Imperial Valley press., 1922-03-27
KITCHENER'S LAST
NIGHT INLOND0N
DESCRIBED
By DAVID l.. BLUMENFELD
United Press Staff Correspondent

| Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
| LONDON, March 27.-~The true story
of how Kitchener died has never yet
been fully told, but now that the full
light of publicity has been allowed
| through access to official documents
| at the wars end, the last hours, so
I tense and dramatic, of the great soldier
can be portrayed.
Kitchener left London on the eve
ming of murky, foggy day, June a,
1916. He was going on hurried mis-
sion to Russia to ''stop the rot as
| he put it. A friend who saw him leav-
| ing the war office on that evening
elected the curt statement: 81 am 60
ing to Russia for three weeks. I'm 60
ing by time table like jules Verne
character. l must be back on the 21st
(of July.
"He walked stiffly down the steps
and gave me u curt goodbye. So saw
him for the last time, said this friend.
The following evening Kitchener was
dead--to be exact shortly after eight
in the evening, June 5, 1916.
Kitchener who had arrived at Scapa
Flow at noon, June 5, after lunching on
board JellicOe S flagship, the Iron Duke,
boarded II. M. S. Hampshire with his
personal staff in the afternoon. At
five-thirty in the evening the engine
room telegraphs of the cruiser rang out
and the grey ship steamed down Scapa
Flow harbor, increasing her speed to
eighteen knots. Kitchener stood on the
bridge watching the two cscorting de-
stroyers on either quarter OF the ship.
Towards seven o'clock gale came up,
black clouds raced across the sky the
wind turned to a roaring tempest and
at seven O'Clock the captain OF the
HAMPSHIRE ordered the two cscorting
dcstroyers TO turn about and make for
harbor, owing to the heavy seas AT
the same time the speed OF the Hamp-
shire was reduced to fifteen Knots.
Kitchener, so survivors declare, was at
this time in the wardroom talking with
the shin officers before dinner. Prob
ably he was having rather formal IN.
troductory talk to the senior OFFICERS or
the ship and making them known TO
his staff. At73O the officer IS call for
dinner was sounded by the marine bug
Ter of the watch and hardly had the,
buoIe IS notes ceased to echo, when the
dull rcvcrberating crash Of an cxplo-
sion shook the vessel. Bugles blared,
| bosun's pipes twittcrcd shrilly. Quick
] lv the word must have gone round:
HWe're hit just forward OF the port
boiler room.'
| Officers dashed to their stations, for
Getting in the rush the important man
| in their midst. The engineer command
| or asked the captain to order the flood
ing valves opened, in order to trim the
| sbip to ricidity. No sooner had the
cartain ordered the valves opened when
two more explosions rocked the ship
from stem to stern. The vessels bows
began to dip deep into the sea. The
Hampshire was sinking by the head
The valves could not be reached and
tbe blue Jackets at the stations in the
lhniler rooms were drowned at their
posts.
! On deck the gale whistlcd in the rig
Icing, the list on the vessel was such that
lthc boats on the starb0ard side were
rendered useless Kitchener was seen on
ldcck at this time by several OF the sur
lvivors. "'We saw him standing quietly,
n little group Of his staff round him, on
+be marter deck. We think that he
yuas nut in the "sea boat" Ga life boat
I kent always swung outboard in British
, mon of war at sea-, but we never
saw him after that. His boat undOubt-
, cdlv capsized," said the survivor
| And what of Kitchener!
The Hampshire sank at $50 p m.
Kitchener undoubtedly met death few
minutes later in the capsizing of the
sea boat into which survivors say he
was taken.
Kitchener, people said, was slain a.
the result of the planning and counter