The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-22
HORRIBLE CATASTROPHE
ON GUNBOAT BENNINGTON
Continued from Pace

ON GUNBOAT BENNINGTON
Continued from Page 1.
oped the ship. When it cleared away
only few men could be seen on the
decks while number were floundering
IN IN the water A boat was lowered from
the vessels side and most of them were
packed up and taken on board.
Great Damage to Vessel.
every section OF the ship, blood and
ashes being found as far as the stern
upper deck We're carried away and great
damage was done in all sections
All the available launches FASTENED TO
the wreck; while most OF the rowboats
along the bay We're brought into use
MOST or the dead and injured were
Idken ashore where the undertakers and
taking charge Of the dead and the lat
ter to minister 10 the needs OF the hv-
The bodies of many of the men taken
from the wrecked interior of the ship
We're mutilated almost beyond recog-
milton; The faces of many We're covered
with blood and ashes.
Magazines Flooded.
Commander Young, as soon as he
reached the ship gave orders that the
alright compartments be closed to pre-
the magazines be flooded to avert further
explosions
temporary quarters ashore were ar
ranged for the wounded and sixty citi-
zens volunteered and hurried in launches
20 the relief of those on the Inflated
ship. some of the volunteers were I'm
able to stand the sickening sight which
met their gaze on the Bennington. AS
last as the wounded could be removed
they were hurried in ambulances, car
riages. wagons and automobiles to the
hospitals For a long time the hot steam
prevented access to the space between
decks where most of the dead bodies lay,
and II was not until late in the after
Thn
the boiler rooms. Several bodies were
tightly Wedged i'm BY a buIkhead and
to free them. Most Of the bodies yet
unidentified have been manRled, most
beyond hope Of recognition.
Known to Be Unsafe.
The boiler Which exploded, it is said,
vas regarded as unsafe. Commander
1oung stated that during d recent
turn from Honolulu the steam pressure
was kept reduced In that particular one.
when the explosion occurred Engineer
nelson was inspecting the boilers as a
preliminary to the vessels leaving port.
lie was not seriously injured. Officers
ana men who were able to assist in res
cue acted in a brave and collected man
ner- Pumps were manned 10 keep the
water from the upper compartments. the
magazine was flooded and men fought
their way through the steam into the
darkened hold TO search for their COM
rades. In the worst danger and when
It was feared the ship would sink before
she could be beached, the young officers
Albert II. Ryan of this city, who was
rowing near the ship at the time of the
accident. plunged into the water and res
The ships inner works are a tangled
mass Of machinery and she probably will
have to be dismantled in order to examine
her injuries.
Story of Lieutenant.
charge of the Bennington, at the time of
the disaster was in the aft cabin. He
rushed out, TO be met by binding,
vessel Speaking Of the occurrence, he
said:
Il must have remained seated in my
chair several seconds after it occurred and
did not know what had happened. I
then rushed out and the steam even at
so dense that L could not get "A breath
of air until L assembled the rail-
Only a Few Responded.
AS I ran forward 1 passed one of our
boys crawling along on his belly There
was no time to attend to individual cases
there were so maryland they seemed
almost like an indistinct memory TO me-
About thirty of the boys were on the fore
deck all badly wounded. 1 called for
men to man the boats and only about
twelve. including officers, responded All
driven over the side by the scalding
steam
Although I did not anticipate a great
deal of danger from fire, from the nature
of the explosion L Immediately had all
cOmpartme tents closed and the forward
magazine was also flooded TO assure
safety. The boat listed sharply to star
board Immediately after the explosion.
Extent of Disaster Unknown.
@We have no means as yet of ascer-
tanning the extent of the number of in
jured AS far as can be learned. a part
of the furnace fell against the oiler.
which exploded 1t was forced aft and
il is probable that the other boilers ex-
ploded Immediately afterward and the
steam pipes were wrecked, Hberatng the
steam. Every man in the engine rooms
at the time must have met death. We
cannot tell yet how great is the leak The
holes are probably small, but we would
have sunk had we not had the ship tOwed
ashore. The ship may be complete
wreck below, however. as far as can be
to-, at the present time
-Four bodies are still in sight in the
boiler room, under the wreckage. and they
will be secured as soon as possible Men
are now at work cutting hole into the
other engine room through the bulknead.
Story of the Sailors.
1.-THE explosion happened at the very
worst possible time said one Of the
jaCkies, and I can't figure out how
happen to be alive. The engine room
for sea some of the boys were up on the
fOrecaStie and most of us were down on
the berth deck just aft of the boiler room
which exploded 1t happened all at once
The whole deck seemed to lift in front
OF us and cloud of white steam swept
aft over the berth deck. scalding every
one. Many Of the boys jumped over
board. but 7 think that all could swim
and they were picked up by the boats.
which were lowered Immediately. Ensign
Perry was our officer OF the day. He
was standing on the foredeck just aft Of
the chart house. He was badly hurt, as
he was directly above the boiler that eX-
pIoded. Most of the boys of the fore
deck were burned, as the steam kept
rising right up from the boiler ROOM