Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-17
BY Explosion in An I'm
mense 12-Inch Mortar
At Fort Banks, Winthrop, Mass.
lone Other Will Die.
No Cause Known for Disaster-Men
All WeII-liked.

| boSlph oct. lo.-lnfee soldiers were
instantly killed and eight others were
| injured one of them fatally. yesterday
| toreroon, by the explosion of - pounds
OF sphero-hexagonal powder in the
| breech of of Pinch mortar. at Fort
| Banks Winthrop. All the killed and
| injured We're members Of the Syth com
pany of coast artillery, commanded by
Lieut.. Lefort.
killed-First Sergt. George ]. Nevins.
| Privates Edward r. Higgins James w.
Kelley.
| Injurcd-First Srrgt. Thomas Foley,
Corp Arthur Bannstcr. Privates VIII
liam T. Shcehan. Columbus y. Kits.
Stanislaus Ross. John Clyde. William
Beverly and Arthur Tomlnson.
| Tomlinson cannot live.
No official explanation of the cause
| OF the accident can Yet be given by
Col. Samuel l.. Mills. in command Of
| all coast artillery assigned to the de-
| fences OF Boston, and whose headuuar-
ters are at Fort Banks. nor by any Of
the other officers Of the garrison. as it
VIII require an investigation by board
| of inquiry to settle that point
The general belief on the part of tho
|
was caused by ii particle of burning
cloth from en- ammunition bag which
| had been floating in the air from the
time the mortar from which it came
had been discharged and that, un-
| noticed. it had settled Gown on the bag
of powder which was placed in No.
gun and had burned through the bag
and reached the powder just in time
to cause the explosion as the breech
block was being fastened into place
The mortar in which the explosion
occurred was perfectly clean and cool
| not having been fired during yesterday.
and the theory of the floating bit OF
ammunition cloth is the only one pos
sible at present, as far as the officers
can see.
Dreadful as the disaster was the
thorough discipline which prevails in
the army was shown by the fact that
an hour after the accident a chance
visitor at the fort could not have no.
ticed that there was anything out Of
The usual about the garrison. Further
target practice had been omitted for
the day. and the drills were suspend
ed. but the guards were ratroling their
accustomed beats with the regulation
stride. the dead had been carried to the
mortuary of the fort. the injured were
in the hospital. and outward traces of
the tragedy had been removed.
The accident happened just before 10
O'Clock in a pit. as the place where
groups If mort3rs are hidden back OF
emharkments looking out to sea are
called.
There are four Pinch mortars. each
gun weighing IA tons. in this nit. which
is similar to several others. the Who'll |
OF which comprise the armament Of !
Fort Banks. and the gun i'm which the /
fatal eXplos ion occurred was known as
No. 1. Il
Two crews We're sent into the pit at .
O'Clock to begin the target practice.
one crew was in charge OF Sergt.
Nevins and the other in charge Of
Sergt. George J. Woods.
Sergt. NcvirS began the practice by
firing preliminary shots at a stationary
target established distance OF 1900
yards at sea. Powder charges of -
pounds We're usei at that range, ana
the projcctiles fired weighed 500
POUNDS.
SerSt. Eevins and his men had fired
two Of the mortars in the group or
four in that particular pit and the
firing had been satisfactory, everything
working well.
No. l gun. that in which the expIo-
sion occurred. had not been utilized.
yesterday, so the explanation for the
explosion put forward by some amateur
soldiers at once that the acciden,
nigh, have been caused by sparks from
a former discharge Of tie gun is of no
value.
The gun was a new one. and had
been fired only a few times since it
was installed at the fort. 1t was prop
erly cleaned and prepared before the
projectie was put into it, yesterday.
and when everything was ready, Sergt.
Nevins gave the order to place the
projectile in the gun. and followed that
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