The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-25

the vessel was in San Francisco last
year the talk Of defective boilers again
arose. but no steps were taken to rem
edy them. The upper deck amldship
presents mass of wreckage The
smokestacks were blown out of place
and the superstructure is bent and
twisted in all sorts Of shapes The
plates on the side are buIged out and
leaks in a number of places are letting
In the water
John Turpin, colored man. of the
crew, who was on board the Maine
when she was blown up in Havana.
was on board the Bennington and
again escaped injury. He rendered val
liable aid rescuing the dead and
wounded.
Out of the confusion that followed
the disaster and the work of rescue
come thrilling stories Of heroism and
self-sacrifice. The bravery of the crew
was commented on by all who had op-
pOrtunities to witness the scenes. Men
who were badly injured and scalded
worked to rescue those who were
worse off than themselves, and all the
special Instances of heroism of the dis
aster probably will never be fully writ
ten. The self-sacrificing efforts on the
part of the physicians and scores of
nurses were also commented Oh with
praise for ali. Every one who could
be made useful at the hospitals was
put to work, and those who could not
were asked to return and relieve those
who were accepted.
Fireman E. e. Hopp makes the first
statement as to the cause of the acci-
dent He says that shortly before the
explosion one of the boilers was found
tC be leaking badly, and the boiler
maker was sent for to repair the dam
age.
Before the latter came the explosion
occurred. Hopp saw men all about
him killed outright and he himself was
stunned for a moment.
The dead will be given a military
burial Sunday afternoon at the mill
tary reservation at Point Iona. Ser
vices will be held at O'Clock on the
point, and launches will convey across
the bay the living officers and men
able to attend.
Scenes at the hospitals today were
trying to those unused to them. At
Agnew sanitarium 81 men lay swath-
ed in bandages, many Of them having
their features covered with masks Of
medicated cotton, with only openings
for the mouth and nostrils. Nearly all
suffered severely about the hands or
neck.
Not more than three men were in
any one room and the arrangements
for caring for them was complete in
every detail. There were nurses and to
spare. Every one of the poor fellows
had at his bedside a trained nurse,
who anticipated every movement, and
did everything to assuage pain.
Many physicians, volunteers from
among capable practitioners, We're
dressing the terrible injuries and in
ing efforts for the brave boys of the
Bennington.
DR.. NJ. II. Foster, himself almost an
invalid, on leave from his post at the
marine hospital on Puget Sound, came
bravely to the front yesterday and
took entire charge of the injured. When
seen today at Agnew hospital he was
lying upon a couch and smilingly con-
fessed that he was ''all in."
Although suffering from long Pc
riod of nervous prostration, DR.. Eos
ter's services in the terrible ordeal
that followed yesterdays disaster have
been invaluable.
Conspicuous among those at Ag-
news today was the venerable Span
ish priest, Father Ubach, of ST. Jo-
seph5s parish, who went from cot to
cot, speaking words of comfort and
cheer to the suffering sailors.
Dr. Gochnauer, in charge of Agnew
is one of the heroes of the
disaster. He it was who looked after
every detail of caring for the injured
during the hours immediately follow
ing the explosion. In twenty minutes
after the news of the catastrophe
reached the hospital he had arranged
for fifty additional beds in the insti-
tuition, secured quantities of bandages,
etc, and summoned all the
nurses to be had. Seventy-three men
were taken to Agnew sanitarium.
Washington, July 22.-The details of
the explosion on the United States gun
boat Bennington ct San Diego, as as
certained by Commander Lucien Young
were received al the navy department
at lis o'clock tonight, in long tel
egram from the commander. Il ap
pears from the telegram that small
leak had been discovered in boiler s.,
and the boiler maker was on his way
to repair it, and was passing through
he engine room when the explosion
occurred.
The dispatch follows:
"San Diego. Cal, July %, 1905.
Secretary Navy. Washington, D. G.:
Il have employed stevedores and la
Derers rom shore and am making ev-
cry effort to STOP leaks and recover
lead still under wreckage and boilers.
[ believe principal leak is at bottom
below pipe and leak under rudder head.
Many seams shaken loose and leaking.
Ship at high tide is filled with We
.er two feet above main deck on low
,r side Fire engine was enjoyed last
hight to pump out water but was un-
successful. I am now rigging big cen
will hn q n