The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-04-14
TERRIBLE
DISASTER
% American Seamen
Killed
ON BOARD THE MISSOURI
Battleship Was Practicing Shooting on
Range Near Pensacola,
Fla.

Pensacola. Fla. April 18.-By the ex-
plosion Of 1000 pounds Of powder IN the
after 12-inch turret and the handling room
Of the battleship Missouri, Capt. VIM. S.
Cowles, commanding, 20 men were In
stantly killed and FIVE injured, Of whom
two will die. The Missouri was on the
target range With the Texas and Brooklyn
at practice about noon when q charge Of
powder in the 12-lnch, left hand gun igni-
ted from gases, exploded and dropped be-
low iguited four charges OF powder in the
handling room and all exploded
Only one Of the entire turret and hand
ling crew survives. But for the prompt
ana efficient work 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 overcome
by this disaster, referred all newspaper
men to Lieut., Hammer the ordnance Of
icer The latter gave out statement of
the explosion and its probable cause. Ac-
cording to him, about noon, after the FIRST
pointer OF the after l2-inch piece had fired
1An ANtAAA 1AttA VIC ENNNAAA ffNiHtNA seAA AtGA
thethifd shot OF his string the charge ig-
nited The fourth shot was being loaded
and from all indications the first halt Of
the cha ge had been rammed home and the
second section was being rammed home,
when gases from the shot previously fred
or portions of the the cloth cover ignited
the powder. The breech was open and a
duh thud gave notice Of something unus-
nal No loud report was made, but flames
were seen 70 leap from every portion Of
the turret a few seconds later another
explosion, somewhat stronger 0cenrred.
This was IN the handling room below
where 900 pounds Of powder, or four
charges ready to be hoisted above, had ig-
nited
Fire quarters we're sounded and every
man Of the ship responded and the maya
zine and handling rooms were flooded
with water. In less than five seconds af-
ter the explosion two streams Of water
we're being played 10 the rooms and when
volunteers we're called for every man OF
the ship responded eager to 90 into the tur-
rets and rescue the crew.
The second explosion occurred near one
OF the magazines and so hot was the fire
that the brass work OF the magazines
melted. Smoke and the fumes of the
burned powder made II almost impossible
to enter either the tnrret or handling room
but officers and men with handkeTehlefs
over their faces made efforts TO rescue the
men inside. Leading the resouing party
| was Captain COwles. The officers en-
/ deay0red to keep him from going below,
4 as men fell unconscious as they entered
and had to be pulled out BY their COM
rades. but unheeding their advice, the
commanding officer rushed below followed
/ BY Lieut. Hammer, the ordnance officer
and Lieut. Cleland Davis Captain
/ Cowles caught up dying blue jacket ia
his arms and staggered to the deck with
him. The blnejaeket with two others
/ from the handling room had crawled part
4 II from their place OF duty when they had
been overcome. Before the fumes Of the
burning powder had left the turret, Off
GERS aud men we're lifting out the dying
aud dead men. Three minutes after the
explosion all were on deck and the sur
geons from the Missouri, Texas and
! Brooklyn were attending 70 those not
dead.
The 25 men Of the turret were found ~
ing in a heap. They had started for the
exit when the first explosion occurred and
had just reached there when the more ter
lrible explosion In the handling room oc-
Cured which burned and strangled them
to death Lieut.. Davidson, the officer Ia
charge of the turret, evidently had given
some command to the men as be was on the
top Of the heap Of men, having fallen there
after he had allowed them pass to him
TO get out OF the turret. The bodies we're
hardly recognizable, the terrible and quick
fire having burned the clothing from the
bodies OF the men and the flesh hung from
them In shreds. The faces were mutilated
by the flames only. Only one man was
breathing when the turret crew was res
eued and be died amoment after be reach
ed the dock