The morning call., 1892-06-15
REST THEN IN PEACE.
Burial Of the Victims Of the Mare
Island Disaster.
LAST HOKORS PAID TO THE DEAD.
1t Was the Most MOHrnfal Procession That Vallejo
Has Seen Since the Burial Of the Vic.
tins Of the Samoa Wreck.
LAST HOKORS PAID TO THE DEAD.
Special to the MORNING CALL

! VALLEJO, June 14.-The surviving VIC
! tim of the magazine disaster died at o'clock
! to-day, and the funeral of the victims was
| postponed until o'clock, that all might be
| buried together The funeral was sad and i'm
| posing. 1t was participated in by the entire
naval forces at Mare Island. and took place
| from the naval hospital The bodies were
loaded on carriages, ali in plain cofins, and
were draped with flags and covered with an
avalanche Of flowers in emblems Of every
variety.
Just before the funeral procession started
a lady, stranger from San Francisco, came
up on the arm of DR.. G. W. Woods to where
the cofIins were, and being taken TO where
the body of Apprentice Haeckel was lying
| wept bitterly She was relative Of the
| deceased.
The funeral was dir ected by Lieutenant
| Swinburne, assisted by Ensign Laird and
| Lieutenant Hughes. Admiral John Irwin
and staff were present.
| The procession was escorted by the
| Marine Corps Band and buglers. The
bodies Of the dead followed, then came the
| Bos ton crew as mOuTnerS. The entire force
| from the Independence followed and then
citizens and ladies in carriages, there being
no less than 1000 people In line.
The march to the cemetery was sad and
mournfnl. Graves had been dug all in one
row, two feet apart, each opening being
ked for the body to be placed in it. The
marines and sailors formed square around
the graves and in the presence OF baIed
heads and sad hearts the bodies were
| lowered.
Chaplain J. K Lewis, U. S. N. conducted
the services aud at its close the marine
corps fired three parting Volleys,. and all
that remained of the 10 mortal bodies were
consigned to the dust. The funeral was
one of the saddest that ever took place at
Mare Island, not excepting that Of tile VIC
tins OF the Samoa disasteTe
The Dead Sailors.
Following is the list of the sailors killed,
with short sketch of each:
George Hittinger the gunner in charge,
was a native of White Mills, Pa, and was
% years of age. He shipped on the Boston
on October %, 1890, but had been in the
service 10 years previous to his last enlist
ment He was educated at the Naval Ord
nance Yard at Washington, now the
largest in the world. and was an expert
naval gunner, besides being clever cleo
trician. He was we'll liked by everybody
aboard the cruiser.
Thomas Seymour, chief gunner's mate,
was native of Penzance, England, and A
years of age.a He had been in the service
for Is years, and enlisted on the Boston on
October 16, 1891.
C. o. l.. Sundberg. guIpeps mate. was
born in Sweden 36 years ago. but had been
admitted to citizenship in this country.
He had been nine years in the service, and
enlisted on the Boston on October II, 1891.
His enlistment would have expired in three
| days.
William Haeckel, seaman apprentice, first
| class, was 20 years of age and was born in
Brooklyn, n. Y, where his relatives live.
| lie has been in the service since 1889, en-
| listed on the Boston on November 26, 1890.
Anton Kelyett, ordinary seaman, was
native of Finland, % years Of age. He en-
listed October 16. 1891.
G. w. Smith, landsman, was native and
resident of New York and % years of age
He enlisted Septem Der %, 1891.
William Washbufn, seaman, was native
of Boston, Il years of age, and enlisted on
the Boston September 10, 1890. This was
his first cruise.
Frank Legat, seaman, was born at Bra
walt, Russia, 50 years ago. He enlisted in
the service on August %, 1891. and had
been on the Boston since October of the
same year.
William Ostrander, seaman apprentice,
first class, was a native OF Rondout, n. Z,
and 20 years Of age. He enlisted in the
service on October Is. 1888. and shipped
aboard the Boston on the 1st Of the present
month.
K. Reincke. seaman, was a native of Ger
many. aged 30 years and months. He en-
listed on the Boston on June 9, 1884, but had
been over three years III the service before.
Henry Joos. apprentice. first class, was
born in Albany. n. Y, and was IS years Of
age. He enlisted On March %, 1899.
William Rush, seaman, was born in Will
mingtoD, n. c., and was a years of age.
He enlisted July 90 1891
John johnson, seaman, was born at
| VisbY, Sweden, and was 81 years of age.
Ha anliStp6 Gqt0hpr II Ia haH
served three years before joining the Boston.
j. III. Hutton, seaman apprentice, first
class. was born in New York and q years
of age. HIS term would have expired on
Saturday of this week.
John Briscoe, seaman, second class, ma
tive of Philadelphia, Pa, 10 years of age.
He enlisted December 10. 1887.
1t VIII Never Be Known.
There is still a great deal of speculation
as to how the disaster occurred. Gunner
johnson, in charge of the magazine, fur
nishes one theory, which seems the most
reasonable advanced. The powder is
brought from the magazine" he said, sin
quantities just sufficient for immediate use.
AT the time of the explosion there was prob
ably 450 pounds OF gunpowder in the filing
room. The men were charging 6-inch cop
per shells with three pounds and quarter
of powder each. The fine black explosive
Is poured into the small opening at the
| apex of the shell through copper funnel.
A small copper rod is kept constantly
moving up and down through the spout
of the funnel to keep the powder moving
freely. My opinion is that the powder
stuck, and the man who was working
the copper rod became impatient and
jammed it down hard. The friction iguited
the powder, which, of course, exploded with
sufficient force to fire the rest OF the powder
in the room. The conclusion caused the
shells to burst, and the fusillade began. A
most extraordinary thing is that. after the
flames were completely extnguished we
found several cases OF brown prismatie
powder with the outsides all charred and
burned, yet the intense heat had not been
sufficient to cause the powder to explode"
A telegram has been received from the
Secretary of the Navy iDstructing that a
commission be at once appointed to iDyesti-
gate the explosion, and it is rumorei that
general court-martial will be held, in which
some of the naval officers IN the yard will be
fha nrinalnal