DEC. 28TH. - BLYTH, NORTHUMBERLAND.

At 9.45 A.M. the coastguard reported an explosion, and five minutes later a message was received that, a vessel was making distress signals on her siren, east of the piers, at no distance away. A fresh N. breeze was blowing, with a calm sea. At 10.15 A.M. the motor life-boat Joseph Adlam was launched, accompanied by an R.A.F. speed-boat. They found wreckage a quarter of a mile away and two men in an exhausted condition. They were picked up by the speed-boat, which returned at once to harbour, where the rescued men were taken straight to hospital. The lifeboat continued the search for an hour, picked up one man, who was found to be dead after he was got on board, and saw two badly mutilated bodies among the wreckage. She returned to her station at 11.15 A.M. The steamer was found to be the S.S. Hanne, of Copenhagen, and fifteen of her crew were missing. - Rewards, £6 7s. 6d..