New-York tribune., 1902-04-30
EXPLOSION ON THE FULTON
sTR,1,RINE VESSEL WAS ON TRIP ~
WASHINGTON-NO SERIOUS 1NJOh1
TO BOAT OR MEN
tsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIRuSE-l


ra,.s Del April 29-The submarine torpedo
hoa+ Fulton finished the first part of her en-
a,,ra,ca RIM with an accident at 10 O'CLOCK tnls
,,,o-ni,e lust as she rounded the Delaware
RrAakwater there was an explosion. which parity
wrecked the lower deck of the boat ana Shsh'iS
injured five men, Charles Bechtold. the gunner
was the worst hurt. but the surgeons a' the
United States Marine Hospital at Le"es' "heie
he was taken say that he may leave theie ~
morrow Lieutenant Arthur Macarthur recei'eo
a slight cut over his eye. Harry Clark, ASSIST
ant engineer was partially overcome by sdSo-
lane fumes. Charles Minor, one of the elec-
tricians had his cut Lieutenant oScai
Kohen. of the Austrian navy. received slight
cut
CAPTAIN Frank T. Cable. Lieutenant H. h.
Morreu and Boatswain Charles Bergh were on
deck at the time of the explosion and they
assisted the men to escape from the hold through
the coming tower. All the injured were taken
TO the Marine Hospital Bechtold was the only
one to remain there Lieutenant MACARTHUR
said that he was sitting on the lower deck al
the time of the explosion. and was thrown Vlo-
lently against the upper deck He and Lieu
tenant Nelson said that the trip was perfect
until the explosion. The machinery worked we'll
and although for the greater part or the hihe
there was heavy sea the Fulton proved her
a
were made under water off Long Branch, but
they We're cut short by a leaky gasket. One run
was for two miles.
No stop was made last night. Long Branch'
where the diving was done, was passed before
10 o'clock yesterday, and when the eApioSloli
occurred the engines had been running without
a stop for more than twenty-four hours AFTER
the explosion they continued TO run until Lieu
tenant Nelson and Engineer Johun Saunders
went into the tower and shut them down The
Fulton viii return to the testing station at
New Suffolk, Long Island, AS soon as the
weather becomes favorable for repairs to the
batteries. The machinery of the boat is intact
The accident is thought to be due to spilled
oo;d in ha1rery caused by the motion Of the
boat in the
CAPTAIN Frank s Gable, who was In command
of the Fulton. said tonight:
The accident was an occurrence which could
never be foreseen, but which can be guarded
against in he future and which In no way
affects the eventual success of submarine haNi-
cation, while it has put quietus on TINS
particular trip
Charles Verden representative of the electric
boat company, who directing the expert
ment. said:
We can prevent the recurrence of such an ac-
cident and regarded from that point OF view II
to be desired, though 1t is. or course
to be deeply deplored that any one was hurt
The Fulton started from New-York early on
Monday morning for Norfolk and Washington
by the sea route conveyed by the yacht Min
dora and the tug Storm King. She carried 100
gallons of gasolene for her boilers.
The Fulton is owned by the Electric Boat
Company which builds boats of the Holland
type of submarine vessels, and is used for ex-
hihition purposes. She was constructed at Lewis
Nixon's shpyards, in Eliza abethpOrt. New-Jersey
after the government had accepted the ttol-
land. and is the efficient submarine Dodt
ever built. She is about 40 feet long and about
20 feet at her greatest diameter Electricity
stored in batteries. is the motive power used
when is under water.
Last summer her crew spent night In her on
| the bottom of Peconic Bay and were none the
worse in the morning. Several slight accidents
| have happened TO the Fulton, the most serious
! of which occurred when careless workman LETT
| a valve open and the vessel filled and sank IN
| her dock. This is the first time an explosion
| has occurred either the Fulton or any OF her
|