The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-04-18
A BAD EXPLOSION
ERlous ACCIDENT ON THE BAT
TLEsHiP MISSOURI.
FIVE OFFICERS, TWEHT-FOUR MEN DEAD

Ship Was Engaged In Target Practice
at Range Near Pensacola Naval
station-Explosion Kills Everyone
in the Turret Room.
PENSACOLA, FLA. April Js.-By
the explosion Of two thousand pounds
OF powder in the after 12inch turret
and the handling room Of the battle.
ship Missouri Captain William G.
Cowles. commanding, and twenty-nine
men were instantly killed and five in
iured, Of whom two will die. The
Missouri was on the target range with
the Texas and Brooklyn at practice
about noon when a charge of powder
in the 12-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 survived. But for the
prompt and efficient action Of Captain
Cowles in flooding the handling room
and magazine with water, one of the
magazines would have exploded and
the ship would have been destroyed.
Captain Cowles. completely over
come by the disaster, referred all
newspaper men 10 Lieutenant Ham
mer, the ordnance officer. He later
gave out statement OF the explosion
and its probable cause. According to
him, about noon, after the first point.
er 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 indications
the first half Of the charge had been
rammed home and the second section
was being rammed home. when gases
from the shot previously fired ignited
the powder.
The breech was open and dull
thud gave notice OF something nm.
usual. No loud report was made. but
flags were seen to leap from every
portion Of the turret. A few seconds
later another explosion. somewhat
more fierce, occurred. This was in
the handling room below. where 500
pounds Of powder, or four charges.
ready to be hoisted above. had been
ignited. Fire quarters were sounded
and every man Of the ship responded,
and the magazine and handling rooms
We're 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 We're called for every !,
man Of the ship responded. eager to go
into the turrets and rescue the crew.
Captain Cowles gave his commands,
md but for his presence Of mind and
hat of the officers Of the ship the
Missouri would have gone down.
The second explosion occurred near q
me Of the magazines. and SO hot was /
he fire that the brass work OF the f
magazines was melted. Smoke and ]
he fumes Of the burned powder made a
almost impossible to enter either {
be turret or handling room, but off.
ers and men with handkerchiefs over 4
heir faces made efforts to rescue the
men inside Leading the. rescuine c
'arty was Captain Cowles. b
Three minutes after the explosion 8
Il We're on deck and the surgeons b
rom the Missouri. Texas and Brook.
yn We're attending to those not dead.
he twenty-five men Of the turret
'ere found lying in a heap. They had D
tarted for the exit when the first d
occurred, and had inst D
cached there when the more terrible d
xplosion in the handling room oc- al
urred, which burned ana strangIed D.
lem to death. II
Lieutenant Davidson. the officer In b
iarge Of the turret evidently had N