The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-25
NEWPORT SUFFERS A SCARE
SHELL FROM BAIILESHIP KEAR-
SARGE BURSTS OYER TOWN.
Very Little Damage but Great Conster-
nation Caused-New City Hall Struck
by a Fragment-OAicers Como Ashore
and Trace the Course of the Shell-Its
Firing Undoubtedly nm Accidental
Courtmnrtial Likely.

Newport, r. l., July 24.-The sc;t.ch-
Ing of a shell that proved to have come
from the U. S. S. Kearsarge, as it pass
ed through the air and it's explosion in
to fragments that broke a small piece
of stone of the new city hall building
on Broadway and cut limb from a
tlec nearby, caused great CONSERVATION
among Newport citizens shortly after
5 o'clock this evening. Fortunately no
one was injured.
Half an hour later, following the line
of the shell, two officers came ashore
from the Kearsarge, tracing it to city
hall and obtaining information as to
its passage over the city. They cXaui-
ined some of the pieces and pronounced
1t to have been a one pounder shell
from the Kearsarge, after which they
returned without making any eXplana-
ton. From the flagship it was learned
that the crew was called to quarters at
5 o'clock. The gun crews took their
positions, pointed the guns and went
through the work of firing. Norden-
feldt- Maxim automatic gun in the after
fighting top went off, when the crank
was turned Immediately all on ship
board was alive and the officers were
making hurried inquiries The crews
in the top declared that a shot had
been fired, but that it had struck in
the water just short of the wharves.
The officers were thereupon despatch
ed to the shore, in order to assure Rear
Admiral Higginson that such was the
fact. On the wharf a scared party of
fishermen were found who declared
that something had passed over their
heads screeching loudly. Following
this tip and the general direction, the
officers located the point which the pro-
jectile had reached.
How the shot happened to be fired
has not been satisfactorily explained.
The ship has been engaged since the
breaking up of the camp at Nantucket,
in target practice at sea. The gun was
last fired yesterday, when five rounds
of ammunition were supposed to have
been expended. Yesterday afternoon
and this morning there were the usual
quarters on shipboard and the gun
should have been pointed as it was to-
night. But then it did not go off and
tonight it did. The gun captain after
each working of the gun should have
not have been the report for him to
make knowing that it contained car
fridge.
The matter will be thoroughly inves
tigated and undoubtedly court mar
tial will result. The damage done
ashore amounts to but little, small
dent, which In old historic Newport
may be of value as point of interest.
but otherwise there was nothing but a
big fright. This was perhaps more
appreciated on board ship
than on shore, for there they fully real
ize the effect Of sending stray shot |
into a city. They contend on ship
board that the shell was one that would |
not explode except by impact but the /
are that it exploded high in |
the air and that it was the fragments |
that cut the limb of the tree and made |
the dent in the city hall. Why some of |
the hundreds of people who gather at |
this junction of streets were not hit |
be explained any more than the
reason for firing the shell.