Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-19
EVIDENCE HEARD
At C0URTMART|AL
MEMBERS OF BENNlNGT0N'S
CREW TESTIFY
BOILER "B" OUT OF ORDER
Witnesses State That They Knew of
No Routine Work Requiring
the Safety Valves to Be
Moved Each Week
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
MARE ISLAND, Sept. 1S.-The Young
courtmartial convened at 10 o'clock this
morning. Commander Young, Judge
Gear, his attorney, and the full board
were present. Naval Constructor Hol-
den Evans was in the room and this
gave rise to the question of the exclu-
sulting the naval rules and regula-
tions, Rear Admiral Glass decided that
Constructor Evans must retire. The
charges and specifications were read
and Commander Young pleaded not
guilty to each of the six charges.
Lieutenant Yates of the Bennington,
called as the first witness, was not
present, so Ernest E. West, the judge
advocate, was called and deposed that
he was custodian of the logs of the Ben
nington at Washington, d. C.
West produced them for the last five
days of the months of November and
December, 1904 and said that for the
first six months of this year the logs
were not filled out under the signature
of Commander Lucien Young. Judge
Gear objected, as the logs were not pro-
duced here and he only had Vests
statement to rely on Vests statement
was supplemented by the offering of
the books as a whole Gears objection
then was withdrawn. West was dis
missed as a witness and warned by Ad-
miral Glass not to discuss the trial out
side. He then resumed his seat as
judge advocate.
Ensign Sahn of the Bennington was
the next witness He testified that
Young was in command of the Ben
nington from November, 1904, to July
21, 1905, with the exception of brief
suspension at Panama. He said that
on July 21, boiler B exploded, being
forced against the bulkhead between
the fore and aft compartment. The
Bennngton's hull books were produced
and identified by the witness and Of
fered in evidence. Judge Gear objected
and, after discussion, Rear Admiral
Glass upheld the objection and the
books were withdrawn.
No Routine as to Safety Valves
Emil Fredericksson, water tender in
the fire room on the Bennington, was
on the stand at the commencement of
the afternoon session. He testified to
being aware of the boilers A, C and D
L. Al
not know if boiler B had been. The
witness also testified there was no
routine in the engineer department by
which safety valves were lifted once a
week when not under steam. On cross
examination this witness was proved to
have been a deserter at one time and
to have been confined to the brig. Capt.
Drake, associate counsel for Commander
Young, asked that Constructor Holden
Evans be allowed to assist Judge Gearl
and himself. The court decided to allow
this.
Boyd King Seavey, a machinist of the
second class on the Bennington, tes-
titled that he knew the lifting gear
leading to both decks to be out of order
from November last till the time of the
explosion. He knew of no routine work
requiring the safety valves to be moved
each week. The safety valves had not
been used except on boiler C. On the
trip from Honolulu to San Francisco
the boiler was ordered set $50 pounds
pressure by Commander Young through
Chief Machinist Wheeler.
Chief Machinist Mate Charles Wheeler
of the Bennington testified that at the
time of the explosion he was on the
after deck. He had been told by Chief
Machinist Clark to let the sentinel
valves alone and had obeyed orders
He had seen the safety valves of boilers
A, C and d overhauled February last,
and they were then in fairly good con-
dition He set the valve of boiler q at
about 100 pounds between Honolulu and
San Diego.
John o. Harmon, water tender OH
the Bennington, was the next witness.
He said that boiler B had been out Of
order one year and four months, the
others having been repaired. He never
saw Commander Young in the engine
room, but on cross-examination ad-
mtted that the commander might have
been, there without his seeing him.
The court adjourned till Tuesday
morning.
Coroners Hold Meeting
A meeting of coroners of the SOUTH