Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1904-04-20
A Charge CT Powder IgniteS Setting
Off 1900 Pounds
NAVAL DISASTER AT PENSACOLA
The Presence of Mind and Prompt
Action OF Captain Cowles Saves
the Ship.


noon 1000 pounds of powder exploded
on the battleship Missouri. killing
fly" officers and twcnty-fuur mon and
injuring 4 number of others. two OF
whom will die
The Missouri was on the target
range with the Texas and Brooklyn
at practice about noon. when charge
of powder in the twclve-inch left
hand gun exploded. ignitcd from gas
es. and dropping below. ignitcd four
charges of powder in the handling
room, and all exploded. and only one
man of the entire turrct and handling
crew survives. But for the prompt
and efficient work of Capt. CowlcS in
closing the handling room and maga-
zine. one OF the magazines would
have exploded and the ship would
have been destroyed. Capt. Cowlcs
completely overcome with the dis
aStcr. referred all newspaper men to
Lieut. Hammer, the ordinance officer.
The latter gave out a statement of
the explosion and its probable cause
According TO him. about noon. after
the first pointer of the after twelve
inch piece had fired his string and
the second pointer had fired the
thiru shot of his string the charge
lgnltcI. The fourth shot was being
loaded and from all indications the
first lG!f Of the charge had been ram
med homo and the second section
was being rammcd home. when gases
from the shot previously fired. or por-
tions Of the cloth cover. iguited the
pOW1or. The brccch was opcn and
duli thud gave notice of something
unusual. No loud report was made.
but the flames were seen TO leap from
every portion of the turret a few
seconds later another explosion. more
fierce. occurred. This was in the
handling room below. where 1.GOO
pounds Of powder. or four charges.
ready to be hoistcd above, had ig-
n!tCd.
Fire quarters were sounded. and
every man of the ship responded
eager TO so into the turrcts and res
cue the crew. Capt Cowlcs gave
his commands. and hut for his pres
ence of mind. together with the off
GERS Of the ship. the Missouri would
have gone down. The second cXplO-
sion occurred near one of the maga-
zines. and so hot was the fire that
the brass-work of the magazine was
melted. Smoke and tho fumes OF the
burned powder made it almost i'm
possible either TO enter the Lurrct or
handling room. but officers and mcr.
with handkerchicfS over their faces,
made efforts TO rescue the men inside.
Leading the rescuing party was Capt.
Cowles (thc officers endoavorcd to
l. l.,
fell unconscious as they entered, and
had TO be pulled cut by their com
rades); but unheeding their advice,
the commanding officer rushed below,
followed by Lieut.. Hammer, the ordi-
nance officer, and Lieut.. Cleveland
Davis. Capt. Cowles caught up
dying blue-jacket in his arms and
transferred him 10 the deck. The
bluc-jaclIet. with two others from the
handling room. had crawlel partly
from their place OF duty when they
had been overcome. Before the
fumes of the burning powder had
left The tuTret. officers and men were
in. lifting out the dying and dead
men. Three minutes after the eXplo-
sion all were on deck and the sur
geons from the Missouri, Texas and
Brook. were attending TO those not
dead
The twenty-five men OF Che turrct
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 had occurred, which burned and
strangel them to death. Lieut.. Dav-
iisOn the officer ip charge of the tur-
ret, had evidently given some com
mand TO the men as he was on top
of the heap OF men. having fallen
thCre after he had allowed them TO
pass him to get out OF the turrot
The bodies were hardly recognizable
the terrible and quick fire having
burnt the clctning from the bodies OF
the men. ~nl the flesh hung from
them in shrods.
Tho faces were mutilated by The
smoke and aames. Only one man
was breathing when tho turrct crow
was rescued. and he died q moment
after he reached deck.
The dead: Lieut. w. c. Davidson.
IN char &c of the twelye-inch turrct:
Ensign L. A. Weikert, u. S. ". G.:
Lieut.. Thomas Ward. Jr., division
C,licer; J. X. Peterson bcatswain
matc, second class; w. Bougard. or
dinary seaman; j. Blexapu;lan. Cox
swain Charles Rice, Seaman i. G.
Hardy. apprentice, second class: X.
J. Kivlin; Seaman j. Gadris; Oriin-
ary Seaman ]. f. Rol2nds; E!ectT.-
clan (second class) H. B. F.an&s.
CoXswain ]. p. Starr, Ordinary Sea
rlan j. G. Num-. Seaman n SOG"r.