three
corps each. Thus several generals
who commanded army corps az the
beginning Of the war, now find them-
selves at the heads of armies.