Evening star., 1904-04-14
MUST AWAIT INQUIRY
Impossible to Tell Cause of
Missouri Disaster.
THE EXPERTS PUZZLED
THE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY
MOODY START RELIEF FUND.
British Admiralty Cables Expression OF
Condolence-Chief Constructor
Capps' Trip.
THE EXPERTS PUZZLED

officers at the Navy Department were
| just remarking the excellent reports that
were coming from the fleet at target prac-
tice, and noted with great satisfaction that
| the practice in craftsmanship had not
| been attended with an accident. when they
| were appalled, by the report of the terrible
disaster which overlook the battle ship
Missouri. The reports from Pensacola have
| been most carefully read and it is manifest
| that the subject of gunnery will receive
| the gravest consideration in view of the
fatality that has resulted from the firing
of the big guns. Those expert in such mat
ters are carefully scrutinizing the accounts
of yesterdays disaster with view to de-
terming at the earliest moment upon some
course that will preclude. If possible, or,
at least. minimize the danger. AS yet the
experts are chary about advancing theories
or suggesting what steps may be taken or
what changes may be made in connection
with the heavy ordnance.
The Experts Puzzled.
1t is not clear to the minds of some of
the experts how gases could have ignited
the charge after one-half of it had been
rammed home, or how bit of the burning
cloth cover could have been the cause of
the 6XplOSlOU, Oflc OuCcT SuSScStiHS tuht
the shell would have driven any remaining
bits of burning cloth ahead of 1t. Others,
however, point out that the breech cham
Der is slightly enlarged, thus leaving
space between the she'll and the walls OF
the chamber until it reaches its position i'll
the rifling
Formerly the chamber was swabbed out,
but with the substitution of smokeless
powder for the black this practice was
stopped. Black powder left a residuum
tn;p fTiofnr
to ignite the new charge, but it was found
by peering through a gun after firing
SmOkelesS charge that the walls were abso-
lutely clear, thus making it unnecessary to
use the swab. But had that practice been
in vogue still the accident to the Missouri
would not have occurred.
Naval officers fear that the absolute
facts may never be known, since all who
were engaged in firing the gun We're killed.
but the circumstantial evidence will be
sufficient to tell to the expert mind just
what happened From the reports re-
ceived 1t is shown that $50 pounds of pow
der, one-half of charge for tWelve-inch
gun, had been placed in the gun, and it
was that amount that was exploded, driv
ing the deadly fire into the turret This
fire was forced through the opening in the
floor of the turret through which ammuni
ton is delivered to the turret, and COM
municated with the handling room beneath
igniting the powder charges there, caus-
ing the second explosion.
Must Await Result of Inquiry.
What changes in firing regulations or
in the construction of gun mechanism, or
in the handling of ordnance. have been
suggested by the accident in the Missouri's S
turret?" was asked of a prominent officer
of the Navy Department. He replied:
1.-The report of the court of inquiry must
be awaited before we shall know exactly
, what happened, or what caused the acci-
dent. Upon hearing of the destruction of
the Maine l entertained one opinion. but
after arriving upon the scene and learn
ing additional facts l gained an adverse
view. There are a great many things to
take into consideration, and all facts must
| be considered collectively In order to ar
rive at an intelligent decision as to what
Rear Admiral Converse chief ordnance
officer of the navy, said today that he would
not care to make any comment at present
He desires to ascertain the full facts be-
fore expressing his views.
Fire Not Rapid.
The following bulletin was posted at the
Navy Department today:
ut is learned from unofficial information
that previous to the accident to the gun
on board the Missouri there had been no
| flame blown back whatever; that the rapid
ity of the fire of all of the MissourTs guns
had BEEN relatively, very slow; in fact,
only half rapid as that of the Alabama's.
The turret roof was not injured but one
man was blown overheard from the turret
top.
Chief Constructor Capps' Trip.
Rear Admiral Capps. chief constructor
of the navy. who has been on an inspection
| tour of the southern navy yards. has gone
| to Pensacola to make personal examina-
ton of the turrets of the Missouri. 1t hap
pens that the construction bureau. which
designs and builds these turrets, has for
| some time past been working on the prob
| lems of designing turret that will pre-
| vent the communication of fame from the
| top of the turret where the gun crews
| stand down through the well beneath to
| the handling room where the ammunition
corverges from the magazine at the foot
| of the ammunition hois.s. which lift the
! charges to the breech of the guns in the
| turret tops. So far no satisfactory solu-
| ton has been reached. for the problem is a
| difficult one.
constructors, 1t amounts to the contrivance
of some means of automatically opening
| and closing the large opening In the floor
of the turret through which the ammunition
! Is lifted by the hoist up the well from
the bottom of the ship to the breech of the
guns.
There are two of these hosts and conse-
| quently two openings about three or four
| feet across. The ammunition hoist Is much
| like the old family dumbwaiter, in three
| stories. the top for the shot and the lower
| two holding the four bags of powder This
Is drawn UP to the top of the turret by a
| wire rope, making, in the case of such tar
get practice as the Wiscon sin and Alabama
did, two trips each minute from the bot
| tom of the ship to the top. Therefore, the
| problem is to provide an automatic trap
door for each of the two openings that
| shall open and close at this rate of speed
| every time the ammunition carriage rises
| and falls. This would amount to opening
| and closing each door about four times
| each minute. Mechanically this could be
done, but it is felt that there would be
| great danger of killing the ammunition
| handlers through the movements of the
| doors at that speed. So at first stated
the problem remains unsolved though the
best minds In the navy are working at 1t,
and II may remain for some civilian to
| present the solution.
The moment the news spread throughout