The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-21

of wafer were being played IN the
rooyns and when volunteers were cslieu
for every man responded. eager 70 20
70 The rescue of their comrades IN the
turret. o,,,,oa,,fis
and but for his presence of nina anu
,t,af of his officers the Missouri mus
,,esx,a haan lost. The second explosion
occurred near one OF the magazines
and 90 hot was the fire that the orass
work of the magazines was neieeu
Teading the rescuing party was cap,
+afr c,owles. The officers endeaNoieu
- Lean him from going below, as men
xvere falling Unconscious IS theS
tered and had to be pulled out go
NV their comrades. but, unheeolhs NJ
advice. the commanding ofncer rusneu
below. followed by Lieutenant
mer the ordnance ofacer' anu i1'e'
ant Clelland David
c.,utaln Cowles caught up a oylns
bI,,eiacket and staggered TO the oeon
yv,tb him. The bluejacket, Win ~
o+hers from the handling-room, mao
crawled partly from their place Oh uo'
when they had been overcome.
| before the fumes of the BURNING pow.
der had left the turret ofneers anu -.
were laying out the dead anu - q. ;l,s
men. Three minutes AFTER the e'>pic9-o =.
all were on deck, and the sursons -. 80
enc Missouri. Texas and Brooklyn "Ere
sttending to the injured. The twenty
| e. men of the turret were found iyins
In bean. They had started Tor tne
I arit when the first explosion occurreu'
ar,d baf, inst reached there, when tne
~,eys terrible explosion in the handifNs
-. burned and strangled them 10
death. ezoa- IN
.t,a,.oa of the turret, evidently mao
GIVEN some command to the men, a.
he was on top of the heap of men, nav
ing fallen there after he had alioweu
them to pass him to get out OF the lul
- THE bodies were hardly recogniz-
ahfa tba terrible and quick fire haVlhs
| h,,1.ned the clothing from their pooies
| and tho flesh hung from them IN shreos
srbair faces were mutilated by tn'
s,,ol.a and flames. Only one man wa
breathing when the turret crew wa
irescued. and he died a moment aIter IA
reached the deck. =
Il News of the disaster was conveyed :
I the cs,nnrraandant at Pensacola Dy Wiie
: Hess telegraph from the missouri, a1.'
itbence Sy him transmitted to Washing
ION While the battleship was steamin
back to port with the dead lying oii -
deck. ,,,;o
THE account of. the accident whlc
reached Washington was contained
the following official dispatch:
> give officers and twenty-four me
dead Two more cannot live, a
! result of the explosion on the MIS-
| eonri. Three rounds had been nre
= from the after twelve-inch gun, anc
shell had been sealed and two section
p of powder rammed home when tn
!. axnlosions occurred, killing every on
:. car and man in the turret and all pl
, three in the handling-room- The con
= handing officer has informed reis
- tives
The entire Navy Department
J. stunned by the appalling catastropn
The bureau of navigation has Dee
active since the first news of the a.
cident reached here, shortly after
O'Clock. Although the commanalI
n, officer of the Missouri. Captain w.
m Cowles. as soon as he arrived at Pei
sacoia. sent dispatches to the neare
of kin of the men killed, the depar
G ment is also sending out these a.
es nouncenents so that there may be
e. mistake.
os captain John E. PilIsbury, assis
ant chief of the bureau OF navlgatio
remained constantly at his desk, an
with the other officers Oh the Dufe'
ct and a clerical force, started arrans
ct ments to care for the bodies OF
n officers and men. Secretary MOO
is preparing a dispatch of sympat
-, to be sent to Rear-Admlral Bark
y, commander in chief Of the North
~ Iantic fleet, requesting him to cow
~ to the commander, the officers
men of the Missouri the profou
80 sympathy of the department
seq with only the brief dispatch fr'
~ Admiral Barker telling how the ac
~ dent occurred, all the officials OF
ns department, from Secretary Moo
=. down, hesitate to attempt an e1piai
cd ton of it.
.au If can be stated that officials of
80 department for more than a We
. aaT mast. while rejoicing in the wor
TOR, breaking records in target practice
,ta1 onr war ships, have feared just 81
ma an accident as has occurred on
" Missouri.
ETY. A naval expert tonight said: =
Missouri accident is too appalling
ons discuss. Br.. / fear that enthusis
fire in making world records has led
nan past the danger line. In our anxiety
zine surpass the world in the rapidly
With big gun fire fear we have permit
our enthusiasm to get the better OF
ans Judgment. How narrowly the en-
- ship escaped destruction outright
realized when it is recalled that I
the handling-room is a magazine
tanning anywhere from so to
pie charges"
The Missouri is the very lates