Democratic messenger., 1905-07-29
SAILORS KILLED
ON BENNINGTON
Boiler Explodes on United States
Gunboat at San Diego, Cal.
IS DEAD AND 46 WOUNDED

San Diego. Cal. July 25.-All men
CONNECTED with the United States
gunboat Bennington at the time of
the fatal boiler explosion In San Diego
harbor are accounted for. Explora-
ton of the vessels hold continues
as It is rapidly emptied OF water.
The summary of the situation is:
Dead. 5S; wounded, 46; uninjured. 80;
deserted. /; total number of crew be-
fore accident. 1877.
c. A. Mumper was found alive and
uninjured. blotting out any missing
list Seven men are still in a critical
condition In the hospital.
The Bennington's interior presents
q disordered appearance. Boiler B.
which exploded first. is seen to have
moved Is feet aft. and the two ex-
ploded boilers are jammed against
steel bulkhead. The condition in the
engine room is such that it will prob
ably take two days to discover the
full amount of the damage there.
The warship had received orders
from the navy department at Washing
ton to sail for Port Hartford to meet
the monitor Wyoming and convoy the
monitor to Mare Island navy yard, San
Francisco.
Steam was up and everything was In
readiness for the departure of the Ben
nington. when the starboard boiler ex-
ploded with a deafening roar The ex-
plosion was terrific. People standing
on shore saw a huge cloud OF steam
rise above the Bennington. Columns
OF water were forced high into the
overheard by the force of the terrific
explosion. Captain Wentworth, who
was looking at the Bennington when
the disaster occurred, says he saw
human bodies hurled over 100 feet up
ward. The air was clouded with smoke,
which enveloped the ship. When the
haze cleared away only a few men
could be seen on the decks, while a
number were foundering in the water.
A boat was lowered from the vessels
side and most of the men in the water
were picked up and taken on board.
Terrible Scenes On Ship.
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 shin and
the vessel was already commencing
to list. A section of the upper deck
was carried away from stem to stern.
Blood and wreckage was distributed
over the entire ship, the after cabin
and that part of the ship adjacent to
the exploded boiler resembling a char.
mel house.
The boiler which exploded. II is said.
was regarded as unsafe. Commander
Young stated that during a recent re-
turn from Honolulu the steam pres
sure was kept reduced in that par
ticular one.
At the time of the accident Com
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon F.
4. Peck were on shore. The two off,
GERS as soon as they learned of the
disaster. hurried to the water front
Commander Young. as soon as he
reached the ship. gave orders that the
alright compartments be closed to
prevent the listing ship from sinking.
and that the magazine be flooded to
avert further explosions. He then
beached the ship at high tide.
The ferryboat Ramona. which was
crossing the bay at the time of the ac-
cident. changed its course and hurried
to the aid of the stricken warship. 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
assistance of the Bennington.
The bodies of many of the men taken
from the wrecked interior of the shin
were mutilated almost beyond recogni
ton. The faces of many were covered
with blood and ashes. Some bodies
may never be identified.
Most OF the men on board were as
sembled between decks, above the boi-
lers. when the explosion occurred. Here
10 where the most frightful slaughter
took place. No one living has been
able to describe what happened there.
but vivid witnesses exist in the blood
smeared walls. 1t is from between
decks that most of the dead bodies
have been taken.