Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-23
HEROIC ACTION
SAVED The MISSOURI
Brave Deed OF Chief 0unner's
Mate thomson Averted Total
Destruction.
CLOSED THE
The Damage to the Battleship Is Great
err Than at First Thousht-The
Death List Now Reaches
Thirty-two.

Pensacola, Fla, April 16.-That the
newest battleship of the navy, the Mis-
souri,, had a narrow escape from pelng
blown to pieces by the explosion OF d
magazine and also being beached, came
to light today. Captain william ..
Cowles prevented the latter when the
vessel was within $50 yards or the
beach by giving orders that the ships
course be changed. Chief GUNNER
Mate Monson saved the ship and lives
of over 600 men by jumping into the
open magazine and closing the door be-
hind him. 1t is stated, though not by
officers of the Missouri, that when the
officers heard the explosion I'm the tur-
ret and saw the fire tapping through
the top they realized the hot magazine
would next explode, n headed the
ship for the beach, intending to beach
her II possible before the explosion.
Captain Cowles quickly stopped the
plan and put the ship back to sea.
When the first explosion occurred in
the turret the men in the handling
room knew in an instant hat had oc-
CURED. The big magazine IGOR was
open, and standing against 1t were four
charges of powder. Without a mo-
ment's hesitation Gunner's Mate Mon
son showed these aside, and Jumping
into the magazine, pulled the door
closed after him. The magazine was
totally flooded with water, and when
the men opened the door they found
Monson barely alive, the water haV'
ing reached TO his neck.
Damage Is Great.
The damage to the battleship is
much greater than was stated at nrSt'
In addition To the large amount OF am
munition ruined by the magazine be-
ing flooded, which will amount to thou
sands of dollars, the after turret Is
badly injured, the top being burned
away. and all brass work melted IN
side. TIE hoist is a charred mass, ana
the mechanism of the guns is complete
ly ruined. The estimated amage
caused by the explosion is $4,000.
The total list OF dead now numbers
thirty-two, one man having expired
last night and two men today. 1t Is
hardly probable that other deaths VIII
occur. O. Il. Moe, apprentice, second
class, ]. +. Knight, seaman, and j. L.
Donnelly, ordinary canaan were added
to the death list.
The funeral of seventeen of the sea-
men took place his afternoon, II
each ship Of the fleet was represented,
fully 5000 men being present, while
thousands from the city were In at
tendance, every place of business be-
ing closed for the afternoon and hags
on all buildings placed at half mast.
The bodies of the officers and eight
of the seamen were sent to their for
mer homes tonight, n the others are
being held to await advices from rela-
tives.
Presidents Message of Sympathy.
The following telegram has been
sent by the secretary of the navy to
the widow of the late Lieut.. w. Q. Da-
wilson, u. S. N, and a telegram OF
similar character has been sent to the
families OF each of the officers and
enlisted men who lost their lives in
the Missouri explosion:
The president directs me to convey to
YOU his sympathy in your bereavement In
the death of your husband while in the
faithful discharge of his duty. Permit
me at the same time to express my w
sympathy and to assure you that you
have that Of the entire navy.
Baron Won Sternburg, the German
ambassador, md Count Cassini, the
Russian ambassador, sent letters to
President Roosevelt expressing regret
and sympathy.
Because of the necessity of repairing
the electrical apparatus which was de-
stroyed by the explosions, the Missouri
will be ordered to New York for re-
pairs.
Admiral Capps, chief constructor of
the navy, has gone to Pensacola to
make a personal examination of the
turrets OF the Missouri. The construc-
ton bureau, which designs and builds
these turrets. for some time has been
working on the problem Of designing a
turret hat will prevent the commune
cation Of flame from the top Of the tur-
ret where the gun crews stand in
handling room, where the ammunition
converges from the magazine at the
foot of the ammunition hoists. Thus
far no satisfactory solution has been
reached.