Evening journal., 1905-07-22
FEARFUL DISASTER ON
GUNBOAT BENNINGTON
LIVES LOST BY EXPLOSION OF
BOILERS SCALDED BY ESCAPING
STEAM JUMP OVERHEARD AND
ARE DROWNED
But ONE OFFICER LOST HIS LIFE

While the gunboat Bennington was
making preparations to leave San Diego,
Cal. for Panama a boiler exploded. This
exploded second boiler and together
they blow out the deck of the ship. a
I great hole in her SIDE and killed at least
a men, including Ensign Newman X.
NPerry, native OF South Carolina.
OF the 65 men injured Is are expected to
die.
Twenty-Five seamen are missing.
The vessel Is reported by Commander
Noung to be practically a wreck
VI Is said the first boiler which blew up
had been regarded as weak, although in
spectors reported favorable upon It a year
ago.
News OF the disaster came as a great
shock to the Navy Department. which
only short time before had been ad-
vised that the Bennington had sailed for
San Francisco
At the Navy Department It is stated the
gunbonils boilers ware overhauled in
May last.
Lieutenant Victor Blue, who disting-
uished himself by locating Cerveras fleet
at Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish.
American War. was one Of the officers OF
the Inflated gunboat, but was not aboard
at the time, having been removed to q
hospital with an acute attack Of appendi-
citis.
San Diego, CAL, July 22.-So far as
has been ascertained at this hour. At
lease thirty-nine of the crew OF the
United States gunboat Bennington
We're killed or fatally injured during
the Hoiler explosion which wrecked
the vessel In the harbor here at 10
4 o'clock yesterday morning. Ensign
Newman X. Perry was the only officer
killed. The victims Of the explosion
were coal passefs. seamen and several
wounded officers
= The ship Is a total wreck. The in
dications are that the total list Of dead
4 win go much higher. as many of those
4 now listed as seriously wounded vii
probably die. There wese al = lrently
n two explosions. according 10 Conmo.
core 1ounE's second dispatch the drsi
When the TOP of the lower furnace OF
4 what Is known as boiler B exploded
The explosion forced the boiler asterr
n IN contact with boiler D. which in t,rr
was forced toward the stern of the YES
sci and exploded.
San Francisco, July 22.-The latest
reports received here from san Diego
hy Rear Admiral McCalla command.
ant at Mare Island Navy ,a.rd. place.
the number Of the Bennington's dead
at forty-one. The list Of wounded
numbers sixty-five. of whom sixteel
are in a serious condition. The mum.
Der Of missing is estimated at twenty
nte.
MANY MEN ABOARD.
There were moro than two hundred an,
fifty men aboard when the accident oc
CURED, and many were hurled or force,
TO jump into the sea by the terrific ex
4 plcslon which lifted part Of the deck an,
- mpclled the beaching Of the ship
The Bennington at the time Of the acci
dent was lying in the stream just off tn
Commercial Wharf at Hest The warshi
had received orders from the Navy De
partmeut al Washington to sail this NOR
ing for Port Hartford to meet the monito
Il Wyoming and convey it to Mare ISLAM
Navy Yard San Francisco.
steam was up and everything was 4
madness for the departure of the Ben
q nington, when the starboard forward boil
er exploded with n deafening roar. III
explosion was terrific People standing O.
shore saw a huge cloud Of steam ris
above the Bennington. Columns of waite
were forced high into the air. A doze
OF fifteen men were blown overheard b
the force Of the terrific explosion.
Captain Wentworth who was lookin
at the Bennington when the disaster oc
h CURED, says he saw human bodies hurIe
over a hundred feet upward. The air wa
o3ouded with smoke. which enveloped tn
a ship. When the haze cleared away onl
few mon could be seen on the deck
while number were houndering in III
4 water. A boat was lowered from the We.
sells side and most Of the men in IN
water were picked up and taken on boar
Il On board the Bennington were present
n ed terrible scenes. The force of the e,
plosion had torn a great hole in the sta
board side Of the ship. and the vessel wa
already commencing to list. A section
A the upper deck was carried away fro
stem to stern.
n Blood and wreckage were distribute
over the entire ship. the after cabin ar
that part Of the ship adjacent to the e,
ploding boiler resembling a charnel hous
The shock OF the explosion penetrate
every section of the ship. blood and ash
4 being found as far astern as the captain
cabin. Great damage was done in all par
a of the vessel.
The boiler which exploded. 1t is sal
Il was regarded as unsafe Command
Young said that during a recent retul
from Honolulu the steam pressure wi
Il kept reduced in that particular boiler. !
the time Of the accident Commander L
cien Young and Surgeon f. Z. Peck we
s on shore. The two officers, as soon as tn
learned OF the disaster. hurried to Il
waterfront.
Z Commander Young as soon as he reac
ed the ship gave orders that the al
/ tight compartments be closed, to pr
vent the listing ship from sinking, al
that the magazines be flooded to ave
1 further explosions. He then beached 4
ship at high tide
FERRY BOAT TO THE RESCUE.
The ferryboat Ramona, which was Gro
4 ing the bay at the time OF the .acclde
changed its course and hurried to the q