The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-14
The Dead Officers.

BARKER.
The Dead Officers.
Lieutenant William G. Davidson was
/ a native of Indiana. and was appointed
/ a midshipman from South Dakota Sept.
/ y, 1881. lie was graduated from the
/ naval academy in 1895 and assigned 10
the Olympia. He was promoted 10 en-
sign July l. 1897: to lieutenant (junior
grade), July /, 1900, and lieutenant June
is, 1902. He was assigned TO the Mis-
souri, when she went into commission,
and was serving as a turret officer at
the time Of his death. His wife. Mrs.
Juliet L. Davidson, resides at 1903 Nc
Culloch street, Baltimore, where a tele-
! gran was sent from the navy depart
\ ment announcing the death OF her hus-
| band. Lieutenant Davidson served on
the Brooklyn. MOnocacy. Concord. AL
lance, Franklin and at the torpedo sta
ton at Newport prior to his assignment
10 the Missouri
Lieutenant Ernest A. Eichert (junior
grade) was attached to the Cleveland,
and II is assumed at the navy depart
ment that he was on the Missouri at the
time of the disaster az an umpire dur
ing target practice. He was a native
Of Connecticut, and was appointed 10
the naval academy from that state
sept 6, 1896 He served at different
times on the Massachusetts, Marble
sells. He returned to the United States
/ in December last from tour in Asiatic
J waters. and in June last was promoted
/ from the grade of ensign, attained in
1897, to lieutenant GuniOr gTade). He
was assigned TO the Cleveland March !.
His father, J. F. Weichert. is resident
of Danbury, Conn.
Son of Captain Gridley.
] Lieutenant Gridley was a son of the
gg.l
the flagship of Admiral Deweys squad
ron when he sailed into Manila bay
and fought the Spanish ships. He was
! a marine officer on the Missouri. He
was appointed to the marine corps
March %. 1900. from Pennsylvania. his
native state. a telegram was sent by
the navy department TO his mother
+ at Erie. Pa, advising her of the death
Of her son.
Midshipman Thomas Ward, jr.. was
a son of General Thomas Ward. who
recently retired from the active list
z is the adjsitant generals corps 81 the
/ United states army. He was appoint
ed 10 the naval academy May % 1899,
! from New York. in which state he was
I born He completed q fo7Ir-year course
I at the academy last year and was
I assigned in commission to serve his
/ allotted time of two years at sea after
/ graduation.
A California Victim.
Midshipman William w T. Neumann
/ entered the academy at Annapolis
from California, Sept. 16. 1899, and was
] graduated last year when he began
two years service at sea. He was
native of California. His mother is liv-
ing at Honolulu The young officer was
assigned TO the Missouri in February.
The Missouri is the very latest Of
the big battleships to go into commits
Z sion The flag was hOisJed on her in
/ December last at Norfolk by Captain
Cowles. brother-in-law of President
Roosevelt She collided with the Ili-
nOis off Pensacola a few weeks ago
and has had very little firing with her
big guns: in fact, the nine or ten
rounds which had been fired from each
big gun was in the course Of official
trials and she is now going through
her first regular target practice.
Navy Department Appalled,.
stunned by toe appalling catastrophe.
The bureau OF navigation has been ac-
1--we since the first news of the acct
dent reached here shortly after
O'Clock. Although the commanding Of
ficer Of the Missouri. Captain W. :.
Cowles, as soon as he arrived at Pen
sacola. sent dispatches to the nearest
VI Eli " tilt AtlFll hAilFAAs tiif nFpdi u
meut also is sending out these an
j nouncements so that there may be no
mistake.
Captain John +. Pnlbury. assistant
chief of the bureau of navigation. re-
NAMED constantly at his desk. and
with the other officers Of the bureau
and "A clerical force. started arrange
ments TO care for the bodies Of the Of
ficers and men Secretary Moody is
preparing a dispatch of sympathy 10
b. sent 10 Rear Admiral Barker. COM
mander-in-chief Of the North Atlantic
feet, requesting him 10 convey to the
commander, the officers and men of
the Missouri the profound sympathy
OF the department
Guessing at the Cause.
With only the brief dispatch from
Admiral Barker telling how the acct
/ dent occurred. all the officials of the
! department. from Secretary Moody
] down. hesitate 20 attempt an explana-
ton OF it. The fact. however. that
three rounds had been fired and an
/ other shell had been sealed and two
I sections of powder rammed home when
/ the explosion occurred. in the opinion
/ of an official Of the department. would
lead to an Inference that the accident
/, might have been caused by some now
der from the previous charges which
/ remained in the gun when the third
charge was put in.
! 1t can be stated that officials Of the
/ department for more than a week past
while rejoicing in the world breaking
( records I'm target practice on our war
ships. have feared just such an acct
( dent as has occurred on the Missouri
/ A naval expert tonight said
Opinion Of an Expert.
] The Missouri accident is too appal-
4 ling TO discuss. But / fear that en-
lthusiasm IN making worlds records
! has led Us past the danger line. In
our anxiety 70 surpass the world in
/ the rapidly of big gun FIRE, I fear.
we have permitted our enthusiasm to
/ get the better of cur judgment. II
would seem from the dispatch that
not enough time had been allowed 10
elapse between the firings. II Is only
recently that We have permitted the
breech to be opened almost the mo-
mnt the gun was fired, and in so do
ing there Is necessarily a risk Ap-
parently all but three men i'm the
handling room We're killed How mar
rowly the entire ship escaped destruc-
ton outright is realized when it is re-
tcon'inued or Page p