Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1903-02-05
THEY DIED LIKE HEROES,
DETAILS OF FATAL EXPLOS-
ION ON BATTLESHIP
MASSACHUSETTS.
Splendid Nerve of Wounded. Capt.
Harry Lee, Mate Sonoman,
Lieut.. Hughes and Gun
ner Kuhlwein Saved
The Battleship
By Bravery.

San Juan, p. R., Jan. 10 (by
mail.)EProbably the exact truth of
how the explosion on the United
States battleship Massachusetts, &C.
CURED will never be known, but, as
nearly as can be ascertained from the
officers and men on the vessel, the
facts are these:
The accident happened on January
16 at 1923 O'Clock, off Culebra, while
the guns of the ship were being en-
plOyed at target practice. Both s.
inch guns in the after starboard tur-
ret were ready for firing. The breech
Of each gun was open, and some one
in the turret accidentally pulled the
lanyard which operated the firing
pin Of the combination percussion
and electric primer. The primer was
exploded and the fame DETECTED in
to the gun, exploding the powder
charge.
There we're SO pounds of powder
in this charge, and the explosion was
confined to the small eight-inch tur-
ret. Every one of the nine men in
the turret was terribly burned. The
officer Of the turret, Ensign w. X
Workman, was standing outside with
his head near the turret portfolio.
The pressure Of air knocked him
crO the deck.
One poor fellow, with his clothing
in shreds, jumped from the turret
portfolio, sprang into the sea and
swami for the stern anchor chains.
He clambered aboard with assistance
and in an hour was a corpse.
Although the turret vas a roasting
furnace and the victims were being
literally roasted, First-class Boat
SWANS Mate Sonoman, without a
llOI4IChU 1ICOlClOAOIs L Lila IL
turret with a line of hose and food
ed the place. He was Immediately
followed by Capt. Harry Lee, of the
United States Marine Corps, who
threw out bags of powder. At the
same time Lieutent Hughes and
Gunner Kuhlwein went to the mag
azine, which is directly below the
turret in which the accident hap
pened, picked up the powder charges
there and quickly removed them to
a safe distance.
AS the ships surgeon moved
among the wounded those who were
the worst hurt urged the doctors to
attend first to the needs of the ones
who were not, perhaps, fatally burn
ed. The dying realized that their
hours were short and wanted to help
their shipmates who might possibly
live. The men of the Massachusetts
thrill with pride as they tell Of these
instances Of sublime courage; and il
is small aus for wonder that their
bugler's lips trembled and faItered
and that he made a "'break" as he
sounded "taps," aad then wept the
next afternoon in the military GENE
terry of San Juan over the open
grave Of his gallant comrades.
Although the Massachusetts al
once sailed for San Juan five of hel
men died before reaching port. The
others were sent to the military hos
pital in San Juan, where one died a:
the first funeral was in progress anc
the other a few hours later.
The funerals were the most i'm
nressive eve witnessed in San Juan
Services held on the Massachu8ett'
were conducted by Chaplain Wrigh
aud Father Fancelon.
The collins, draped with flags
were carried to the navy yard ant
nlaced ON gun caissons and in hos
nitaI ambulances. The long funera
train then proceeded slowly to tn
military burying ground where tn
last honors were paid.
The crew of the Massachusetts ha
raised a fund TO place a monumen
over their graves.