The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-04-23
DEATH ON A BATTLESHIp
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION ON WAR
VESSEL MISSOURI.
Thousands Of Pounds Of Powder
Ignited-Blast Kills. Thirty
Two Men.

Pensacola, Fla. April 14.-By the ex-
plosion Of 1000 pounds of powder in
the after 12-inch turret and the hand
ling room OF the battleship Missouri.
Capt. VIM. s. Cowles, commanding. 81
men were instantly killed and five in
jured, Of whom two will die. The Mis-
souri, was on the target range with the
Texas and Brooklyn at practice about
noon, when a charge of powder In the
l2-inch lefthand gun ignited from gases
exploded and dropping below ignited
four charges OF powder in the handling
room and all exploded. Only one man
of the entire turret and handling crew
survives. But for the prompt and eff
cient action of Capt. Cowles In flood
ing the handling room and magazine
with water. one of the magazines would
have exploded and the ship would have
been destroyed.
Capt. Cowles. completely overcome
by the disaster, referred all newspaper
men to Lieut.. Hammer, the ordnance
officer. The latter gave out a statement
Of the explosion and its probable cause.
According to him about noon. after tho
first pointer of the after 12-inch piece
had fired his string and the second
pointer had fired the third shot Of his
string, the charge ignited. The fourth
shot was being loaded and from all in
dications the first half of the charge
had been rammed home and the sec
ond section was being rammed home,
when gases from the shot previously
fired or portions of the cloth cover. liz.
nited the powder. The breech was open
and dull thud gave notice of some
thing unusual
No loud report was made. but flames
the turret. A few seconds later another
explosion. somewhat more fierce. oc-
Cured. This was in the handling room
below. where 1000 pounds Of powder. or
four charges, ready to be hoisted above.
had ignited. Fire quarters we're sounded
and every man of the ship responded
and the magazine and handling rooms
were flooded with water In less than
five seconds after the first explosion two
streams of water were being played in
the rooms. and when volunteers were
called for every man of the ship re-
sponded. eager TO go into the turrets and
rescue the crew.
A revised list Of dead is as follows:
Lieutenants. w. C. Davidson, ]. v.
p. Gridley, 4. A. Weikert; midship-
men. w. E. T. Neumann and Thomas
Ward. Jr.; boatswain's mate, J. X.
Peterson; seamen, w. ]. Bogard, o. N.
Souder and e. r. H. Alison: ordinary
seamen. c. Rice, c. J. Killen. ]. Gedris,
J. f. Kennedy, H. P. Starr, j. c. Num-,
c. H. M. Franks and J. T. J. Donnelly;
landsmen, H. s. Cherbarths, B. ]. Mil.
ligan and ]. NJ. Roach; electrician. T.
F. Rowlands; gunner's mate (second
class), A. Smith; chief gun captain. T.
e. Braun: marine private, w. l.. Ship.
man. apprentices (second class), J.. G.
Hardy, p. r. CASTER and o. B. Moe:
seaman. J. F. Knight.
The Missouri Is the very latest of
the big battleships to go in commits
sion. The flag was hoisted on her in
December last. at Norfolk. by Capt.
Cowles. brother-in-law of President
Roosevelt.
Washington. April 15.-The president
has contributed the sum Of 500, and the
secretary of the navy like sum. as the
nucleus OF a fund for the relief of the
dependent next Of kin Of the enlisted
men who lost their lives In the disas-
ter on the Missouri.