The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-07-28
BAD EXPLOSION
ON BENN|NCTON
Fifty Killed and Scores Injured,
Some Fatally, on the
Warship.
BODIES BADLY MuTILATED
Work OF Taking Out the Dead
Bodies Is Proceeding as
Rapidly as Possible.
BODIES BADLY MuTILATED
THE WOUNDED ARE SAVED
1t Is Believed That All Who Were Not
Killed Outright Have Been Sue
c~essfully Transferred from
Ship to Hospitals.


Ship to Hospitals.
San Diego. Cal. July gi.-Broken
and blackened, With her flag ut half
mast and her hold filled with fifteen
inches of water, the United States ship
Bennington lies beached on the shores
of san Diego harbo Thirty-nine of
her crew lie dead at city morGueS, the
fate OF a dozen more is yet undeter-
mined and three score are stretched
upon beds of pain il. various hospitals.
This is the result OF the explosion
which wrecked tho trim little naval
craft and wrought such terrible havoc
amon her crew at 1920 o'clock Fri
day morning. The placid waters of
SAN Diego bay have never before been
a. scene of such u disaster and san
Diego city has never before been
stirred by such scene of death and
suffering as those Witnessed last night.
IWehty-one dead bodies lie ranged
with gruesome precision at Davis &
Andersons moreUe. The stark forms
were outlined in immaculate winding
sheets. the terrible results of scalding
steam upon the faces plainly showing,
though fully hidden beneath the ODDS.
Ihilteen victims We're stretched upon
improvised biers at johnson q Con-
III NV : TIC. Nilile I'VE OtllefS were
to be seen at Woolman & Bradlc.v's.
At the two latter places the work of
the explosion was terribly in evidence.
The face OF every victim is SCARED and
scalded. in many cases almost beyond
recognition.
AZ Agnew hospital are many injured.
suffering i'll almost every instance from
scalded bodies. Several are expected
10 die before the night is over,
ON board the Bennington the I'M
harmed members of the crew are work
ing under terrible difficulties TO reach
INC boiler room ana coal bunkers.
where it is belieyed Il dozen bodies arc
wing WedSed in the w~reckage or sub
merged in the water which fills that
part of he vessel.
Explosion Was Terrible.
The Bennington at the time of the
accident was lying in the stream lust
off commercial wharf at the foot of III
street. The warship had received or
ders from the navy department. at
Washington to sail Yesterday morning
for Port Hartford. where she was To-
meet the monitor Wyoming and CONVOY
llat vessel TO Mare island navy yard.
steam MAS up and everything was in
readiness for sailing when suddenly.
ana without any warning Whatever.
the starboara forward boiler exploded
with u ~deafening roar. The explosion
was terrific. People standing on the
shore saw ~ huge cloud of white steam
rise above the Rsuui1mtn, C,
of water We're hurled into Tho ai. AMI
for a distance OF nearly twice the
height of the spars of the vessel.
IL was immediately apparent that an
awful disaster of some kind had hap
pened on board the warship. The fer
boat Ramon was co,,inI ,crn.e
bay al the time of the accident. Cap
tain BertelSen, of the lSanlOna in3,nedi-
Ise!y gave orders 10 change the course
~ ~ po1l iiAa instead OF continuing
itS ulp 70 we ThA ioicSo side of the
o1S h"iIiGa 10 tae ald OF the stricken
" "IS!ill'. me tC$ santa Fe, which was
tlVu Ip n 'le Iohllhefelal wharf, the
l,u.,eh NltiNi,AeN' me government
iHullSii NenGfal DE ltussey and Il large
l'uinOef OF other launches aud water
.i"4' "llcil were rear the scene at the
l,iie aiSo rushed TO the assistance of
lhe bennington and ~endeaNored to lend
every assistance possible:
by the time the Ramona had arrived
many OF the sailors of the Bennington
who had jumped into the hay to escape
'he scaldins steam had been rescued
ana the removal of the wounded, which
mad already been commenced, was be
ing conducted in perfect order, Tho
crews OF the Santa Fe. DE Russey and
Mckinley md the other boats present
lent woman aid in picking up the
wounded sailors and transfelrin. them
to the shore.
At the time of the accident Conn
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon A.
60 .vN meie y, slore, Inc two Off
os!s. as soon as iheN learned OF the dis
1s,ei, hurried 10 inc water front. where
Ioiiiiil'thoer AoullS Immediately o
eii'fet.
ierrible Scenes on Board.
On board the Bennington we're nre-
scented terrible scenes. The force Of tho
explosion had tori a great hole i'm the
~starboard side of the ship ana the yes
sci was already comnencing Ia lie, -"
section of the upper, deck vas rorr;a1
from stem TO stern. BLOOD and
wreckage were distributed over the on
tire ship, the after cabin ana tho vicin-
ity of the ship adjacent TO the exploded