The following message has been received at Lloyd's:-

"Bonmore, Feb. 10th - The steamer Belford, of Sunderland, bound for New York in ballast, ashore north coast of Islay, off Ballonaby. Position serious. All lives supposed lost. Drifting from 30th January".

The above message, it is feared, tersely reports another tragedy of the sea in which Sunderland men have lost their lives.

The Belford, which was built in Sunderland in 1901, a vessel of 3,216 gross tonnage, was up to two months ago owned by the Speeding and Marshall Steam Shipping Co., 22 John Street, Sunderland. She was then sold to Messrs. Christie and Co., Cardiff. On January 30th, three days after leaving Barry, she was reported with her propellor lost, drifting 300 miles west of Queenstown, and it would appear that the heavy westerly gales have driven her round the north coast of Ireland on to Islay, one of the largest and most southerly islands of the Inner Hebrides, lying off the coast of Argyllshire, Scotland.

When the Belford was turned over to Messrs. Christie and Co., the latter retained all the deck and engine room Officers, all of whom, except one, belong to Sunderland. It is believed at Sunderland, however, that there are no Sunderland men among the rest of the crew, as the sailors, seamen and other hands were signed on at Barry, and will probably be all Bristol Channel men. The local men on board and now reported missing are:-

Capt. Joseph H. Marshall, 9, The Craiglands, Sunderland, a nephew of Mr. S. Marshall, one of the former owners.
First Officer, J.P. Lawson, Northumberland Street, Sunderland.
Second Officer: a man belonging to the Tyne.
Chief Engineer, J.A. Border, 17 Mount Road East, Sunderland.
Second Engineer, J. Davison, Sunderland.
Third Engineer, Thomas Sands, Salem Street, Sunderland.

At the offices of Messrs. Speeding and Marshall hope has not been abandoned that the crew have been saved. The island of Islay is a desolate and isolated place, and the crew may be wandering about, or they may have been picked up by another steamer after leaving the ship or taken off the Belford by a passing vessel.