The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-15

ants J. P. V. Gridley and Thomas
Ward, Jr.; Division officer ]. X. Peder,
son, Boatswain's Mate w. Boyghard
Ordinary Seaman J.. ~Bloxaputlan
Coxswatn Charles Rice, Seaman j. G
Hardy, Apprentice K. ]. Kivlin, Sea
man j. Gadris, Ordinary Seaman N
Scherbauth, Ordinary Seaman ]. F
Rolands, Electrician H. B. Franks
Coxswain j. P. Starr, Ordinary Sea
man J. G. Mum, Seaman N. Solder.
Seaman c. e. Meyer, Ordinary Sea
man P. r. CASTER Apprentice R. H
Allison, Ordinary Seaman R. G. To.
bin, Ordinary Seaman ]. ]. Mulligan.
SLandsman j. w. Cole, Ordnance Ser.
geant A. Smith, Gunner's Mate w. s
Shfpman, Private Marine j. P. Brown.
Chief Gunner's Mate j. F.. Kennedy.
Ordinary Seaman ]. M. Roach.
The injured are ]. f. knight, sea
man, may recover; ]. T. Donnelly,
ordinary seaman, dying: R. S. Starr,
seaman, will recover; F. c. Scaub, ap.
prentice. second class, will recover,
and 0. B. Moe, apprentice, dying.
REPORTED BY ADMIRAL RAak=R.
Washington Learns Of r:-ea- =. the
Battleship iM.--ouri.
washington, April l4.--A full report
Of the Missouri disaster has reached
The navy department from Admiral
Barker. 1t says that t%wenty-four men
and five officers were killed outright
by an explosion of the twelve-inch gun
In the after turret and that two more
men probably will die. It is believed
that the explosion was due to a back
fire.
Admiral Barker's dispatch says three
rounds had been fired from the after
twelve-inch gun a shell had been seat
ed and two sections Of powder rammed
home when the explosion occurred,
killing every officer and man in the
turret and all but three in the handling
room. Commanding officer has in
former relatives. A list of the dead is
then given.
The entire navy department is
stunned by the appalling catastrophe.
The bureau of navigation has been &C.
tive since the first news of the acct
dent reached here shortly after 4
o'clock. Although Captain Cowles, as
soon as he arrived at Pensacola, sent
dispatches to the nearest of kin of all
the men killed the department also is
sending out these announcements SO
that there may be no mistake.
Will Care for the Dead.
Arrangements have been started for
the care of the bodies of the officers
and men. Secretary Moody is prepar-
ing a dispatch of sympathy to be sent
to Rear Admiral Barker, for transmits
sion to the commander, the officers
and men of the Missouri.
With only the brief dispatch from
Admiral Barker telling how the acct
dent occurred, all the officials of the
department from Secretary Moody
down, hesitate to attempt an explana-
ton of it. The fact, however, that
three rounds had been fired and an
other shell had been seated and two
sections of powder rammed home
when the explosion occurred, in the
opinion of an official of the depart
ment, would lead to the inference that
the accident might have been caused
by some powder from the previous
charges which remained in the gun
when the third charge al put in.
It is. feared that anxiety to break
rapid fire records has resulted in the
disaster by the men putting powder
into an overheated gun.
Orwell B. Moe, apprentice, second
class, resided at Rutte, Mont. Charles
Henry Meyer, ordinary seaman, re-
sided at Oshkosh, Wis. Louisa
Meyer, his mother, lives at that place.