The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-05-04
MEN IN
TIME OF NEED
Accident on the Missouri De-
YeIoped Many Heroes.
COURTS FINDINGS APPROVED
GIsT OF THE REVIEW OF REAR
ADMIRAL BARKER.

Washington. May 3-Acting secre-
tary Of the Navy Darling today made
public the report of the court of i'm
CURRY upon the explosion of The battle
ship Missouri Off Pensacola april -.
As stated iu these dispatches last night,
Use accident SIS attributed To "a flare
back of gas remaining in the bore or
the gun after che discharge and the
opening OF the breach, and no one IS
blamed. Admiral Barker. ia endorsing
tne report points TO the need of a re-
Stflctlon upon the rapidity of IRE Of
hlg guns with snOEeiess powder OF
Unknown quantities ana the necessity
or inquiry by experts into the nature
or these powders with "a view 10 the
revision OF the management 0I Lur-
refs and gun practice.
Extraordinary Heroism.
The court finds that while every Off
Ger ana man did his whole duty, and ia
circumstances probably the most tryins
that can come To men anoats the fol-
lowing named officers and men are
W 0rthy Of particular mention under the
head O. extraordinary heFoism, name
ly- Acting Gunner r.. ~. Cox, IT, Mons
sen, chief gunuer's mate, and O. 5
Schepke, gunuer's mate, nTst-classr and
the following are deserving of special
commentator namely
Captain W. S. C0Wles, Lieutenant
Commander ]. H. Orchard, Lieutenant
Clelland Davis Lieutenant w, IL.
Scott. Lieutenant Ralph Earl Lieuten-
ant A. ". Marshall, Ensign f. c., Ham
mer OF the United States ship CleVe-
land. Midshipmau A. o.. Carte, N. l.,
Higgins chief b0stsWain's mate; j.
Croft, chief machinist- I'll. =. Elliott.
master-at-arms, second-class tdled
from the effect of the poisonous. gases
inhaled In The work Of rescue)i O..
Brewster, gun captain, hrst-class; O.
Helm, seaman, $. G.. Burgess, ship s
litter, hrst-Class5 w Gibbons. cox
swain; j. Johnson, guuner's mate j.
N. MCDade. ordinary seaman, and w,
S. Wells, ordinary seaman That there
were others who deserved special COM
mendatiOu appears clear TO the court
but the court is unable to establish
their identity.
In the opinion of the court no further
proceedings are necessary
Heroes Were Developed.
In his review Of the finding, Admiral
Barker. com mauder-iu-Chief of the
North Atlantic fleet, says OF the BRAY
cry displayed by the officers and men
Of the Missouri:
''The disaster was appalling. but IL
developed heroes. History records no
more heroic act than that Of 1Iousseu
who craWled through a hole into the
burning magazine to put out the
flames.
THE conduct of the captain, officers
and crew was superb, showing excellent
discipline and marked personal cour-
age. Where so many eEcelled IL is diff
Gcult 90 draw the line between COM
meudable and extraordinary acts OF
bravery, hence the communicated chief
approves the recommendations of the
court of inquiry, which was euioined ia
mention the names of any one deserv-
iUE notice FOR extraordinary her0ismF
Points to Be Determined,
He calls attention TO those points
brought out in the testimony.
FiFSt.-ENhaustiVe inquiry as to the
nature of the gases given Oft by smoke
less powder which remain fin the Gun
or cartridge cases. and whether or moi
these gases can be prevented.
ecuud.-Whe-her If be possible JC
arrange the interior of turTets SO as &C
separate one gun from another and
both from the handling room. making
accidents from exploding shell or burn.
ing powder improbable If not imp0ssi
Bile.
.Third--RevisiOn OF rules for taTee
practice, requiring the reports of chief
umpires 90 state whether or not an al
loWaHce or time was given for "Hare,
backs" and If $50. the exact amount
At present many of these reports ars
not clear.