LORD KITCHENER.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1916, Page 6

LORD KITCHENER.

LONDON'S IMPRESSIVE TRIBUTE. HOW THE HAMPSHIRE SANK. Loiulon, June 15. The memorial service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday was of a particularly impressive character. The King and Queen attended, aud the congregation was representative of the whole Empire, The tribute paid to the memory of the great soldier by the crowds in the streets as Their Majesties drove from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul's was 110 less marked. The route was lined with dense thrones, and as the King: and Queen passed all heads were bared in silent respect The service opened with the hymn ''"Abide With Me.'' This was the special choice of Lord Kitchener's relatives, of whom Mrs. Parker (sisterl and Commander Kitchcnei, R.N. (nephew) were present. The band of the Royal Engineers played the opening bars of the Dead March from "Saul," and after the Benediction, pronounced by the Bishop of London, the Last Post was sounded by the buglers of the Irish Guards. New Zea'inders attending the service included £..• Thomas Mackenzie, Miss Mackenzie, Brigadier-General 0. S, Richardson, C.M.0., Sir .Tames and Lady Mills, Lady• Findlay, Lady Russell, and .Mrs. T. W. Raymond. The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was represented by two officers and two men of the Engineer? from Sling Camp—Lieutenants C, Harrison (Hawera) and F. M. Cork ill (Wellington), Q.M.S. If. S. Harris lies (C'hristcliurch) and T. Williamson (North Otago).

A memorial service was also held at Walton Hospital, and the social ln\ll could not hold all those, who wished to attend. The service was conducted by tlio Rev. Mr. I'earee, Wesleyan Minister, and C'haplain-Major Luxford. Anion:: those present were Sir Thomas Mackenzie, Lad.v Bell and the Misses Bell, Majoi X. Mill. Messrs H. B. and Clutlia Mackenzie, .Mr. and /Mrs. Sinclair Thomson Mrs. Buckhuul, and many other friendi of the hospital, GAIETY OF A SCHOOL BOY. Tt is well to know from the Prim? Minister that Lord Kitchener's last few days were of the happiest. Speaking yesterday to his constituents at Ladybank,. Mr. Asquith said: "It is some consolation to me, who has sustained an irreparable personal loss, to renumber that in this respect the last week of his life-was one of the happiest. A debate which T know was very satisfying' to him in the House of Commons was followed by his now historic meeting with a large number of its members. At our last talk together on the eve of his departure for Russia he spoke tn me almost with the gaiety of n sehr.elboy of his enjoyment of this trierdly enccuntei with some of his most persistent and formidable critics. As lie rose to take his leave and we shook Lands, and as I wished him luck on liis vovage, it was imposible to connect lliat imposing figure, a magnificent eni brdinient of virile force a:id resolution, with any thought of mortality. Yet in the plentitude of his powers lie was goinc, forward straight to his doom, a fine ami in many ways an enviable er.d Even now I find it dil.icult to realise lie k {rone, leaving a place in our nat.'onal life that no one else can fill, and a memory that will last as long as tl;e British Emire.'' (Cheers).

THE FATEFUL VOYAGE | Lord Kitchener, spent the last Satnr ! lay and Sunday morning at Brno mo, his oat in Kent, and motored back to the Yar Office on Sunday afternoon with Ills 1 irivate secretary to attend to a few matters there. Accompanied by his stall', he left London on Sunday night bv railivay ft-! 1 the extreme North of Scotland. 11.M.5. Hfinpshiro was awaiting tin party, and the warship steamed away about 7 p.m. on Monday, taking a westerly course round the northern island en the way to Archangel. A stiff gale was blowing from the north-north-west towards the rocky, formidable, and iicr.ob.te coast. The disaster occurred between Marwick Head and Erough of Birsay, north of the Bay of Skail, on the western coast of the mainland of tlie Orkney Islands, on the opposite side to them 'from Kirkwall. Shortly after S p.m. a vessel on patrol reported that a warship was on fire in her vicinity. No sound of explosion was heard, but this does not prove anything, inasmuch as sound could not travel far in the teeth of the storm that was raging. Within twenty minutes after the'fire was sighted the Hampshire went down. People ashore saw four boats launched. These were all battered to pieces on the rocks and cliffs. Vessels which were instantly summoned to make a search found no trace of the sunken warship, cr even, for a lime, of any Abating bodies. A captain's gig was dashed ashoic, bat no one was clinging to it. One laft, lin inflated ring, like a monstrous lifebelt, was flung ashore with twelve men holding to its l'im. They were observed l>y a party of islanders, policemen, and officials,'who were making a systematic search of the el ill'. Battered and exhausted, one or two men murmured, "Hit :hener was on board," and then fell asleep. Some seventy or eighty bodies were found by the 'cliff. They were •taken to Slromness and afterwards bitricd with full honors in the cemetery. STRUCK A MINE. Admiral Jellicoe says it is estaoiishod that the Hampshire struck a mine at about S p.m.. His report adds: "The Hampshire was accompanied on her voyage by two destroyers, until the captain of the Hampshire was compelled to detach them, at about 7 p.m., on account of the very heavy seas.

"It appears from the statements of the few survivors that the evplosion occurred shortly before S o'clock, and the ship sank within ten minutes. "Immediately on the receipt of the news, destroyers and patrol vessels were despatched to the scene, and search parties were sent in motor-cars to work along the coast. It was reported that four boats had been seen to leave the ship, and all the vessels despatched were ordered to look out for and assist these boats. In spite, however, of nil these measures, the Commander-in-Chief concludes, with the deepest possible regret. that there can be no doubt that the boats were wrecked in the heavy sea on a lee shore, and that beyond the twelve survivors who got to :--b"re on a raft, all hope must be abandoned." According to all accounts, the nigh'; of the tragedy was one to make the most experienced seaman quail, as the cruiser steamed across the Pentlaml Firth, which sometimes has a current like a mill-race, and encountered tlio full force of the storm from the northwest, leading in from the Atlantic. The sea was literally running mountains high, but the Hampshire made progress till within sight of Marwick Head, when disaster overtook her. There is little doubt but that Lord Kitchener and the members of his stall-were placed in one

of the ships boats, which got clear of the wreck, but ln> the terrific sea it was swamped. The body of Lieut.-Oolonol 0. A. f!. I'itzgcrahl, personal military secretary to Loril Kitchener, has been recovered i'lid brought to London for internment at Eastbourne. There is a chance that the body of Lord Kitchcnei may be washed ashore, and in that case there would be a full military funeral. IN THE NORTH SEA BATTLE. The Hampshire was in the thick of the North Sea battle before, she met her fate oft the Orkneys. Engineer-Com-mander A. E. Cosscy, in a letter to his sister, said: "In our vicinity the sea was still' with submarines, and we were tired at by more than one, but managed to evade the torpedoes, which were loosed oil' at very short range. We rammed one submarine, and probably sank another by gunfire. AVe also let rip at a German light cruiser, which eventually was reported in flames. . . Our men were splendid, and worked like Trojans. Wlier I visited the stokeholds to buck them up and tell them how well they were doing they were as cheerful as crickets. Poor wretches, they were dog-tired afterwards but put up with all the hardships and lack .if rest without a murmur. Whe)' all the. facts are published, it wil l be agreed that, comparatively speaking, our Grand Fleet is in a stronger position towards the Huns than before the action."-.