The Penn's Grove record., 1903-01-23
KILLED ON BATTLESHIP
Powder Explode| IN 4 Turrst On
the Mas kachusetts.
VICTIMS BuRlEb At lsAN JUAN

The Accident Occurfed 1t Target Practice
on Culebra Iala4d-six Sailors Killed
and Two Mortality acknowledgements.
stoned Omcer E&caped-Darins worl
prevented Further Disaster.
San Juan, Porto Rico.-Six men
were killed and th4ee others were in
jured, two of thenh probably fatally
by the explosion OF a powder charge
Of an eight-inch gun on the United
States battleship Massachusetts while
at target practice BIZ Culebra Island.
A report of the disaster was sent to
the Navy Department., at Washington.
The explosion occurred in the star.
board after turret,l just before noon,
and was due to the accidental dis
charge of a percussion primer while
the breach of the gun was open. The
full charge exploded in the turret and
killed or injured every man of the gun
crew, which numbered nine. Ensign
Ward X. Workman, who was in charge
of the turret, Escaped Cnscathed,
though he was standing near the gun
in which the exploa ion took place.
Magnificent discipline was shown BY
the officers and CREW of the battleship.
Captain Harry Lee, commanding the
marine guard of the vessel. and En-.
sign Clarence A. Abele, Immediately
flooded the turret with water. Lieu
tenant Charles Il. Hughes and Gunner
Kuhlwein, went below to the magazine
and removed powdE charges, prevent
ing further explosions, while Lieuten-
ant William G. Cole and Gun Captain
Soneman entered th, turret and with
drew the charge fEom the other gun,
the breech of which was open.
The survivors OF the guns crew
when rescued were burned, mutilated
and nearly dead. One man, whose
clothing was on fire, jumped over
board. The following is The list of the
dead: Andrew H4ndrikson, of Nor
way; F. H. Loesser, Of New York City;
f. S. Malinowski. OF Chicago, ILL.,; K. J.
Plat, of Troy, N. r.; Robert Rule, OF
Cincinnati, Ohio; AZ. S. Tackle, Of st.
Louis, Nc.
The following men were seriously
injured: A. N. Dassett, Of Durham,
N. c.; J. G. Patterson, of Pittsburg,
Pa; ". A. Schert. lof Chicago.
In less than a minute after the acct
dent three streams of water were pour
ing into the turret. Dart Walker, the
marine artist, witnessed the explo-
sion.
Tackle vas taken |out alive and did
not die until a few ihours later.
A funeral ~seryice( for the men who
met their death was held on the Massa-
chusetts, Chaplain Wright officiating.
Afterward a procession was formed on
shore and proceeded to the military
cemetery of Porto Rico. where the In
terment took place, The ~regimental
band of the garrison Of Porto Rico
took part in the cd remony. Admiral
Higginson and the officers Of the Mas
sachusetts were at the graveside,
where military honbrs, and also Ma
sonic honors for one Of the deceased,
were rendered.
The injured men are in the military
hospital. They are badly burned all
vel. Patterson Isl doing well, but
Dassert and schert probably will die.
The eight-inch gums are next in size
below the ~thirteenlinch turret guns
carried by this battleship, and just
above the rapid-ire| gun limit, SO that
their charges were not contained in
fixed metallic cases! the powder being
put up in canvas bags. The regula-
tons require that the powder bags
should be conveyed from the magazines
to the breech of the gun in a can-like
metal receptacle intended to guard
against just this kind Of an accident.