Evening star., 1905-08-22
NAVAL COURTS VIEW
Report on the Bennington Dis
aSter.
ENSIGN WADE BLAMED
FAILED TO SEE STEAM GAGE WAS
SHUT OFF.
Three Of the Dead Seamen Also
Charged With Neglect Of
Duty.
ENSIGN WADE BLAMED

lect of duty, and the court recommends that
he be court-martialed.
Three enlisted men, members OF the work
ing force In the fire room Of the Bennington.
all Of whom were killed, are held partially
to blame for the disaster by neglect Of duty.
These men were D. N. Holland. fireman.
second class; Frank Detourtani. oiler (act-
ing water tender at the time Of the explo-
sion). and e. B. Ferguson. chief machin-
lists mate.
The explosion on the Bennington was
caused. according to the written opinion OF
the court. by excessive steam pressure In
boiler B. which was the first to explode.
That explosion forced boiler aft upon boit-
er D, which in turn exploded The con-
nections Of all four boilers of the vessel
were broken. and the scalding steam. carry
ing with it water. ashes and fire. went with
terrific force all over the ship.
Closing Of the Valve.
'-The closing OF the valve connecting boil
er with its steam gage. instead Of the
shutting off Of the aircock alone. as was in
tended rendered the steam gage useless.
not pound OF steam being recorded Even
this was not noticed by the fire room work.
ers.
THE pressure on the boiler went rapidly
higher and higher under heavy firing in the
furnaces, and the boiler succumbed to the
strain in its weakest place. afterward found
middle furnace. This collapsed with the
terrible result which marks the Bennington
disaster as the worst accident ever known
to the American navy. Holland. 1t IL shown,
shut of the wrong valve. Courtani and Fer
guson failed to observe the gage. as 1t was
their duty to do"
Ensign Wade Is held culpable because he
failed to see that the sentinel and safety
valves on boiler were in good working
order.
80 far as the court could learn through It's
Investigation there was nothing to show
that the safety valves blew OF at any time
during the morning of the accident It was
shown, too. that there was record Of the
safety valve of boiler having been over
were given to do this in March :ast: but
there Is no record to show that tha orders
were carried out
Accepted Statement of Subordinates.
It was shown that Ensign Wade accepted
the statement OF subordinates that the
safety valves were In good condition and
set according to the pressure which was
being put on the boilers. Furthermore. It
was shown that the safety valves were
set to blow OF at 145 pounds pressure al
though several weeks before the accident
orders had been given not to carry more
than 13O or 135 pounds of steam. The safety
valves were not changed. although this or
der was clearly understood. 1t was shown
also that the handgear for working the
Salety waive was not IN WORKING OrQer.
The proceedings of the court Indicate that
there was great negligence in the engine
room of the Bennington. Notwithstanding
the fact that the steam gage on boiler Is
showed no pressure, the firing was pushed
heavily. D. N. Holland second class nre-
man, was firing boiler at the time OF the
explosion, as well as before. He Is held to
blame for shutting off. by mistake. the
gage. instead of shutting off the aircock as
directed by Frank Courtani. the acting
water tender. Courtant told Holland TO
shut off the aircock, and Holland immedi-
ately climbed up and closed a valve. The
steam gage Immediately failed to show
pressure No one observed that the gage
was not working, and the firing. went on.
Opinion of the Court.
The opinion of the court follows:
1.-THE court is Of the opinion that the ex-
plosion was caused by excessive steam
pressure in boiler B, which came about
first. by shutting the valve connecting the
boiler with the steam gage instead OF the
valve on the aircock alone, as was in
tended. so that the steam gage did not
indicate the pressure in the boiler; second
by unusual and heavy firing in the boiler to
get up a pressure which the gage failed
to show; third, by the failure of the SEN
tinel and safety valves to lift at the press
ure for which they We're set, and the
pressure increased without reIier until II
was beyond the strength Of the boiler,
which gave way in its weakest part, after
ward found to be the corrugated fiue OF
No. 2. the lowest or middle furnace. wnlcn
collapsed.
The court Is also of the opinion that D.
N. Holland. fireman. second class. United
States navy, who was the fireman on duty
firing boiler b at and before the time of
the explosion. did. by mistake, shut off the
steam valve connecting boiler b with its
steam gage. instead oof the aircock, as
directed. thus preventing the gage from
recording the steam pressure in its boiler:
that Frank De Courtani, oier, acting water
tender. United States navy. on watch in
charge of this boiler from about 9:16 am
until the time of the explosion. did fail to
observe that this steam gage was not re-
cording and did continue pushing the fires
on this boiler. and further, when leaks de-
veloped from excessive pressure, did fail to
relieve this pressure, which should have
been done at once; that E. B. Ferguson,
chief machinists mate, United States navy
on watch in charge of the engine and fire
rooms, did fail to inspect boiler b under
his charge while steam was being raised,
and did fail to cause this steam gage to
be connected with the boiler The said D.
N. Holland. fireman. second class, United
States navy; Frank De Courtani. oiier,
United States navy, and E. 3. Ferguson
chief machinist's mate. United States navy,
are now all dead and therefore no further
proceedings can be taken against them.
''The court Is of the further opinion that
further proceedings should be had in the
case of Ensign Charles T. Wade, United
States navy, who was in charge of the en-
g1neering department Of the u s. 8. Ben
nington at the time of the explosion and
since October %, 1904, In this that he, the
said Ensign Charles T. Wade, United States
navy, did fail in his own person to see that
the safety valve2 on boiler b was over
hauled at the proper time and kept in good
working order, but did accept the verbal
statement of his subordinate or subordi-
mates that 1t had been overhauled In March,
1905: and further. that he. the said Ensign
Charles T. Wade. United States navy, did
fail to keep the sentinel valves on the boil
ers in good working order and further that
he. the said Ensign Charles T. Wade
United States navy, did fail to cause the
safety and sentinel valves on all boilers to
be tested In accordance with article 16On
paragraph IL. United States Navy Regula-
tions. 1905; in all of which he. the said En-
sign Charles T. Wade. United States navy,
in charge Of the engineering department Of
the u. 8. 8. Bennington, was negligent In
the performance of his duty. and the court
recommends that he, the said Ensign
Charles r. Wade. United States navy be
brought to trial before a general court
martial"
Mary Mapes Dodge Dead.