The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-07-22
WORST IN OUR
! NAVY'S HISTORY
CONTINUED from page one.)

pairs to her boilers or machinery on
her arrival from Honolulu. The fact
that she had steam up and was about
to get under way for Port Hartford,
California would indicate that nothing
serious in the boilers had been dis
covered or reported 1t is not inn
probable that considerable difficulty
will be experienced by the court of in
quiry in securing information concern
ing the cause of the affair as it is
likely that many of the men who would
BE- best able to give light on the con-
dition of the boiler previous to the ex-
plosion, were killed.
it was suggested that perhaps the
explosion of the forward boiler was
followed by the explosion of all the
other boilers on the vessel but this
theory does not appear to be borne out
by the facts. No mention 0f any series
OF explosions is made in the dispatches
and the dispatches indicate exactly the
contrary The statement was made
that Immediately upon going aboard
his vessel, Commander Young ordered
the gunboat beached to prevent her
from sinking. Evidently there was
steam up in the other boilers and they
we're intact, or else the boat could not
have beached herself.
It has been suggested that possibly
the accident was the result of foul
play. Such a diabollcal scheme Of
destruction could have been accom-
plished by placing some powder or
dynamite or other explosive in the coal
But the theory of assassination does
not seem to have much ground at the
present time, for the reason that no
motive appears to have developed. So
far as was known, the men on the
vessel were satisfied and there was no
trouble of any kind aboard. Nobody
ashore in Honolulu or San Diego was
likely to have been a party to such a
horrible thing. The line of inquiry
will unquestionably be along the theory
Of defect in the boiler.
Much sympathy is expressed for Mrs,
Ensign Perry the widow of the only
officer who appears to have fallen a
victim to the explosion. She was
quite we'll known in Honolulu. She |
reached san Francisco from Honolulu /.
by the transport Sherman on the even |
lnc of July 10, a day and a half before |
the accident that made her a widow. |
She was probably waiting at San |
Francisco or else was to go to Mare |
Island to await the arrival of her |
husband for the Bennington was to
tow the Monitor wyoming to Mare
Island
Although the dispatches made no
mention of such a condition IT it not
improbable that the men were MUSTER
ed on the deck of the vessel at the
time of the explosion and that many of
them were directly over the fatal boil
ar when the explosion occurred.
There is a statement in the cable
gram to Mrs. Lieutenant Commander
Victor Blue which is not clear. The
dispatch reads:
Los Angeles, July 2O.-Mare Island
Convalescent. No danger
Come"
This cablegram was signed by her
husband Mrs. Blue Hurriedy left by 4
he transport Warren for San Fran
iSco Thursday afternoon. so knew
.othing of the accident on the Ben
lington, for the reason that it had not
occurred. Her husband was not on
card the vessel evidently but was at j
LOS Angeles about $50 miles from the
Gene of the accident. He had evil
Icntly been operated upon for appen-
iicitis. The reference In this cable {
ram to the Mare Island Hospital ]
meant that he would pro-
eed to that place as a convaIescent.
The Bennington has a wonderful re-
ord for steamng capacity. She has
teamer more than any other boat in
he American service and probably in
my other service. Her boilers were ]
of a much better type than
he average boiler. The continual use
which was made of them however may
nave worn them out and developed a
lefect.