The sun., 1903-04-11
IOWA OUT OF COMMISSION,
ORDERED TO THE NAVY YARD
HERE FOR REPAIRS.
Three Decks VIII Have 10 he Rebuilt and
steel supports Put Under Turrets
Finding In Case OF the Explosion
May Affect Other Ships Of the Navy.


steel supports Put Under Turrets
Finding In Case Of the Explosion
May Affect Other Ships Of the Navy.
PENSACOLA, Fla, April 1910 serious
was the damage TO the battleship Iowa
as a result OF the explosion in the forward
port I2-inch gun on Thursday afternoon
that the vessel has been ordered out Of
commission and to the New York Navy
Yard for repairs.
She moved from the anchorage OF the
city to-day to the navy yard, where she
began taking on coal and supplies for the
voyage. but will await more definite orders
from the Department before proceeding
The three decks which were torn by the
pieces Of shell and gun will have to be en-
tirely rebuilt. a new i2-inch gun mounted
and new steel supports and braces placed
under the forward turrets before the ship
can again be placed in commission.
A board Of inquiry appointed by the
comrnander-in-chiefo Of tho feet IL now
examining into the cause Of the explosion.
II will report to the Admiral. Officers say
that the gun which exploded was good for
service for at least twelve months. and they
do not attribute the accident as being due
to the weakness of the gun.
Five hundred blue Jackets and marines
attended at the navy yard to-day the
funerals Of the three men killed. Admiral
Hig yinson and his staff were also present.
The wounded are reported as doing
nicely and all are out Of danger
WARRINGTON. April lO.-The following
despatch was ro osived at the Bureau Of
Navigation this morning from r. ar Admiral
Higginson at Pensacola. Fla:
The Iowas breech- loading rife. i2-inch
steel. burst In front OF truDnions. Three
men were killed by accident and four
men were slightly injured. The following
were killed by accident: +. l.. Berry. ordi-
nary seaman. whose next OF kin Is Mrs. Hattie
Wilson Of Las Vegas. N. NJ; L. l.. Pur-
cell. landsman: next Of kin. Mrs. Ellen
Purcell. 4s3 n Street N. W.. Washin gton.
d. e.. Walter r. Keile. seaman next Of kin.
A. Moore. St Charles. No. The followi ng
smith; |. o. Truesden. landsman: Paul Gocht.
auartermaster. first class; +. Tarrucker.
gunners mate. third class.
The gun in which the explosion occurred
was designed In 1898 and made at the naval
gun factory, Washington, in 1895. out Of
forgings suppl, d by the Bethl, he m st. ell
Company. On Jan 1, 1908, the date Of the
last available report, the gun had been
fir q 1875 timos.
II the inquiry which Admiral Higginson
will institute sho uld sli, W that the wrecked
gun was weak, thei will be an entire change
In the battery of the Iowa, and in the bat
teries of the Indiana, the Massachusetts
and the Oregon, vessels built previt US
to the Iowa. The Navy Department has
intended for some time to remove the cir
cular turrets en- the three vessels Of the
Indiana class and replace them with tn. Be
OF the elliptical. or balanced. type. This
will give an opportunity Of replacing the
turret guns now en- these vessels with new
guns.
Before the war with Spain Il was aaid
that big naval guns would stand only about
100 discharges in their lifetime. Experience
I'm the war showed, however, that they
were able to stand q greater strain than
that imposed by firing them 100 times each.
The wrecked l2-inch gun Of the Iowa had
been fired only 125 times up to Jan. ]. and
naval officers were asking to-day whether
the estimate Of years ago was not correct,
after all. Officials OF the Ordnance Bureau
did not care to express an opinion as to
tho number Of discharges big gun could
stand.
The explosion opens up 20 many interest
ing questions that the Ordnance Bureau
viii make the fullest inquiry concerning
it, independent of the investigation to fix
responsibility.