The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-20
ON
BATTLESHIP.
SIX OF. GUN CREW KILLED BY
ACCIDENT.
DEAD BURIED Ar SAN JUAN
Splendid Discipline Prevents Other
Explosions and Saves Wounded
from Death.

Washington, Jan 17.-Admiral Hig-
ginson cables from San Juan, P. R.,
under yesterdays date, that by an
explosion of powder in the eight1inc1
turret of the. battleship Massachusetts,
five men were killed and four injured.
The text of Admiral Higginson's dis
patch is as follows: Powder charge
exploded accidentally in eight-inc1
turret of the Massachusetts. Cause
is being investigated by board. Dead
"A. Hendrickson, boatswain's mate
F. H. Losser, apprentice; S. F. Malins
owski, landsman; K. j. Platt, ordinary,
seaman; Robert Rule, ordinary sea-
man. Injured-W. A. Schert, appren-
tice; A. S. Tackle, coxswain; j. s. Pat
terson, ordinary seaman; A. T. Dos
sett, ordinary seaman"
San Juan, P. R., Jan. 1S.-Five men
were instantly killed. one was fatally
wounded and nine others were Sc
riously injured, two of whom may
die, by the explosion of powder
charge of an eight-inch gun on board
the United States battleship Massa-
chusetts yesterday morning while at
targett practice off Culebra island
Details of the explosion were OBJ
tanned when the Massachusetts, ar
rived here yesterday. The explosion
occurred in the starboard aft eight
inch turrets- shortly before noon and
was due to the accidental discharge
of a percussion primer whilde1ehe
breech Of Of the e gpa.ass~as open. The
full charge exploded in the turret
and killed or injured all the crew
of the gun, numbering nine men.
Ensign Ward K Workman, who was
in charge of the turret, escaped in
jury, though he was standing near
the scene of the explosion
Magnificent discipline was shown
by the officers and crew of the bat
tleship. Captain Barry Lee, COM
manding the marine guard OF the
vessel, and Ensign Clarence Abele
Immediately flooded the turret with
water, and Lieut. Charles F. Hughes
and Gunner Kuhlwein went below to
the magazine, picking up powder
charges and preventing further ex-
plosions, while Lieut.. William c. Cole
%oiv n nr1tnrn6
the turret and withdrew the charge
from the other gun, whose breech was
open. The survivors of the guns
crew, when rescued, were burned,
mutilated and nearly dead.
One man, whose clothing was on
fire, jumped overheard In less than
minute after the explosion three
streams of water were pouring into
the turret, preventing the charge in
the other eight-inch gun from ex-
ploding.
The Dead.
/ K. J. PLATT, 800 Eighth street,
Troy, N. Y.
S. F. MALINOWSKI, S433 Ontario
avenue, Chicago.
F. H. LOESSER, 319 East Eighth
street, New York.
ANDREW HENDRICKSEN, Nor
way.
A. S. TACKE, coxswain, Miam
street, st. Louis.
R. RULE, Walnut Hill, Cincinnati.
Seriously Injured.
A. N. Dossett, seaman, Durham, N.
c.; will PROBABLY die.
| ]. M. Patterson, seaman, % Soho
street, Pittsburg; will recover.
| w. A. Schert, apprentice, S75 Cleve-
| land avenue, Chicago; will probably
| die.
With Military Honors.
Funeral services for Platt, Malin.
pwski, Loesser, Hendricksen and
Rule were held at o'clock yesterday
afternoon on board the Massachu
setts, Chaplain Wright officiating
| Afterward a procession was formed
on shore and proceeded to the mill
| tary cemetery of Porto Rico, where
the interment took place. The regi
| mental band of the garrison of Porto
Rico took part in the ceremonies
Admiral Higinson and the officers OF
| the Massachusetts were at the grave
side, where military honors. and also
Masonic honors for one of the dead
| were rendered.