St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-17
DUNGEON OF DEATH.
Frightful Explosion in a Ger
man Ironclad at Kiel.
THIRTY-RiKE MEN KILLED,
Awful Scenes Of Suffering
and Death.
MUCH EXCITEMENT I'M GERMANY.
Forced Draught Trial Was
to Have Been Made
MUCH EXCITEMENT I'M GERMANY.
BY THE BIG WAR VESSEL

occurred on board the German ironcIad
BraDdenburg this morning near StOller-
grund, three miles from the Duelk
lighthouse, at the entrance to Kiel bay.
The big vessel for some time past has
been IN Keller Forhd, one of the best
havens in Europe and the chief war
harbor in Germany, undergoing various
experiments. Today was selected for a
forced draught trial. To get the IRON
clad in frst-class condition for the test
forty artifcers were sent aboard from
the imperial dockyard. While eleven
of these artifcers were in the engine
room tremendous explosion took place.
The main steam pipe of the starboard
engine had burst. Far above the noise
of the escaping steam were heard the
heartrending cries of the injured and
dying.
Panic temporarily spread among the
crew. but after moments hesitation
every effort was put forth to rescue the
unfortunate men in the engine room. It
was found that of the eleven artincers
all but one had been killed. The man
who escaped owed his preservation from
the fate of his comrades to the fact that
at the moment Of the explosion he was
standing on ladder near the top of the
room. His companions were all on the
floor OF the room. When the steam had
cleared away and the
PANIC HAD SUBSIDIZED,
a further search was made among the
crew for the dead and injured. 1t was
then discovered that thirty-nine men in
all had been killed and nine injured.
This list includes the ten dead artifcers,
Thirty-seven of the men were killed
instantly. Two of the wounded died a
short while after receiving their in
juries. Frightful as the accident was,
news of it reached this city in an exag-
gerated form. 1t was, at nrst said that
forty-six men had been killed and as
many more wounded. Four steamers
were promptly dispatched from Kiel to
the scene of the disaster. They cars
ried number of physicians and sur.
geons and large quantity of medical
supplies. The guard ship Pelican, with
Prince Henry OF Prussia on board, also
put off instantly to the Brandenburg's
aid. The dead and wounded were car.
ried from the Brandenburg to the
steamers and conveyed to KieI. The
injured were taken to the hospital. 1t
is believed they will recover.
The details of the accident are very
hard to obtain. 1t is said that as soon
as the explosion occurred all hands were
summoned Oh deck and the pumps were
rigged. 1t was not then known what
the accident amounted to and fears were
entertained that the BrandenDurg was
in
DANGER OF SINKING.
All day long the most intense excite
ment has prevailed at Kiel. Most of the
dead and injured lived here or in the
neighborhood. and many of them were
men of family. The wharves were
crowded from the time the steam
ers left for the scene of the
explosion until they returned with the
victims. AS the dead and wounded
were borne tenderly from the vessels
to the shore the air resounded with the
cries Of the bereaved, while those who
had not lost any friends or relatives
uncovered their heads. A strict iu-
quiry will be made into the cause of the
disaster. KieI is not unused to such
scenes of suffering and death. In
August. 1898, an accident similar in its
dreadful features to the present calam-
ity took place while the German
vessel Baden was engaged in gun
practice at Friedrchsort, near
Kiel; shell, by some unex.
planned cause, exploded prematurely,
killing two lieutenants and and seven
men. Prince Henry of Prussia, to-
gether with Admiral Schroeder and
other high officials. was on board the
Baden at the time, watching the expert-
mentS.
Shipbuilding is one of the principal
industries of Kiel, and its great navy
yard is one of the features of the city.
Kiel is the Baltic headquarters of the
German navy. The haven on which it
is located runs into Kiel bay, whose
waters flow into the Baltic sea.