The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-14
Crew Was Engaged I'm Target
Practice on Pensacola.
ONLY PROMPT ACTION
Prevented Fire from Reaching
the Vessels Magazine.
Son Of Captain GridIey Is Among
the Dead.
in Command Is PresI.
dents Brother-in-LaW.

Pensacola. Fla, April 14.-By ths
explosion OF 1000 pounds OF powder IN
the after 12-inch turret and the hand
ling room Of the battIeshlp Missouri.
Captain William s Cowles. Command
ing tvrenty-nine men were killed and
I'VE injured. OF whom two win die
The Missouri was on the target range
with the Texas and Brooklyn. at prac-
tice, when Z charge Of powder IN the
12-inch left hand gun ignited from
gases. exploded. and, dropping below
fgnfted four charges OF powder in tho
handling room and all exploded. Only
one man Of the entire turret and hand
ling crew survived.
But for the prompt and efficient ac-
ltion Of Captain Cowles in flooding tina
handling room and magazine with wa
ter, one Of the magazines would have
exploded and the ship would have
been destroyed
Captain CowIes, completely overcoma
by the disaster. referred all newspaper
men TO Lieutenant Hammer. the ord
nance officer The latter gave out 9
statement Of the explosion and its
probable cause According TO him,
after the first pointer Of the after T.
inch piece had fred his string. and the
tsecond pointer had fred the third shot
OF his string, the charge ignited- Ind
fourth shot was being loaded and.
from all Indications. the first half Of
the charge had been rammsd home
and the second section was being
|rammed home. when gases from the
shot previously fired. or portions OF
the cloth cover, fgnited the powder
The breech was open and a dull thud
gave notice OF something unusual No
loud report was made. but flames were
seen TO leap from every portion OF the
= turIet-
lion. somewhat mlmre fierce. occurred
: This was IN fife handling room below
. where ]. 500 pounds OF powder. OF four
: charges. ready TO be hoisted down. had
Fire quarters -RHre sounded and ey-
cry man of the ship responded and the
ma agazine and handling rooms were
flooded with water In less than nye
seconds after the first explosion. two
streams Of water we're being played
! in the rooms, and when volunteers
! were called for, every man o. tne snap
RESPONDED eager to 90 into the turrets
land rescue the crew captain Lof'ies
gave his commands and, but tor MS
presence Of mind and that Of the oni-
GERS Of the ship. the Missouri would
ihave gone down
The second explosion occurred near
lone Of the magazines and so not was
ifhe dre that the hrass work OF the
magazine was melted Smoke and the
fumes OF the burned powder made iE
: almost impossible 10 enter eltller la-,.-l- II
turret OF handling room. out oI1lcels
, and men with handkerchiets over tnelF
faces made efforts to rescue the mtn
+ inside -.
Leading the rescuing party was EapL-
= lCowles The officers endeaVored TO
keen him from going below, as men
? fell unconscious as they entered ana
I had TO be pulled out BY their coE1r sllf-5s
but unheedfng their advice, the com
= rnandinE officer rushed below. EoAAoP.@a
bv Lieut. Hammer, the ordnance ON
= Ger. and Lieutenants CleA ana Desle.s
. Captain CoWIes caught Up oyln9
bluejacket in his arms ana staggsrcA
! to the deck with him The olqe1acS@l-
with two others from the handbag
-, F,sd rravvIed partly from the8r
D Mace Of duty when they had been of-
r ercome- Before the fumes OF the ourn-
y ing powder had left the turret oflcer1
a and men were lfting out the uylh4
Three minutes after the explosion-all
zere on deck and the surgeons from
the Missouri Texas ana Hroozis -. . ,tsle ,5
attending to those not dead Inc p
I men of the turret were found lying Pm
a heap They had started for the ezie
! when the first explosion occurred ana
- F7ad lust reached there when the more
. terrible explosion In the handing room
/. occurred. which burned and strangled
them TO death
Of the turret evidently had given some
e command 10 the men, as he was on top
"a Of the heap Of men, having fallen there
. I after he had allowed them 70 pass niEn
/ TO get out Of the turret-
= The bodies were hardly recognize BE,
the terrible and quick IRE having
- burned the clothing from the bodi-a
- of the men and the flesh hung frofn
q them in shreds. The faces were mutt
Z lated by the smoke and flames only
: Only one man was breathing when me
. / turret crew was rescued and he died a
: moment after he reached the deck
The dead are
= List OF the Victims
b LIEUT. W C DAVIDSON. in charge
. { Of the Pinch turret
! ENSIGN z A. WEICHERT, Of the
q cruiser Cleveland. gun umpire
= AfTDSHTPMAN w T. NEIMANN-
~ LIEUT. J. P v GRIDLEFr u > 10.
L LIEUT.. THOMAS WARD. JR
= DIVISION OFFICER J. K PETER
: BOATsWAIN-s NATE Csecond clasO
3 ". ROTGARD-
. ORDINARY SEAMAN BLOxAPUT-
Ian.
COxSWATN CHARLES RICE
SEAMAN j. c. HARDY
APPRENTICE tsecond ciass) X j.
q kIFLIN-
d SEAMAN J. GADRIS-
n ORDINARY SEAMAN n. SCEELs
= oRDTNARX SEAMAN J. +. ROW
= LANDS
d ELECTRICIAN Second elazs) H 2,
FRANKS
c0xsWAIS J. p. STARR
ORDINARY SEAMAN j. c. MUM.
l. SEAMAN ~ SOBER