Milford chronicle., 1905-07-28
SAILORS KILLED
/ ON BENNINGTON
Boiler ExplOdes on United States
+ GunbOat at San Diego, Cal.
IS DEAD AND 4s WOUNDED

NeA DOi are accounted Tor. EXpl0ra-
uon Of the vessels hold continues
rs 1t is rapidly emptied OF water.
The summary of the situation is:
Dead, 5S; wounded, 46; uninjured. 90:
deserted, 1 total number of crew be-
fore accident, 1877.
c. A. Mumper was found alive and
uninjured, blotting out any missing
list Seven men are still in a critical |
condition in the hospital.
The BenningtOn's interior presents
q disordered appearance Boiler B,
which exploded first is seen to have
moved 15 feet aft, and the two ex-
ploded boilers are tammed against a
steel bulkhead. The condition in the
engine room is such that it will prob
ably take two days to discover the
Gull amount of the damage there. ,
The warship had received orders
from the navy department at Washing
ton to sail for Port Hartford TO meet \
the monitor Wyoming and convoy the =
monitor to Mare Island navy yard. San
Francisco
Steam was up and everything was IN
readiness for the departure of the Ben !.
nington, when the starboard boiler ex- =,
ploded with a deafening roar The ex- ~
plosion was terrific. People standing =,
on shore saw a huge cloud of steam a.
rise above the Bennington. Columns a.
of water were forced high into the -
air. A dozen or Is men were blown W.
overheard by the force of the terrific uS
explosion. Captain Wentworth. who III
was looking at the Bennington when i3 ID
ehe disaster occurred, says he saw III
human bodies hurled over 100 feet IN
ward The air was clouded with smoke. tn'
which enVeloped the ship. When the ma
haze cleared away only a few men ma
could be seen on the decks while
number were foundering in the water ma
a boat was lowered from the vessels asi
siue ana most Of the men in the water ~" pe9
were picked up and taken on board. 70
Terrible Scenes On Ship. and
On board the Bennington were nre.
sented terrible scenes. The force of
The explosion had torn a great hole Thi
IN the starbOard side of the shin and
he vessel was already commencing N
% list. A section of the upper decIT tn 1
vas carried away from stem to stern. heal
$1,000 and wrecl1age was distributed pile
'ver the entire ship, the after cabin tual
nd that part of the ship adjacent To and
he exploded boiler resembling a char boar
" M .'oqss July
me boiler which exploded. it is said. nicic
Ias regarded as unsafe Commander sim
oung stated that during a recent re- ana
irn from Honolulu the steam pres. al 4.
IRE was kept reduced in that mar 80,
cular one. y, oei u'
At the time of the accident Com - -
ander Lucien Young and Surgeon F. 80.
Feck were on shore. The two Off
RS, as soon as they learned of the ia, .,as
saster, hurried to the water front 9, 1le /
'mmander Young, as soon as he VIZ, VIZ
ached the ship, gave orders that the ,,, i,'sr
right compartments be closed IN VIII
event the listing ship from sinking MISS
d that the magazine be flooded To 3
ached the shin 9p'UslSns at biaS t;a lie then iowa
The ferryboat Ramona. which was
ept cbono,od its IN Vi 'ile ac son W
the aid of the stricken warship. The - -lS
launch General De Russev uo!i
! a large number of other launches anne
water craft which we're neal. the 'ellOe
ne at the time also rushed to the II
istance Of the Bennington. that C.
ne bodies Of many of the men taken nVe pc
N the wrecked interior Of the shin Bigler
e mutiated almost beyond recoeni- eue W.
The faces of many We're covered sons
blood and ashes, Some bodies 'le no
Z never be identified. crime
emporary quarters ashore were ar blgier
pod for fhn NfrtsNQo5 ...a 81 AudI
inferred and hurried in IN Ciel1eis ler W;
relief Of those on the ship. Some nrst az
he volunteers were unable to stand nllhati'
sickening sight which met their an app
on the Bennington. AS fast as the iaIiiiy
nded could he removed tbo,, -. in a C
led in ambuIapcae carr;os-os ~. from al
and automobiles to hospitals. For
ng time the hot steam prevented
IS % the space between decks. SWt
re most Of the dead bodies lay. and Speeial
as not until late in the afternoon nent
the last were removed from the Sfocl,
r rooms. Several bodies were So Cabinet
ly wedged in by a bulkhead that commits
woodwork had to be hewed awav ago bv
ae them. on tbo
st OF the men on board were as meet n
uO0A9' @DOFe the Dol secession
: iiei sne eAl'losion occurred. Here The c.
'e,e lhe most irightful slaughter ly that
pace. NO one iiYing has been adopted
= eeseIlDe "hat happened there, presente
VIZ Witnesses exist IN the blood poses tn
eu Wails' II IS from between its willil
been taken. the nov,
rty-seven Of the Dead Buried. repeal OF
.y-seven of the dead we're hurled solution
ommon grave in the little mill quest is
smetery on the crest of the nro- the Norv
ry Of Iona. high above the wa have dec
,in Dieso Day on Ihe one side Found (
lii,H souHu Ol tne booming Pa- Altoona
lne o'her' Wltnout the crash Patterson
4 or me NnLlun Oh nra.l uuLLur.lLI