Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-07-27
AGUNBOAT WRECKED
United States Vessel Il Disabled IN
San Diego, CAL, HaEbOr.
rHIRrY.FOUR Dead MANY INJURED.
Exploding Boiler Kills or Injuries
Practically the Entire Grew
Worst Accident Since Sink
ing of the Maine.

history Of the American navy except
ing the sinking Of the Maine In Ha-
yana harbor occurred In San Diego
BAY shortly after 1890 g. m. Friday.
ON board the United States gunboat
Bennington. At o moment when the
warship, lying at anchor and with her
ofl,cers and crew quietly attending TO
their duties on board, as the object Oh
interest to hundreds Of people observ
ing her on piers, pleasure boats and
passing ferry boats, cloud Of steam
ksuddenly burst from Q point Just for-
ward of the smokestack out Of which
the spectators were Mortified to SEQ
bodies and human fragments hurled
high in the air and scattered over the
surrounding water.
The outburst was accompanied BY q
roar as Of thunder and shock which
rocked vessels nearby. In an instant
the air was filed with shrieks and
bellows Of pain from the wounded,
which could be heard ashore, and with
flying fragments of human beings ana
pieces Of the ships superstTucture.
The next moment bleeding sailors
were fighting,, crippled. in the water
against death in only q less sudden
form than that from which they had
escaped, while row boats, sail boats,
launches and tugs were being driven
to the rescue as fast as arms, wind
and steam could carry them.
A ferryboat, which was passing
nearby, turned and FASTENED TO rem.
der assistance, her own deck crowded
with frightened men and women who
saw the havoc wrought in q twinNing.
At the time Of the accident Com
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon A.
q Peck were on shore. The two ON"
GERS. az soon as they learned OF the
disaster, hurried to the water front.
where Commander Young Immediately
took charge.
On board the Bennington were pre-
sented terrible scenes. The force OF
the explosion had torn a great hole IN
the starboard side Of the ship and
the vessel was already commencing
10 list. A section of the upper deck
was carried away from stem to stern.
Blood and wreckage was distributed
over the entire ship, the aftef-cabin
and the vicinity Of the ship adjacent
to the exploded boiler resembling q
charnel house. Over 1t all hung the
great cloud Of white smoke which
drifted slowly toward the coronado
shore.
A dozen or fifteen were blown over
board by the force Of the terrific ex-
plosion. Capt Wentworth, who was
looking at the Bennington when the
disaster occurred, says he saw human
bodies hurled over hundred feet up
ward. The air was black with smoke
which enveloped the ship. When 1t
cleared away only few men could
be seen on the decks, while q number
were floundering in the water. A boat
was lowered from the vessels side and
most Of them were picked up and
taken on board.
The shock Of the explosion penetrate
ed every section Of the ship blood
and ashes being found as far as the
stern Of the captains cabin. Por-
lions Of the upper deck were carried
away and great damage was done in
all sections.
All the available launches FASTENED
to the wreck while most Of the row.
boats along the bay were brought In
10 use.
Commander Young, as soon as he
reached the ship, gave orders that the
air-tight compartments be closed to
prevent the listing ship sinking and
that the magazines be flooded to avert
further explosions.
For long time the hot steam pre-
vented access to the space between
decks where most Of the dead bodies
lay, and It was not until late In the
afternoon that the last were removed
from the boiler rooms. Several bod
Les were so tightly wedged in BY q
bulkhead that the woodwork had to
be hewn away TO free them
The boiler which exploded, It 10
said, was regarded as unsafe Com
mander Young stated that during .
recent return trip from Honolulu the
steam pressure was kept reduced In
that particular ona When the ex-
plosion occurred Engineer Nelson was
inspecting the boilers as q preliminary
TO the vessels leaving port He was
not seriously injured. 0ficers and
men who were able 10 assist in rescue
acted in q brave and collected manner.
Washington, July 22-The navy Dc.
partment has received dispatch
from Commander Young saying that
Lieut. PeaFy and 50 men are dead 70
wounded and p missing, and that
many are expected to die before morn
ing. He adds that there were iSi CO.
ualties altogether
san Diego, Cal. July sa.--Thsy buried
the Bennlngton's dead sunday-AI q
them IN q common grave On the crest
az the promontoFy Of Iona, high
above the shimmering waters Of san
DIEGO BAY, on the one side, and with
in sound Of Tie booming SUIT Of me
Pacihc On the other. thsy were lala