The Washington times., 1905-07-22
Disaster Was Mitigated
By Unpaid Accounts

SAN DIEGO, Cal, July 22.-only a
little tangle over unpaid bills. yet it
saved scores of lives.
Commander Young was in the city
settling Up his accounts, or the Ben
nington would have been at sea when
the terrible explosion occurred.
The result then can only be conjec-
tured. But such conjecture offers the
| prospect OF a ship at the bottom of the
sea and her entire complement dead.
Watchers and idIers on the wharves.
shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. heard a n1uffled roar The gunboat
was blotted out in a white cloud of
binding vapor.
Biackened, torn and almost disman-
tied, the Bennington, ripped asunder by
the explosion of her boilers. lies on khe
harbOr beach, while fifty-five of her
crew. SWathed and bandaged are ia
hospitals and homes OF San Diego.
At Work ALI Night.
All night divers worked steadily to re-
cover from the twisted and torn interior
of the ship. the bodies Of the engine
crew
Crowds of curious people flock about
the harbor watching the work. The
heroic effort OF the survivors whose
discipline was unshaken by the terrible
1ioeAokCA 10 tit~ otIDJNNt VI it4HtA CUM
ment.
Lieut. Newman K Perry was the only
officer killed by the explosion. He was
acting officer of the deck and stood
directly over the exploding boilers on
the upper fore deck He was burned
almost beyond recognition by the steam.
and struck by flying objects He died
after five hours of suffering
Ensign Sahm was burned about the
face and hands, but not seriously.
Among the Jackies who jumped over
board and We're rescued was J. H
Turpin; who was blown up with the
battleship Maine in Havana harbor, and
was unconscious for six months.
Two Boilers Exploded.
Boiler b on the starboard side ex-
| pIoded and. buci1ling back on boiler ID
| like a fash there came a. second expio-
sion. This much has since been deter
mined by an examination,
| But the only men who knew what
really happened down in that hell Of
| boiling wafer and sealding steam viii
never be able to tell their story. Death
came to them swiftly down there in the
! boiler room.
| Those on deck Jared little better From
/ every ventilator there shot streams Of
/ boiling water and over all settled the
! biting steam. Men left that ship like
rats. men with awful injuries, went
| over the side and into the water below.
| One seaman with great strips of flesh
/ literally peeling from his arms and legs
| swan to the shore. Another nan, his
| legs broken by Il flying tillber. made his
| way TO the nearest landing.
Brave Yankee Tars-
| Many men who were on the upper
| deck when the explosion came escaped
| injury. Their action in the face OF
| death by drowning shall stand forever
a credit TO the American jackie.
The vessel was listing to starboard.
/ No man knew when she might sink
/ These brave American sailors forgot
| their own danger and set about caring
| for those of their shipmates who were
| too badly hurt TO get over the side
Men were screaming and writhtng on
! the deck. helpless in the rain Of hot
water and steam. Their shipmates burst
! through the cloud and carried them
away to places of safety.
! San Diego, appalled, at the news.
( flOcked To the water front. Men threw
/ off their coats and worked like demons
/ tC rescue the injured men. The tug
Santa F'e steamed up, and taking the
bennington in tow, beached her be-
! tween the SpreCkles and Santa Ee
/ whaTves.
The lower compartments were already
flooded. An officer ordered the bulk.
heads closed.
Dead Sealed Up.
These sealed compartments hold
! good many secrets today When they
| are opened the list OF dead will be longer
and many will be accounted for.
Lieut.. Newman X. Perry was the off,
Ger of the deck at the time of the exc
/ plosion- He was found in the wheel-
house feaTfully scalded but conscious
| When the rescuing party picked hlu
Iup he raised one blisteged hand, cooked
/ t othe hone. and called out:
t TO the bone. and called out:
| In his awful pain, this brave man re-
rnembered the wife he left in Honolulu,
| When he was being transferred tc ti1a
| hospital he dictated a telegram he res
! quested be sent at once. This is Lh@