The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-06-23
NO 40.
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
TERRIBLE DISASTER AT MARE ISLAND
NAVY YARD.

Bluejackets from the Boston and
Wounds Several Others.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 13.-Thc res.
ldents OF Vallejo were startled this fore
noon at | 80 o'clock by report which
| shook the town like a sharp shock of
earthquake, and immediately the fire
bells ut the navy yard were rung, and
the conclusion reached WIS that there
was fire on Mare Island. But down
at tho magazine there bcIchcd forth into
the sky an immense cloud of smoke, aud
Tor half an hour report after report was
heard as the shells exploded.
Immediately tic entire navy yard
tOrce rushed ior the magazine and & hor-
riblc scene presented itself. The burned
and charred bodies Of two apprentice
scamen were iOund on The beach, 200
yards from the scene OF the explosion.
In the midst OF The ruins and all round
the side hills were iOuud bodies and
pieces VI bodies scattered here and there.
BODIES were taken OuL IS tast as pOssi-
bic, and when all were PUT along side
OF each other they counted twelve, with
Gunner lllttingcc OF the Boston at the
head. Somc were Gus in two, others
were minus leg or arm or head.
Twelve men were killed outright and
three were taken to tl,e hospital, wound.
cd and dying. Two of the three latter
were apprentices and we're picked up on
tho beach. The explosion had thrown
them into the b2y, and a boat from q
mcrchantman opposite rescued them,
and then went on to the smoke and
ruins tor Others. The cuticule ofalmost
the entire bodies Of these two, a. we'll
rs their clothes, were blown of, and yet
| they were conscious and able 10 move
but they Caunot recover.
a working party OF fifteen men from
the United States steamer Boston was
preparing ammunition and filling shells
Tor the ship. All were at work iu the
llllnS room Of the magazine, under
charge oi Gunner tIittnger. 1t Is sup
posed that one OF the party dropped a
shell and that the conclusion caused au
explosion.
One Of the first to 90 to the scene was
DIR. Lewis OF thc naval hospital. Not
wlthstandlng and then an explosion
OF a shell, he Dravcd the danger and
went into the midst Of it TO save lie, if
possible, but the cNpl )son had finished
its work.
There were magazine watchmen
named Collins, Burns and DcmstcGL on
duty III OTHER parts Oi the grounds, but
although severely injured, they will
. live. Watchman Collins had a narrow
escape. a piece OF shell glanced from
The top OF his head and lett an ugly con-
fusion. II came from the second cXplo-
sion. The first one had shaken him al
most scnsclcss, and after he was struck
he walked Tor an hOu" about the runs.
The body Of Gunner IIitlingcr was
found on the root 0l she'll house No. |,
having Dccu DiG;,wyn Through the root of
shell house No. >. which was alter
wards destroyed by fire.
Mrs. McDouGal, ": the lighthouse,
with her daughters, Misses Bessie aud
Carrie, was early IN giving assistance
TO the wounded, bringing baudages and
DONG much that was, necessary at the
moment. Magruycr, Crane, Page,
Moore and Lewis, ali Of the navy, were
on the scene, but there was not much
Tor them to do.
The work OF Identifying the dead itas
not yet begun, as Tie cncryies OF all
have Eccn devoted i0 getting the re-
mains together and qucnching the fire.
Almost the entire crew OF the Boston.
to which ship the dead and wounded he
lOngcd, worked hard IN The ruins un der
the direction o. lcuL,nants Blasc, Rob.
lnson and Hughes. The identified arc
INC unfortunate gunner and Seamcn
kctVillc, johnson, .Itos aud llacckle.
~ visit to the naYal hospital found
| DR.. Lewis at work Ol! three men whose
, lives are dcSparcd o.. One is 4 Ger
man, and his cries OF pam are friyhtlul.
The doctor had Just taken a piece of
wood six inches long and an inch Thick
out OF his right side.
One OF the apprentices was blown
into the water, ard when taken out on
the beach pItitully asked of the surgeons:
"Do you think We WI get over lhis?n
and then he requested to be laid down,
lie VIII never agan get up. His COM
panion's condition is equally as bad.
shot BY AN Ass,,nsin
COLUMBIA. ). g., June ia crime
unusual III Columbia was commit led in
The suburbs OF the city this morning, be-
tween midnight and O'Clock. Captain
Rlc!ard ONcalc, cX.mayor Of COlum.
Dla, q captain OF the confederate army,
now Il prominent cotton buyer, was met
IN The street and shot in the breast.
The tragedy occurred IN quiet portion
Oh the city and there were no eve wit
ncsscs so lar as can be asccrtaned.
While there is no specially conclusive
evidence everything indicates that JOS
eph Is. Carter, now guard at the peni-
Tertiary, was the assassin. Alter the
shot was heard several ladies living in
The house near to the parsonage of the
church where the shooting occurred,
heard some one say, "Why don't You
get up and come 0n?" The answer
was, You have hit me and [ can't.n
a few moments thereafter they heard
some one on the porch Of the parsonage
crying, "llclp, help" II did not seem
TO come, and all was soon quiet. The
ladies were excited and GOT up and ven.
turing out on the porch, could sec moth
ing. Soon alter Captain O'Ncalc was
taken to his homo by a negro man.
Two physicians examined the wound
and found that he had been shot through
tho right breast. The ball lodged in the
upper portion, and made hole that the
physicians judged to be from thirty
| piobt colibpr DiStoI holl Tho bpllnt