The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-15

A Dangerous Explosive to Handle-A Man
Who Lived After Being Blown Up with 1t.
Talks with Naval officers. in Brooklyn Eagle.
Captain Miller, of the navy-yard, regard
ed the report of the blowing up of the Nip
sic, and the loss of the entire crew, as espe-
ciaIly improbable. since the ship is said TO
have sunk in the harbor and would
have to go down with amazing rapidity To
prevent some, or even good portion. of the
crew from taking TO the boats. Besides.
are ducks" and would have no diff
ncuity In rescuing considerable
number of seamen in the water. even n
mile or two from shore. The captain told
an incident of his stay at Samoa some time
ago. His ship was taking on water at one
of the rivers and q number of natives were
swimming, when a drunken man was car
ried out beyond the mouth of the river and
past the surf line. Two young Samoan
girls swan after him, and as il was impos-
slble to return with their burden through
the surf TO shore, they made for the ship, a
mile and half distant, which they reached
easily supporting the inebriate.
Captain Ramsay, commandant of the
yard, also thought the report that the ship
and all the crew had been destroyed by "A
torpedo very lmprobable, for even IN the
most disastrous torpedo explosions some of
the. crew generally escaped. Indeed"
said the captain, "a torpedo may or il may
not be very destructive. There is a man
walking about thisyard to-day who had a
torpedo explode between his legs, and he's
in a pretty good state of health. and can do
as good days work as the next man.
The reporter after tour of inVestiga-
t1on, learned that the man referred TO was
MIR. Jerry Mccarthy, a foreman of laborers
IN the department. of yards end docks.
From Mr.. McCarthy's story, however, of
his seance with the ship destroyer, an init
mate acquaintance with it is as little TO be
sought as shaking hands with a cyclone or
toying with the fragments of an exploded
boiler MIR. Mccarthy said he was
engaged, some years ago, at the
torpedo station at Newport and was
employed in arranging torpedo for "a
trial explosion several yards from shore.
The torpedo contained seventeen pounds of
powder and had enough power TO blow n
big ship to fragments. The continuance
had several electric wires attached To II.
and through the laundering of some officers
on shore. who were exhibiting the working
of the electric batteries to some lady Wis
ltOrs, the current was turned on while Nc
Carthy was getting ready to put the torpe-
do in position, and was holding it under his
right arm. He does not know, just how high
he was sent into the air when the explosion
occurred, but he miraculousiy retained
his senses when he struck the
water, and he Immediately realized
that he must save himself or drown. asno aid
was near. His right side was devoid of
feeling and power, and he rested his chin
for moment on a rock. Then. perceiving
that he must soon faint from his injuries,
he struck out with his single hand and
reached the shore. He lost an eye had all
the ribs on his right side broken, and was
rendered on his wounded side as black as
derby hat, while chunks of flesh the size of
a mans fist were torn from his body. Some
time after this experience Mccarthy saw
two officers, who were placing a torpedo
while i'll small boat. blown to pieces
smaller than mans forearm, and the tor
pedO was of the same size that which
boosted him.