The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-04-22
THE MISSOURI EXPLOSION.
A Young Tar Heel on Board the Bat
tleship Describes the Disaster.

Mr.. R. s. Scarboro. a Concord boy,
h is aboard the battIeship Missouri,
writes to his mother a graphic descrfp-
ton OF h explosion that resulted in
the death Of about So seamen. The
following extracts are taken from the
letter:
We were about finishing ND our
practice At 1880 a. m. h forward
guns had been tried. and we were al
most through with h after turret. but
SO men were doomed To die before IL
was finished. They had fired five shots
when Immediately there was a dull
sound which We all knee too well
meant a powder explosion. In three
seconds the fire drill was sounded, and
In two seconds more the pipes were
connected and the pumps going. There
were % or so streams of water going
IN That short time. We all knew some
thing had exploded in the after turret.
but the first thing to do vas to quench
the flames which were shooting out
through the top. As soon as that was
done volunteers were called for to go
In and bring out those caught in the
explosion. Up to 3 p. m, 80 had been
taken out dead. los OF them were
burned to death. so that they did rot
look like una beings. Their eyes.
ears and noSes were burned completely
I'll <1AAOH6 lhG lHCh hlltcu were nVe
officers. 1t was an awful sight
look at the poor fellows. Those still
living were praying for death to take
them.
As soon as fire quarters was
sounded all water tight doors were
closed. One and all OF us expected to
be blown to eternity at any moment.
The flames were in the magazine right
on the powder. and nothing but a mir
acle saved us. After the fire was I'M
der control so that we could see VIVA:
caused the explosion. it was seen that
as the gun crew were putting In the
powder for the fifth shot a spark some
where escaped notice and set the
charge In the gun on fire. The breech
was open and the flame blew all the
charge out. This fell right down in
the handling room on about 1900
pounds Of powder. which OF course was
at once ignited. The flames were awful
and the decks were hot through twelve
inches of water.
THE powder used in the guns is
smokeless and in short sticks. You
can hold it in your hand and stick a
match to 1t and 1t will burn like cellu-
lo1d. As soon as it is confined it is
more dangerous than any other. When
it cought fire it famed up about 60
feet right through the top of the tur-
ret almost as high as the masts. If it
had been black powder 1t would have
blown up the ship.
Immediately after the accident we
went into Pensacola. being about 20
miles away. All the doctors from the
other ships came aboard and gave all
the assistance possible. The bodies
will all be sent home for burial. Some
of the boys are nov near Deaths door
from ~suffocation as they were trying to
get out the bodies Of their lead COM
rades. All the officers did heroic work,
and there is no better set in the navy
than those on the Missouri.
Il suppose this will stop our trip to
Europe, for we will go to New YorI,
AMI the Missouri may go out OF COM
mission. A remarkable thing is that
this was the 18th shot ever fired out
of that gun and it was on the 18th Of
the month."-Charlotte News.