The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-04-22
HOW NEUMANN
CAME TO HIS
DEATH
Story Of Disaster
On BattIeship
Missouri.

PENSACOLA, (Fla.). April 1S.-The
most appalling disaster in the history
Of the American Navy since the blow
ing up of the Maine in Havana harbor
IN 1898 occurred on board the first-class
aattieship Missouri here today, when
1000 pounds of smokeless powder ex-
sloded. killing twenty-nine officers and
men outright and injuring five more,
two of whom will die. The dead are
as follows:
Lieutenant w. c. Davidson.
Lieutenant Gunior grade) e. A.
Weichert.
Lieutenant of Marines ]. v. P. Grid
ley.
Midshipman w. L. L. Neumann.
Midshipman Thomas Ward Jr.
Coxswain ]. Bloxopolus.
Boatswain's Mate (first-class) G. X.
Peterson.
Seamen w. j. Bogard, o. N. Solder.
Ralph H. Allison, Ordinary Seamen c.
Rice, X. ]. Kivlen. ]. Gedris, j. F. Ken
nedy, J. r. Starr, ]. c. Num-, Fl. w.
Franks Landsmen H. S. Cherbarth,
f. J. Mulligan, j. NJ. Roche, Electro
sian (second class, T. r. Rowlands,
Gunner's Mate (second class) A.
Smith, Chief Gun Captain T. T..
Belaum, Private Marine w. L. Ship
man. Apprentice (second class) G. c.
Hardy. p. r. Oastler, c. H. Tobin and
j. w Cole.
The two men fatally injured are j..
T. ]. Donnelly, an ordinary seaman,
md o. B. Moe, an apprentice (sec-
ond class.
The accident happened about noon,
-xhile the Missouri, Captain William
5. CowIes commanding, was going
through her first regular target prac-
tice on the range about fifteen miles
distant from the naval station here.
She was accompanied by the Texas
and Brooklyn.
AS only one man of the twenty-five
who composed the crews of the turret
and handling-room survives, the exact
cause of the disaster can only be con-
jectured. 1t is believed that the gun
pointer accidentally fired the fourth
shot of his string from the starboard
gun in the after turret before the
sreech was locked. This was blown
Jpen by the explosion of the powder,
dlling the turret with flaming gases
and hurting the blazing powder into
the handlingroom below, where four
other charges of powder, weighing
nearly 400 pounds each also ignited.
All that is known is that the first
gun pointer in the after turret had
fred his string and the second pointer
had fired the third shot of his string
just before the accident. The open
breech of the gun and the explosion
Of the powder with such terribly fatal
result, leave little room for imagina-
tion, there being but the one theory
failure to lock the b, eech in the anxiety
10 make a record for quick firing.
An instant after the two explosions
IN the turret and handling room fire
quarters were sounded and every man
Of the crew responded the magazine
Ind handling rooms being flooded with
water.
In less than five seconds two streams
of water We're being played in the
rooms, and when volunteers We're called
for every man responded, eager TO go
10 the rescue of their comrades in the
turret.
Captain Cowles issued his commands,
and but for his presence of mind and
that of his officers the Missouri must
have been lost. The second explosion
secured near one of the magazines,
and so hot was the fire that the brass
work of the magazines was melted.
Leading the rescuing party was Cap
tain Cowles. The officers endeavored
10 keep him from going below, as men
were falling unconscious as they en-
tered and had to be pulled out again
by their comrades, but, unheeding their
advice, the commanding officer rushed
below, followed by Lieutenant Ham
mer, the ordnance officer, and Lieuten-
ant Clelland David.
Captain Cowles caught up dying
bluelacket ana staggered to the deck
hlth nm Ihe plueJuCket with two
others from the hundling-room, had
erawled partly from their place of duty
when they had been overcome,
Before the fumes Of the burning pow
der had left the turret officers and men
we're laying out the dead ana DYING
men, Three minutes after lhe explosion
all We're am deck ana the surgeons from
lhe Missouri IrNas and HruullyU We're
=tienhinH al the injured The twenty
hNu men nf the turrat Wprf found lYun
IN a heap ThfY hal started Ton ths
All when tho nfsl tkplusinn p.uurlad
snd had lnHl reached ihru. when Ut
mafr iofFlhl0 eaplaalHu lH hg bHulUHF
mann burned HHi HlmnaIsl lhla a
arAih
ltHHlfnanl nW inr nHtr 10
Aafsf ~ ih WHrl EVIDENTLY na.
sim Hlnf HHWHHi g ll mH H