The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-30
ROOSEVELT TALKS OF
THE SHELL EXPLOSION
That Occurred Aboard His Brother
in-Lnw's Battleship.

That Occurred Aboard His Brother
in-Law's Bmttleship.
Washington, May 29.-Secretary
Moody has issued general order con-
tanning certain extracts from the re-
port Of the Missouri court OF inquiry
regarding the conduct of the officers
and men at the time of the accident
on board that vessel April 13; letters
from the President to the Navy De-
partment regarding the bravery of the
officers and men of the Missouri the
extraordinary heroism shown by Chief
Gunner's Mate NJ Monssen, Gunner's
Mate c. S. Schepke and Acting Gun
ner r. r. Cox and also a letter from
the President to the department ex-
pressing his satisfaction at the be-
havior of the chaplain of the Missouri,
Father Gleason, at the time of the
accident.
After reading the memorandum of
the commander-in-ch about the ac-
cident the President sent this letter to
the department:
white House, Washington, May H.
1904. To the Navy Department: The
memorandum of Rear Admiral A. S.
Barker, commander-in-chief of the
North Atlantic fleet Of April 20 upon
the accident on board the Missouri
has been laid before me by the Navy
Department In 1t Admiral Barker
says:
The disaster was appalling, but 1t
developed heroes. History records no
more heroic act than that of Monssen.
who crawled through a hole into the
burning magazine to put out the
flames. The conduct OF the captain,
officers and crew was superb, showing
tv.lt
sonal courage
Although we must all of us ha sad
dened at so lamentable a catastrophe
and though every effort must be made
and every energy bent to minimize the
chance of It's recurrence, vet IL is a
matter of profound qualification to all
who are proud of the American navy
that the officers and men concerned
have behaved so well under such try
ing circumstances. The weapons with
which men now make war on the ocean
are so terrible, the mechanism OF our
warships Is at once so delicate and so
formidable as to make thorough train
ing and practice In their use both. in
dispensable and dangerous. Such war
machines would in battle oe utterly USE
less unless those handling them knew
by actual experience their capabilities
and how to utilize TO the highest de-
can only be acquired by practice. from
which certain amount of risk is in
separabe. AS / have already said
every effort must be made to minimize
this risk. But after all such effort
is made a certain amount of risk will
still remain. and this risk must be
faced IN the same spirit in which the
risk OF actual battle is faced.
This is precisely the spirit which
was shown in the fleet under Admiral
Barker's command. markedly on the
Missouri, but also on the other YES
sells. For many minutes after the acci-
dent occurred on the Missouri every
one aboard her knew that at any min
ute she might go to the bottom; yet
there was no fiinching and no disorder
among her crew. Although the veterans
aboard here were less numerous than
the recruits, every man continued to
perform his duty with a cool self-pos-
session and courage which gives us a
right to feel grounds for entire conf
dence as to the way In which any
emergency in battle or otherwise would
be met. Similarly we have a right to
be proud of the fact that on the in
slant resumption Of target practice
the Workmanship. IL anything, showed
a slight improvement after the acci-
dent. II was a good thing 10 have the
Texas, for instance, as soon as she had
rendered assistance TO the Missouri.
steam out TO resume practice with
the great guns and 10 make one Of the
best records that had yet been made.
Il congratulate and thank Admiral
Barker and those under him for the
showing that has been made. have
written separately concerning Capt
cowles. Acting Gunner r. =. Cox. Chief
Gunner's Mate NJ. Monssen, and Gun
ner's Mate G. s. Schepke
(Signed) Theodore Roosevelt"