§ EARL DE LA WARRasked the noble Lord who represented the Admiralty in that House, Whether he could give their Lordships any information as to the reported loss of a German ironclad?
LORD ELPHINSTONEI am sorry not to be in a position to give a full statement of details with regard to this unfortunate loss to the German Navy. The facts are simply these—The German iron-clad Squadron, consisting of the Preussen, König Wilhelm, and Grosser Kurfürst, left Wilhelmshavn on the evening of the 29th instant, for Plymouth, en route to the Mediterranean. The Squadron was observed passing Dover at 8.45 A.M.; and at 9.50 A.M., when about seven miles S. S. W. of Folkestone, a collision took place between the König Wilhelm and the Grosser Kurfürst in the endeavour to avoid a collision with a merchant vessel. The Grosser Kurfürst appears to have sunk at once, and the König Wilhelm to have been severely damaged. The Coastguard at Folkestone and Sandgate rendered immediate assistance; and, on the unfortunate occurrence being reported to the Admiralty, orders were sent to Portsmouth for the Lord Warden and Hercules to proceed to Folkestone at full speed to assist the König Wilhelm, and a powerful tug was also ordered from Sheerness for the same object. The Coastguard officers reported that between 180 and 200 of the crew have been saved, and about 300 lives lost. Orders have been sent to Portsmouth for dock accommodation to be prepared for the König Wilhelm, and she is now on her way to that port. She is reported to be making water fast. The Grosser Kurfürst is like our Monarch; tonnage, 6,663; guns, four 10-inch Krupp, in two turrets. The Konig Wilhelm is a broadside iron-clad frigate; tonnage, 9,425; guns, 26 Krupp.