Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-14
TWENTY-NlNE DEAD.
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handling room, but officers and men
with handkerchicfs over their faces,
made efforts to rescue the men inside
Leading the rescuinS party was Capt
CoWleS. The officers endeavored to keen
him from going below as men fell un-
conscious as they entered and had TO
be pulled out by their comrades. but
unheedinG their advice, the commando
ing officer rushed below, followed by
Lieut.. Hammar, the ordnance officer,
and Lieut.. Cleland Davis Capt. CoNlcs
caught up u dying blucIactct in his
arms and staggered to the deck with
him. The bluejacllet with two others
from the handling room had crawled
partly from their place or duty when
they had been overcome. Before the
fumes of the burning powder had left
the turrct. officers and men were lift
ing ont the dying and dead men. Three
minutes after the explosion all were on
| deck and the surgeons from the Mis-
souri,. Texas and Brooklyn were at
| tending to those not dead.
! The = men of the turrct were found
| lying in heap. They had started for
| the exit when the first explosion Oc-
Cured and had just reached there
| when the more terrible explosion in
| the handling room occurred which,
burned and strangled them to death.
Lieut.. Davidson, the officer in charge
Of the turret, evidently had given some
| ,ommamd to the men, as he was on top
Of hn e InT f1I Ion, l,,.,,.
after he had allowed them to pass him
| to get out of the turret. The bodia
were hardly recognizable, the quick
| fire having burnt clothing from
| the bodies of the men, and the
from the bodies of the men, and the
| flesh hung from them in shreds The
| faces We're mutilated by the smoke ana
| flames Only one man was breathing
| when the turrct crnw was rescued and
he died Il moment after he reached the
| deck.
Washington. April 13.-The most
serious accident that has occurred in
| the American navy since the destruc-
ton of the Maine in Havana harbor in
| 19S. happened. today. on the magnifi-
cent battleship Missouri while she was
about Il miles distant from the naval
! station at Pensacola. News of the di-
| saSter WAS conveyed to the comman-
dant at Pensacola by wireless telc-
graph from the Missouri and thence
by him transmitted to Washington
while the big ship was creeping back
to port with the dead lying on her
deck The account which reached
| of hn pcfiInnt
tanned i'll the following official de-
spat"h:
"ScCrctary Navy.
Washington.
Five officers and q men are dead
and two more cannot live, result cx-
plosion on Missouri. Three rounds had
been fired from after l2-irch gun and
shell had been seated and two sections
of powder rammed home when exrio-
sion occurred, killing every officer and
man in the turrct. and all but three
in the handling room. Commanding Off
GER has informed relatives.
Names Of dead follow:
Lieut.. w. G. Davidson. Lieut.. Oun.or
grade) f. A. Weichert. Lieut.. Of
Marines J. Y. p. Gridley. midshipm"n
W. T.. l.. Neumann and Thomas Ward,
Jr. Bnatswains Mate first class J. *.
Peterson: Scamen w. ]. Bogard. o. n.
Sender. T.. j. II. Alison; Ordinary Sod
men g. Rice. G. Fl. Meyer. Il. g. Tobn.
J. W. Cole, G. J. Killcn, J. Gedrs *. +.
J. p. Starr, J. G. Mum, G. II. N.
Franks: Landsmen II. :. Cherbarths,
e. J. Milligah and J. NJ. Roach: Flee
| tricianS (seCoEd claSs) T. +. RowlanlS
C.unnerS Mate tSccond class) A. Smith:
Chief Gun Captain r. ]. Braun: Privat"
Marine. w. l.. Shipman: App 2nticc'
(second class) J. G. Hardy and +. Il.
CASTER.
The two mon who canot live AZ" ]. l..
! J. Donelly. ordinary seaman. ana q. y.
Moe. apprentice, :. conI class. Coxswain
]. Rloxopolous.
Wounded not expected to live: Don
nelly John Thonns joseph. ordinary
scaman. Chicago. Poe Orwell p. apprcn-
, tince. second class. Butte Mont.
The following names il the despatch
but do not correspond with the records
, of the bureau:
J. X. Peterson. W. ]. Bogard, H. S
Cheerbarth and T.. J. Mulligan.
(Signed) Barker
: The Missouri was outside the harbo!
on the target pIttllCe range.
. The receipt of this message caused
I CONSERVATION at the department. Se,'-
1 rotary Moody personally conveyed il I,
: the president at the White House AMI
officers and clerks at tho department
wer soon ngaged in making out des-
! matches to the relatives and friends OF
4 the officers who We're killed. Short
biographical sketches We're PREPARED
also. Nearly al the dead officers w2r,
young men.