Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22
LOCAL NAVAL
CIRCLES STUNNED
News Of Bennington Disaster
at Department.

Officials of the Navy Department and
naval and army officers on duty in Wash
ington were appalled, when the news came
from San Diego telling Of the disaster
which overcame the gunboat Bennington.
In a brief telegram Commander Lucien
Young. commanding the vessel, announced
the explosion and said that nearly every
body was killed or wounded.
Acting Secretary OF the Navy Darling
and Captain Potter, acting chief of the
bureau Of navigation. were promptly in
conference, with the result that an order
was sent forthwith to the commandant OF
the navy yard at Mare Island to send Capt.
Drake captain of the yard and such medi-
cal officers as were available to San Diego
as quickly as possible, a telegram announc-
ing this action being Immediately sent to
Commander Young. Another telegram was
sent to the President at Oyster Bay con-
Veylns to him the news of the calamity.
AS Rear Admiral Goodrich, commander-in-
chief of the Pacific station, Is cruising in
Alaskan waters, he was so far from the
scene of the explosion as to preclude the
possibility of sending any of the ships of
his squadron to San Diego The supply
ship Iris and the tugboat Fortune were
ordered to proceed from San Francisco to
San Diego, in connection with the Benning-
ton disaster.
Telegram From Young.
The Navy Department last night received
the following telegram from Commander
Young of the Bennington:
AT 1o:l5 this morning, while making
preparations for getting under way with all
hands at their stations the top OF the lower
furnace of boiler B exploded. forcing the
boiler astern In contact with boiler "A
which was also forced astern and ex-
ploded. He gave the known casualties.
and continued:
vessel listed considerably to starboard.
commenced to settle Immediately: flooded
magazines, and with assistance of ting
beached on east bank between two wbarves
at high tide Every assistance has hear
given by the people here and all doctors IN
CITY volunteered services. The wounded
are In different hospitals and have everv
attention. Capt. Scott kindly offered San
Diego barracks, and will quarter men there
Seven bodies pinned behind boilers; unable
10 identity; cutting away bulkheads to re-
cover. Vessel almost total wreck and
Will need assistance. Soon as further mar
ticulars can be obtained will wire REQUEST
department to notify nearest relatives
Acting Secretary Darling and officers of
the bureau of navigation were at the
department last night awaiting the details
which Commander Young sent the de-
POiA ny iSScIpI VI lile message
giving the list of killed and injured Mr.
Darling at once had telegram sent to the
next to kin Of each of the dead as follows:
Department regrets to report that
was killed this morning by bursting of a
boiler on the Bennington. You have the
sincere sympathy of the department in your
loss"
To Commander Young the following was
sent:
Department panied to hear OF so dis
tressing an accident Do all things possible
to alleviate suffering of wounded and show
respect for dead"
The Navy Department subsequently re-
ceiyed a dispatch from Commander Young
saying that Lieut. Perry and thirty-three
men are dead. seventy-six wounded and
twenty-one missing, and that many are
expected to die before morning. He added
that there were 131 casualties altogether