Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-14
One Marine Dead and Another
Fatally Injured on Board
the Cruiser Olympia
SPIRITS STRUGGLED ABOARD
These Were Discovered, and It Was
When in obeyance to Orders. the
Liquid Was Being Enptied Into the
Alcohol Tank That the Explosion
occurred-Fires Ship.

Norfolk, Va, Sept. 14.-Lietenant
Commander Van Doser, executive Off
Ger of the cruiser Olympia. yesterday
gave out an official statement of the
facts attending the explosion of bar
rel of alcohol. on the cruisers deck
Saturday night, causing the death of
adelphia, the fatal injury of Apprentice
Seifert. who died yesterday afternoon,
and the serious injury of Third Glass
Master at Arms Caster, and Apprentice
Spavey, in addition to the burning of
the cruisers forward awnings and
awning supports. The explosion re-
suited indirectly from the smuggling of
alcohol into the navy yard by members
of the cruisers crew. The statement of
Lieutenant Commander Van Doser
says:
The entire crew of the Olympia were
returning aboard after forty-eight
hours shore liberty, when five gallon
water-breaker full of alcohol was dis
covered In the forward turret. The eX
ecutive officer at once ordered thor
ough search of the ship and the yard
in an endeavor to find any other spirits
that might have been smuggled aboard
The cruiser is in dry dock and all her
small boats are lined in rows along the
wharf, near the dry dock. Between
two of these boats two men We're dis
covered. One fled and escaped in the
darkness. The other was placed under
arrest. Where the men were hiding
was found a full barrel of alchohol.
which had been preached. 1t was, by
order, carried aboard the Olympia, to
be emptied into the alcohol tank on the
aft deck. This tank being full the bar
rel was carried forward by Corporal
Yerkes. Seifert, Spavey and Caster. In
the meantime the crew was called to
quarters and every man accounted for.
while the men were in line answer
ing the roll the detachment with the
barrel, began pouring its contents into
a tank on the port side of the forward
turret They had scarcely begun when,
in a manner yet to be ascertained, the
fumes of the spirits became ignited.
and exploded with terrific force. Both
ENDS oil the DaFTei We're uioNll Ode. W
lowed by a torrent of burning alcoho.
that spread in a flood of flame Over
the forward main deck. Yerkes was
struck in the head by a stave from the
barrel, and fell into the burning mass.
He was roasted to death. The other
three men were also struck by Tying
fragments of the barrel. but were
Knocked away from the center of the
fire. and thus two of the men escaped
fatal injury, but Seifert was horribly
burned. SO that he cannot recover
1T was first thought that a tank OF
smokeless powder had exploded, ana
the crew for moment broke ranks
hu. in a second recovered from the sud-
denness of the shock and turned with
will to save their injured shipmates,
and extinguish the fire, which was al
ready gaining Roadway on the cruisers
deck. This done the injured men were
hurried to the marine hospital, where
Yesterday afternoon it was stated Sci
fert could not live thru, the night, ou.
that the other two would recover.
Yerkes' body will be shipped to Phil
ut, f,,. htfY>t al