Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-14
Explosion In Missouri's Tur.
ret Killed TWenty-nine.
FIVE OFFICERS AMONG THE DEAD
Commander Gowles Showed Great
Goodness and Courage.
MAGAZINES FLOODED TO SAVE SHIP

warshiD waa on Pensacola, Fla, aA
Target Practice, When Charge OF
Powder Ignited From Cases Form.
ed by Former shot and Extendanm
to Handling Room Caused Disas-
trous Explosion.
PENSACOLA. Fla. April 14.-By ths
explosion Of 1000 pounds of powder In
the after twelve inch turret and the
handling room OF the battleship Mis-
souri,. Captain William S. Cowles COM
handing. twenty nine men were in.
stantly killed and ave injuNed, of whom
two will die. The Missouri was on the
target range with the Texas and Brook.
lyn at practice about noon when a
charge of powder in the twelve inch
left hand gun. ignited from gases, ex.
ploded and, dropping below, ignited
four charges Of powder in the handling
room, and all exploded.
Three rounds had been fired from
the after twelve inch gun, and shell
had been seated and two sections Of
powder rammed home when the ex-
plosioa- occurred, killing every oflcer
and man IN the turret and all but three
in the handling room.
The second pointer had fred the third
shot of his string when the charge ig-
nited. The fourth shot was being load
cd 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 fred, or portions of the
cloth cover, ignited the powder. The
breech was open, and dull thud gave
notice Of something unusual. No loud
report was made, but flames were seen
to leap from every portion of the tur-
ret. A few seconds later another ex-
plosion, somewhat more fierce, oc.
Cured. This was in the handling
room below, where 1900 pounds of
powder, or four charges ready to be
hoisted above, had ignited. Fire quar-
ters were sounded, and every man OF
and handling rooms were 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 were called for every
man OF the ship responded, eager to go
into the turrets and rescue the crew.
Captain Cowles gave his commands.
and but for his presence Of mind and
that Of the officers OF the ship the Mis-
souri, would have gone down.
Nc ~
one OF the magazines, and SO hot was
the IRE that the brass work of the
magazines was melted. Smoke and
the fumes of the burned powder made
It almost impossible to enter either the
tnrret or handling room, but officers
and men, with handkerchiefs over
their faces, made efforts to rescue the
men inside.
Leading the rescuing party was Cap
tain Cowles. The officers endeavored
to keep him from going below, as men
had to be pulled out by their comrades,
but unheeding their advice the COM
manding officer rushed below, followed
by Lieutenant Hammer, the ordnance
officer. and Lieutenant CIeland Davis.
Captain Cowles caught UP a dying
bluejacket in his arms and staggered
to the deck with him. The bluejacket.
with two others from the handling
room, had crawled partly from their
places OF duty when they had been
overcome. Before the fumes OF the
burning powder had left the turret on
GERS and men were lifting ont the dy-
ing and dead men.
Three minutes after the explosion all
were on deck, and the surgeons from
the Missouri, Texas and Brooklyn were
attending to those not dead. The
twenty five men OF the turret were
found lying in heap. They had start
cd for the exit when the first explosion
occurred and had Just reached there
when the more terrible explosion In the
handling room occurred, which burned
and strangled them to death. Lieuten-
ant Davidson, the officer In charge OF
the turret evidently had given some
command to the men, as he was on top
of the heap Of men, having fallen there
after he had allowed them to pass him
to get out OF the turret..
The bodies were hardly recognizable,
the terrible and C..-,ick fire having burn
I'd clothing from the bodies Of the men,
and the flesh hung from them in
shreds. The faces were mutilated by
the smoke and flames only. One man
was breathing when the turret crew
was rescued, and he died a moment
after he reached the deck.
The names of the dead follow: Lieu
tenant w. @. Davidson. Lieutenant II.
A. Weichert. Lieutenant of Marines J.
v. p. Gridley, Midshipmen w. q. Z.
Neumann and Thomas Ward, Jr;
Roatswain's Mate first class 7. r..
Peterson, Seamen w. j. Bogard, O. M.
Sender. p. r.. I'll. Alison, Ordinary sea-
men G. Rice, g. J. Killen, ]. Gedris,
J. r. Kennedy, j. r. Starr, J. G. Num-,
G. III. M. Franks, Landsmen H. 8.
Cherbarths, B. J. Milligan and j. M.
Roach, Electrician (second class) r. IT
Rowlands, Gunner's Mate Second
class) A. Smith, Chief Gun Captain r
]. Braun. Private Marine w. L. Ship.
man, Apprentices second cIass) j. @,
Hardy and p. n. CASTER. The two
n pJ -