The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-21
TESTIMONY Is
STRICKEN OUT
Commander Young's Attorney Sue
cessful With Objections.
DIAGRAMS ALSO DITCHED
COAL PAssER's EVIDENCE GETS
THROUGH.
DIAGRAMS ALSO DITCHED

Mare Island Cal, Sept. zO.-The
Young court-martial convened at 10
O'Clock.
Charles Buskirk a fireman OF the
nrst class, in charge of the Benning-
toms steam launches, when asked as to
having heard the safety valves of boil
er c blow off, replied that he had. on
the way from Honolulu TO san Diego.
Al the time of the disastrous explosion
ne was on the starbOard of the berth
deck and did not hear the safety valves
blow off. He had never heard boiler
BIS safety valve blow off. He said the
sentinel valves failed to lift. He never
saw hand gear used on this deck. it not
being connected for use, and an attempt
TO raise II below was useless. There
was no routine ordering the valves 10
be moved each week. He never saw
any inspection by Commander Young.
Testimony Stricken Out.
Judge Gear examined the wit
ness and asked that the testimony be
stricken out regarding boiler c blowing
on. He was sustained by the court
and the testimony was stricken out re-
garding the lifting gear. The witness
was excused until Thursday. An eX-
duced by Judge Gear was objected to
as not bearing on the charges, and the
objection was sustained.
Lieutenant John Leonard. attached
70 the LaWt0n, was the next witness.
lie testified that he had been executive
officer of the Bennington while Com
mander Young was in command of her.
The hull books were accessible at any
time. He identified his signature 10 an
entry therein. and Judge Gear objected
~ the evidence as the books already
I'D been ruled out. The objection was
sustained and the witness was excused.
Objection Sustained.
j. 5. Fitzgerald ordinary seaman. at
tached 10 the Bennington since 1908.
was the next witness. He was Com
mander YOung's orderly for one month";
and carried during that time the steam
logs 10 the commander every day. The
judge advocate questioned if Comman-
der Young examined the same. This
was objected to by Judge Gear. The
objection was sustained and the wit
ness dismissed.
AT this juncture Judge GeOr objected
TO the presence of two diagrams of
the Bennington as not introduced in ev-
1dence. The diagrams were ordered
turned with their faces to the wall
j. J. NOrthen, a coal passer, was on
the stand at the time of recess.
Present When Boiler Exploded.
At the afternoon session, j. j North
en-, coal passer on the Bennington,
testified that he was on the watch on
the morning OF July q, the day of the
explosion At the time fire was started
in the middle furnace he said boiler 3
was leaking, He was on his way for a
water tender when the explosion oc-
CURED.
Judge Advocate West, who was
called as a witness, produced four blue
prints, drawings of safety valves, senti-
mel valves. lifting gear for sentinel
valves, boilers and arrangement of
boiler mOuntings and dry pipes of the
Bennington. No order having been issued
by the bureau or secretary of the navy
TO have some provided with the blue
prints, Commander Young's attorney
made strong objection to these draw
ings being used as evidence, but the
evidence was oyerruled by the court.
80