Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-14
Three Magazines Exploded on
Mare Island.
Twelve Men Killed Outright Three
Fatally Wounded.
The Victims Horribly Burned and Man
gled-All Were Members Of tho
Crew OF the United states
Cruiser Boston.
nv the Assoc,ated press.1

Immediately the fire bells at the navy
yard were rung and the conclusion was
quickly reached that there was an ex-
plosion and fire on Mare island. This
proved to be the case, for immediately
from the magazine burst forth into the
sky an immense volume Of smoke.
Soon all the peoples eyes were turned
thither. and for half an hour report
after report was heard as shells ex-
ploded. Immediately the entire navy
yard force rushed for the scene, and
when the true facts came to light
HORRIBLE srATH OF AFFAIRS
was presented. The frat spectacle to
greet the eyes, was the burned and
charred bodies of two apprentice sea-
men on the beach two hundred yards
from the scene of the explosion. In the
meantime one more body, that of a
German. was on the way to the hos
pital. Further on amidst the ruins and
all around on the side of the hills were
seen bodies and pieces of bodies scat
tered here and there. The bodies were
taken out as fast as possible, and when
all were put alongside each other and
counted, there were twelve, with Gun
ner Hittinger of the United StateE
steamship Boston, at the head. Some
were cut in two; others minus leg or
an arm or the head. Twelve were killed
outright. Three were taken to the hos
pital wounded and dying. Two of these
were the apprentices picked up on the
beach. The explosion had thrown them
into the bay, and boat from mer-
chantman at the Starr mills, on the op.
posite side, rescued them, then went
into the smoke and ruins for others.
The cuticle Of almost the entire bodies
OF these two, as we'll as of the others,
was blown off, and yet they were
conscious ard able to move, but they
will die.
HOW IT HAPPENED
no one can tell. A working party of If
teen men from the United States steam
ship Boston came ashore to prepare am
munition for the ship. All were at
work in the filling room OF the maga-
zine, under charge of Gunner Hittinger.
It is supposed that one of the party
dropped shell and that the conclusion
produced an explosion.
One of the first to get to the scene was
DR.. Lewis, of the naval hospital, who
braved the danger and went into the
midst of the ruins to save life, If possi-
BILE; but the explosion had finished it's
work, and he found only one soul pos
sessed of life, and this body, filled with
pieces of wood and burned and bleeding,
was snatched from the flames and rushed
to the hospital. &
There were three magazines, all of
which exploded. Watchmen named
Collins, Burns and Damstedtt were on
duty in other parts of the ground. Al
though injured, all will live. Watchman
Collins had
A NARROW ESCAPE. l
A piece of shell glanced from the
top Of his head and left an ugly contu-
sion. 1t came from the second explo-
sion. The first one had shaken him al
most senseless, and after he was struck
he worked for an hour about the ruins,
thinking he might save some one.
Then, feeling faint, he went home,
where Drs. Moore and Anderson found
that besides the scalp wound he was in
jured inside. The body of Gunner Hit
finger was on the roof of shell house
No. 1, having been blown through the
roof of shell house No. 2, which was
afterwards destroyed by FIRE.
Mrs. McDougal, of the lighthouse,
with her daughters, Misses Bessie and
Carrie, were early
ASSISTING THE WOUNDED,
Bringing bandages and doing much that
was necessary at that moment. Doctors
Magruder, Page, Moore and Lewis. all
of the navy, were on the scene, but
there was not much for them to do.
The work of identifying the dead was
delayed as the energies of all we're first
and quenching the fire. Almost the en-
tire crew OF the Boston, to which the
dead and wounded belong, worked hard
Lieutenants Blase. Robinson and
Hughes. Among the dead partially
identified are the unfortunate gunner,
Seamen Ketville, johnson. Henry, Joos
and Haeckle.
several tons of explosives, had exploded,
is miracle, being as close as it was,
that this did not occur.
VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL,
made by reporter, found DR.. Lewis at
work on three whose lives are despaired
of. One is q German, and bis cries of
pain are frightful. DR.. Lewis had just
taken piece of wood six inches long by
an inch thick out of his right side. Be-
sides this the bones of his left leg are
shattered, and with the cuticle burned
of the better part of his body he is in a
horrible state.
One of the apprentices blown into the
water, when taken on the beach pitt
fully asked of the surgeons: "Do you
think we will get over this? ?" and then
he requested to be laid down. He will
never again get up. His companion e
condition is equally as bad. Following is
LIST OF KILLED.
George Hittinger, gunner q. s. N.
@. o. L. Sundberg, gunner'H maze.
Thomas Seymour, chief gunner's mate.
William Heckel, apprentice.
A. Ketrell, seaman.
O.. w. Smith, landsman.
William Washburne, seaman.
F. Legat, seaman.
w. Ostrander, apprentice.
H. Joos, apprentice.
William Rush, seaman.
]. Johnson, seaman.
R. Reincke, seaman.
j. III. Holton, apprentice.
Of the three men taken to the hospi-
tai, one died. One of the survivors is
named l. Briscoe, and Is son of Boat
swain Briscos, who was employed at the
yard in 1877.