The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-07-27
NEARLY 100 HURT, MANY FATALLY
- Were More Than 25o Men
Aboard the Vessel at the Time, and
at These IS Sailors Are Missing
The Accident Occurred in the San
Hieso, CAL, Harbor Just Before the
WsseI Was Scheduled to Leave.

San Diego. Cal, Speclai.-Twenty-
eight members of the crew of the
United States gunboat Benning-
ton were killed and four-score
sailors were injured, "a seriously, at
10 O'Clock Thursday forenoon by a
boiler explosion that disabled the YES
sci in San Diego harbor. Fifteen sail
ors are missing. There were more
than 250 men aboard the warshlp
when the accident occurred. and many
men were hurled or forced to jump in
to the sea by the terrific explosion.
which lifted part of the deck and COM
PEELED the Bleaching of the ship. The
Bennington. at the time Of the accl-
dent. was lying in the stream just
OF the commercial wharf at street.
The warship had received orders from
the Navy Department at Washington
to sail this morning for Port Hartford
to meet the monitor Wyoming and
convey the monitor to Mare Island
navy yard. San Francisco.
EXPLOSION TERRIFIC.
Steam was up and everything was
In readiness for the departure OF the
Bennington when the starboard for
ward boiler exploded with terrific
roar. The explosion was terrific
People standing on shore saw huge
cloud of steam rise above the Ben
nington. Columns Of water were
forced high into the air. A dozen or
fifteen men were blown overheard by
the force Of the terrific explosion
Capt. Wentworth. who was looking at
the Bennington when the disaster oc'
Cured, says he saw human BODIES
hurled over a hundred feet upward.
The air was clouded with smoke which
enyeloped the ship. When the haze
cleared away. only few could be
seen on the decks, while a number
were fioundering in the water. A
boat was lowered from the vesseis
side and most of the men in the water
were picked up and taken on board.
On board the Bennington were pre-
the explosion had torn great hole In
the starboard side Of the ship, anu the
vessel was already commencing 10
list A section of the upper deck
was carried away from stem TO stern.
Blood and wreckage was distributed
over the entire space, the after caoln
and that part Of the ship adjacent 10
the eynlcded boiler resembling a
charnel house. The shock Of the ex-
plosion pene- rated every section OF
the ship, blood and ashes being found
lS far as the stern of the captain s
cabin. Great damage was done IN al
parts of the vessel. The boiler wnlcn
exploded. it is said, was regarded as
unsafe. Commander Young stated
that during a recent return from HON
olulu the steam pressure was kept re-
duced in that particular one.
List of the Dead.
San Diego. Cal, Special.-Saturday
nights summary of casualties aboard
the gunboat Bennington, in San Diego
Raw gives a total of so dead and oO IN
jured, six probably fatally. A NUMBER
of men are still missing. some OF tnese
NAV be dead, and probably dozen OF
the injured will die of their wounds.
Following is all official list OF known
dead. with ages, occupation and place
of birth or enlistment:
Ensign Newton X. Perry, 26, Column
bia, S. C.. A.
wesley NJ. Taylor, 2S, seaman, At
lanta, Ga.
Bert A. Hughes, 10. seaman, Clarks-
vile, Ark.