New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-14

Explosion of Magazine AUerted by
PROMPT ActiOn.

! Pensacola Fla, April 13-By the explosion
| OF two thousand pounds of powder in the after
/ 12-inch turret and the handling room Of the
| battleship Missouri, Captain William S. Cowles
/ commanding, :venty-nne were instantly
| killed and five injured. Of whom two will die.
| The Missouri the target range with the
/ Texas and the Brooklyn at practice about noon.
when charge of powder in the Pinch left
/ kand 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 efficient work OF Cap
/ tain Cowles in flooding the handling room and
| magazine with water, one Of the magazines
! would have exploded and the ship would have
I been destroyed. Captain Cowles. completely
/ overcome by the disaster. referred all newspaper
| men to Lieutenant Hammer the ordnance Of
| fcer.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
The latter gave out statement the
ploslo1 and its probable cause. According to
him. about noon. after the first pointer Of the
after 12-inch piece had fred his string and the
second pointer had fired the third shot Of his
string, the charge ignlted The fourth shot
being loaded. and from all indications the first
| half OF the charge had been rammed home and
| the second section being rammed home.
| when gases from the shot previously fired or
portions Of the cloth cover ignited the powder
The breech open and a dull thud gave
| notice OF 'sOrethinv unusual No Ioid repOrt
was made. but flames were seen TO leap from
| every portion OF the turret. a few seconds later
another explosion. somewhat more fierce oc-
Cured. This in the handling room below.
where 1000 pounds OF powder. or four charges.
ready to be hosted above had ignited. Fire
quarters were sounded. and every man Of the
ship responded. and the magazine and handling
rooms were flooded with water
MAGAZINE QUICKLY FLOODED.
In less than five second. after the first explo-
sion two streams Of water were being played in
the rooms. and when volunteers were csed for
every the ship responded eager to go
into the turrets and rescue the crew. Captain
Cowles gave his commands. and but for his
| presence OF mind and that OF the officers of the
ship. the Missouri would have gone down.
The second explosion occurred near one OF the
magazines. and SO hot was the fire that the
brasswork OF the magazines was melted. Smoke
and the fumes of the burned powder made II
almost impossible to enter either the turret or
the handling room. but officers and men. with
| handkerchiefs over their faces. made efforts to
rescue the men inside.
COwLEs LEADS RESCUE PARTY.
Leading the rescuing party was Captain
Cowles. The officers endeavored to keep him
from going below. men fell unconscious as
they entered and had to be pulled out by thei-
comrades; but unheedins their advice, the
commanding officer rushed below. followed by
Lieutenant Hammer. the ordnance officer, and
Lieutenant CIelsnd Davis. Captain Cowles
caught up a dying bluejacket in his arms and
staggered to the deck with him. The blue
! Jacket and two others from the handling room
had crawled partly from their place Of duty
when they had been overcome. Before the
fumes of the burning powder had left the tur-
ret officers and were lifting out the dying
| and dead men. Three minutes after the ex-
| plosion all were deck. and the surgeons from
attending to those not dead.
| TWENTY DEAD IN HEAP
The twenty-five men of the turret were found
lying in a heap. They had started for the exit
when the first explosion occurred. and had Just
reached there when the more terrible explosion
in the handling room came. which burned and
strangled them to death Lieutenant Davidson.
the officer In charge OF the turret had evidently
| given some command to the men, as he was on
top OF the heap of men, having fallen there after
he had allowed them TO pass him to get out of
the turret The bodies were hardly recognizable.
the terrible and quick fire having burned the
clothing from them. and the flesh hung In shreds.
! The faces were mutilated by the smoke and
names only. Only one man breathing when
the turret crew was rescued. and he died
moment after he reached the deck.