Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-25

sembled between decks, above the
boilers, when the explosion occurred.
Here is where the most frightful
slaughter took place. No one living
has been able to describe what hap
pened there, but the vivid witnesses
exist in the, blood smeared walls 1t
is from between decks that most of
the dead bodies have been taken.
Hun1-n Fragments Blown In Air.
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 hui
man uoules hurled over hundred
| feet upwa. |.
The air wa. black with the smoke
which enveloped the ship. When it
cleared away only few men could
| be seen on the decks while number
were foundering in the water, A boat
was lowered from the vessels side
land most of them were picked up and
taken on board.
On board WIS presented terrible
scene. The force Of the explosion
had torn great hole in the star
board side of the ship and the vessel
was already commencing to list. A
A section of the upper deck was car
ried away from stem to stern.
Blood Covers Entire Ship.
Blood and wreckage was distrib-
uted over the entire ship, the after
cabin and the vicinity of the ship
adjacent to the exploded boiler re-
sembling a charnel house. Over it
all hung a great cloud of white smoke,
which drifted slowly toward the Coro-
nado shore.
The shock of the explosion pene-
trated every s,ction of the ship,
blood and ashes being found as far
as the stern of the captains cabin
Portions CT the upper deck were car
ried away and great damage was done
in all sections.
Both officers and men who were not
seriously injured acted heroically and
promptly. Pumps were manned to
keep the water from the upper COM
partments, the magazines flooded and
men fought their way through the
steam into the darkened hold to
search for their comrades. In the
worst danger, and when it was feared
the ship would sink before it could
be beached, the young officers and
men stuck manfully to their posts.
Hundreds Rush to Rescue.
Hundreds of small craft which dot
ted the bay hurried to the rescue. The
ferryboat Ramona was coming across
to San Diego. Capt. Bertelsen imme-
diately gave orders to change the
course of the boat, and instead of con-
tinuing his trip hurried to the aid of
the stricken warship The tug Santa
Fe which was tied up at the COM
mercial wharf, the launch Mckinley,
the government launch. General De
Russey, and large number of other
launches and water craft which were
near the scene at the time, also rushed
to the vessel.
By the time the Ramona had arrived
many, of the sailors of the Bennington,
who had jumped into the bay had
been rescued and the removal of the
wounded, which already had been
commenced, was being conducted in
perfect order. Crews of the Santa Fe,
De Russey and Mckinley and the 9TH
er boats present lent yeoman aid in
picking up the wounded sailors and
transferring them to the shore.
Strive to Rescue Comrades.
A most horrible sight met those who
approached. In the water men with
blackened faces were struggling, handi-
| capped by injuries; others on deck
were covered with blood and CRIME,
some dead. some wounded frightfully,
Others working to rescue comrades
who we're yet below, either dead or
dying.
| The smaller boats turned their at
tention to those in the water, taking
them to the wharves as fast as few
had been taken aboard the small craft.
At the wharves preparations were
speedily made for taking care of the