The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-06-14
Il BLOWN TO ATOMS
Terrific Explosion in the Navy
Yard at Mare Island.
A SHELL DROPPED BY ACCIDENT.

Three Fatally Injured-The Men Belonged
to the Crew of the United States Cruiser
Boston-The Bodies so Mangled That
Identification is Almost Impossible.
SAN Francisco, June 14-The resi-
dents of Vallejo were startled yesterday
afternoon by a report which shook the
town like a sharp shock of earthquake,
and Immediately the fire bells at the
Navy Yard were rung and the conclu-
sion reached that there was fire on
Mare Island.
Immediately the entire navy yard
force rushed for the magazine and a
horrible scene presented itself. The
burned and charred bodies of two ap-
prentice seamen we're found on the
beach, 200 yards from the scene of the
explosion In the midst of the ruins
and all around on the side hills were
found bodies and pieces Of bodies scat
tered here and there,
The bodies were taken out as fast as
possible and when all were put along
side of each other they counted l2, with
Gunner Hittinger of the Boston at the
head. Some were cut in two, Others
were minus leg, arm or head. Twelve
men were killed outright and three were
taken to the hospital wounded, but dy-
ing
Two of the three latter were appren-
tices, and were picked up on the beach.
The explosion had thrown them into
the bay and boat of a merchantmen
opposite rescued them and then went to
the smoke and ruins for others. The
cuUicle of almost the entire bodies of
these two as well as their clothes, were
blown off, and yet they were conscious.
A working party of 10 men from the
United States steamer Boston was pre-
pairing ammunition and filing shells
for the ship. All were at work in the
shell-room of the magazine under charge
of Gunner Hittinger. 1t is supposed
that one of the party dropped a she'll,
and that the conclusion caused an ex-
plosion. One of the first to go to the
scene was DR.. Lewis of the Naval Hos
pital
Notwithstanding now and then an
explosion of shell, he braved the dan
ger and went into the midst of it to
save life, if possible, but the explosion
had finished its work. There were three
magazine watchmen named Collins,
Burns and Damstedt on duty in other
parts of the grounds who were severely
injured.
Watchman Collins had a narrow es-
cape A piece of shell glanced from
the top of his head and left an ugly
confusion. 1t came from the second
explosion. The first one had shaken
him almost senseless, and after he was
struck he walked for an hour about
the ruins.
The body of Gunner Hittinger was
found on the roof of she'll house No. !,
having been blown through the roof OF
shell house No. 2, which was afterwards
destroyed by fire.
The work Of identifying the dead has
not yet begun, as the energies of all
have been devoted to getting the re-
mains together. Almost the entire
crew of the Boston, to which ship the
dead and wounded belonged, worked
hard in the ruins under the direction
of Lieutenants Blaze, Robinson and
Huges.
The following are the names of the
killed;
George Hittinger, Thomas Seymour,
Colonel Shadberg, William Heckel, A.
Kelbett, Q. w. Smith, William Wash
burn, F. Legat, William Ostrander,
William Rush, j. johnson and H. Joos.