Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-01
EXPLOSION ON THE FULTON
Caused by an Accumulation
of Gas Generated by the
Storage Battery.
THE VESSEL SLIGHTLY INJURED
Bravery Displayed by Engineer
Saunders.
Five People Injured, But None Seriously
On the Voyage From Brooklyn TO Cape
nenlopen the Holland Submarine boat
Made IA Fifteen-mile Run Under Water.

Made Fiiteen-mfle Run Under Water.
Lewes, April 30--An explosion,
probably caused by gasoline, occurred
on the submarine boat Fulton shortly
after she reached the Delaware Break
water yesterday. Five of those aboard
were injured. The injured are.
Lieut.. Arthur Macarthur of the
United States Navy, badly cut about
the head.
Lieut.. Oscar Kohen of the Austrian
Navy, severely bruised.
G. b. Miner, assistant engineer, nose
split open.
Harry Moore, assistant engineer, in
iured about the head and overcome by
gasoline fumes.
Charles Bechtol, gunner, injured
about the bead and face.
Several others we're injured slightly.
Those more seriously hurt were re-
moved TO the Quarantine Hospital.
The watch had been changed only q
short time before the explosion. AS
sstant Engineer Minor, who had been
relieved by Engineer Saunders, lay
down close to the engines to get q
sleep. He had Just fallen into doze
when he was lifted bodily and thrown
several feet. Bechtol was eating his
breakfast some distance away, but the
flying debris reached him with great
force. Lieut.. Macarthur, who was
sitting directly opposite, was hurled
upward against tho top OF the boat his
head striking against tho ironworls and
! being severely cut The greatest
danger, however, was from the fumes
of tho gasoline after the explosion,
which were sutfocating, though through
good fortune all escaped.
The engines kept at work, and En-
gineer Saunders, wrapping his head
and face in a wet towel, went down
into the fume, filled hold to stop them
Then the big conveying tug Storm King
came close enough to the Fulton to
make fast. The injured men were at
tended to, and the yacht Palacea, which
came alongside, took them ashore.
They were then carried TO the Marine
Hospital, about mile distant.
Bechtol's injuries are the most
serious, his skull being laid bare in
several places. Lieut. MacArthur's in
| juries are not very serious, and Moore
afterward refused to go to the hospital.
The explosion was caused by an
accumulation of gas which had been
generated by the storage battery.
Although the explosion was violent
one, the vessel was only slightly in
jured. She will be towed to the Hol-
land company's station at New Suffolk
for repairs. 1t will take several days
to put the battery in serviceable con-
dition.
Capt. Gable is satisfied with the
results of the trip so far, for it has
shown that the Fulton is not delicate
fhirfs H ,ny,lxr 20 he @,,r e
| harbor, but that the marve1s she could
do SO wonderfully we'll in Peconic Bay
were as easy to perform in the ocean.
Fifteen miles of the voyage from
Brooklyn to Cape Henlopen were made
under water, the longest submerged
run ever made by any of Mr.. Hollands
boats.
On board the Fulton during the To-
mile run the crew suffered no dis
comfort, though they had enough to
thrill them as they had never been
thrilled before. The first dive was
made about four miles off Sandy Hook
and little closer to Scotland light
ship. With the exception of slight
leak, which was soon remedied, the
submerged run was made without any
hitch. The naval officers abroad were
much impressed. OFF Long Branch
the boat rose to the surface, and the
Fulton went flying southwark on the
surface of the water, with about nine
tenths of her body under water.
The rainstorm Sunday night made it
uncomfortable for the men on deck,
| who had to stand on narrow space
and steer, that being preferable to
steering from within the coming tower.
Nearing the Delaware Breakwaser, the
signs of an approaching storm were
lnmistakable. Capt. Cable decided to
go into the breakwater until the storm
| should be over, because the yacht
Mindora, ono of her conveys, was not
built for rough seas. The Fulton would
have been safely moored in another 10
minutes had the accident not occurred.
Capt. Frank S. Gable, who was in
command OF tho Fulton, said last
night: 1.-THE accident was an occurrence
which could never be foreseen, but
which can be guarded against in the
future and which in no way affects the
eventual success of submarine naviga-
tion, even while it has put quietus
on this particular trip. "
Charles Verden, representative of the
Electric Boat Co., who was directing
the experiments, said: "We can pre-
| vent the recurrence of such an acct
dent, and, regarded from that view
point, it was even to be desired, though
it is, of course, to be deeply deplored
| that anyone was hurt.
The Fulton was the pioneer vessel of
n large feet of submarine boats con-
structed by the Holland Co. for the
government. She measures 63 feet 4
inches in length, IL feet inches in
diameter, and Is provided with con
ming tower - inches outside diameter
and 2 feet high. The motive power
comes from l50-horsepower gasoline
engine when running on the surface,
which is also used TO charge the
electric accumulators, and from the
electric charge stored in these batteries
while the vessel is at the surface of the
water. The speed when running on the
surface is about 10 knots. and when
submerged about rs knots. The radius
of action while running totally sub
merged is 80 miles. This entire dis
lance, the inventor claims, can be made
ut one run withou the necessity of
appearing at all on the surface of the
water. She carries five instead of
three torpadoes, the number originally
allotted to boats Of this type.
| Uumors
Come TO the surface in the spring as In no other
| season. It's pity they don't run themselves all
| of that way: but iii spite OF piInplps and other
FhnNt