Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-08-22
BENNINGTON
REPORT is IN.
Court Finds Explosion Due to
Failure of a Valve Pres
sure Was Too High.

~ III IaO
ceedings and findings, of the court Of
inquiry which investigated the explo
sion on the gunboat Bennington at SaT
Diego, Cal, on July 21. The findings
were a complete surprise, for they al
once sat at rest the stories which had
circulated to the effect that the Ben.
n~ington's boilers and perhaps those OF
other naval vessels of the same age
were defective. As a matter of fact
the court found the explosion resulted
from the closing of a valve which con
nected the exploded boiler with its
steam gauge, so that the pressure OF
that boiler may have been several hun
dred pounds to the square inch when
The accident occurred.
The court consisted of Commodore
Stevenson, retired, and Captain e. ].
Moore and Captain Thomas S. Phelps.
The finding recites the arrival of the
Bennington at San Diego and says:
THE ship was in an excellent state
Of discipline and in a good and efficient
condition, with the exception of her
boilers. which were in fair condition
and efficient, considering their age
about fourteen years. and the use to
which they had been subjected"
Continuing, the court says:
about 900 on July 81, after both
boilers had been filed and the furnaces
started, it was observed that the steam
gauge on boiler b showed about five
pounds of steam pressure, and at this
time Oiler Frank De Courtani, acting
is water tender, directed ID. n. Hol-
and, fireman, second class, to close the
air cock on boiler b. that the said
Holland climbed up and closed a valve,
and almost Immediately the steam
gauge on boiler 'B' failed to register
any pressure; that this was apparently
not noticed by either the water tender
d. the fireman, and no attention ap-
pears to have been paid to the fact
hat the steam gauge failed to register,
out they kept OH working the fires and
firing heavily; that when the steam
gauge on boiler "A showed 1875 pounds
here was nc pressure showing Oh the
steam gauge of boiler b"
The finding then goes on to state
that about 1920 O'clock a small leak
was found in boiler b. A request had
been sent to the boilermaker to come
and attend to the leak, when the ex-
plosion occurred. The court says:
1.-THE court is of the opinion that the
explosion was caused by excessive
pressure in boiler b. which came
about first by shutting the valve con-
lecting the boiler with the steam gauge
instead of the valve on the air cock
alone, as was intended. 10 that the
steam gauge did not indicate the pres
sure in the boiler; second, by unusual
md heavy firing in the boiler to get up
A pressure, which the gauge failed to
incl and safety valves to lift at the
pressure for which they were set and
the pressure increased without relief
until it was beyond the strength of the
boiler, which gave wey in its weakest
part, afterward found to be the CORFU
gated flue of No. 9, the lowest or mid
lie furnace, which collapsed.
1.-THE court is also of the opinion that
D. n. Holland, fireman, second class,
&. S. n, who was the fireman on duty
iring boiler b at and before the time
Of the explosion, did by mistake shut
off the steam valve connecting boiler
b with its steam gauge instead 81 the
air cock, as directed, thus preventing
the gauge from recording the steam
pressure on its boiler; that Frank De
Courtani, oiler, acting water tender,
q. S. n, on watch in charge of this
boiler from about 9:15 a. IN. until the
lime of the explosion, did fail to OBJ
serve that this steam gauge was not
recording and did continue pushing the
fires on this boiler and further when
leaks developed from excessive pres
sure did fail to relieve this pressure,
which should have been done at once;
that e. Il. Ferguson, chief m~achinist's
mate, y. S. n, 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 gauge to be
connected with, the boiler. The said
d. n. Holland, fireman, second class,
U. S. N; Frank De Courtani, U. s. N.
and E. b. Ferguson, chief m%achinist's
mate, U. S. ~, are all nov dead, and
therefore no further proceedings can
be taken against them.
"The court is of the further opinion
mat further proceedings should be had
in the ease of Ensign Charles L. Wade,
U. s. N, who was in charge of the en-
%gineering department of the United
States ship Bennington at the time of
the explosion and since Oct. %, 1904,
in this that he, the said Ensign Charles
L. Wade, u. S. N, did fail in his own
person to see that the safety valves on
boiler b was overhauled at the proper
time and kept in good working order,
but did accept the verbal statement OF
his subordinate or subordinates that it
had been overhauled in March, 1905.
The court recommends that the said
Ensign Charles 4. Wade. u. s.. ~, be
brought to trial before a general court
--As- a