Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-07-24
Accident Occurs in San Diego Har-
Dor When Vessel Was prepar-
ing to Depart for Mare Island.
Two Washington Boys Among
the Dead.

dS you uuuoUoT mtu6u luu CuTo0 sCOTc
are stretched on beds in various hospi-
talss. This is the result of the explo-
sion which wrecked the trim little ma
val craft and wrought such terrible
havoc among her crew at 1890 yester-
day morning.
On board the Bennington the un.
harmed members of the crew are work
ing under great difficulties to reach the
boiler room and coal bunkers, where it
is believed a dozen bodies are lying
wedged in the wreckage or submerged
in the water which fills that part of
the vessel.
The cause of the explosion has not
yet been determined. There is much
talk among the crew, especially the ir-
responsible mem bers, of weakened and
leaking boilers, but until thorough
inspection of the wrecked boilers can
be made no definite official statement
is obtainable.
Washington Dead and Injured.
The list of dead includes Amel Ben.
sci, second class fireman, son Of Aug
ust Bensel, of Colfax, WASH. and 10.
seph Hilscher, second class fireman,
son Of Mrs. A. Hilscher, of Waterville,
Wash.
The injured include Fred Richard
Cornell, able seaman, son Of Richard
Cornell, Of Odessa, WASH, and l.. K
Strobel, apprentice, second class, sor
of Joseph Strobel, of Tacoma.
Other Washington r1en In Crew.
Other Neutrality-suspicious. among thu
crew, with the names and addresses Of
their next of kin, are as follows:
Raymond Erwin Davis, quartermas
ter third class, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Da
Wis, Seattle. Telegraphed safe.
Floyd E. Glover, apprentice seaman
j. R. Glover, guardian, Seattle.
Joel G. Allen, apprentice seaman
next Of kin, Frances Clark, mother
Waukon, Lincoln county.
George T. Clark, machinist's mate
first class, Mrs. Anna Clark, wife
Bremerton.
Emil g. Hopp, fireman, secont
class, Julius Hopp, father, Toledo
Lewis county.
Was Ready to Sail.
Tho Bennington, at the time of tn
acoiuent, was lying in the stream, jus
off the Commercial wharf. at the foo
of H. street. The warship had receiv
ed orders from the navy department a
Washington to sail yesterday morning
for Port Hartford, where she was Il
meet the monitor Wyoming and convo.
the vessel to the Mare Island navy yard
Steam was up and everything il
readiness for sailing, when suddenly
and without any warning whateve
the starbosrd boiler forward exploded
with desfening roar. People stand
ing on the shore saw huge cloud o
white steam rise above the Benning
ton. Columns Of water were hurlet
into the air for q distance Of nearl.
twice the height Of the spars Of tn
vessel.
It was Immediately apparent that I
serious disaster Of some kind had GO
CURED on board the warship. Th
ferry boat Ramona was across the ba.
lat the time of the accident. Capt
Bertelsen Immediately gave orders t.
change the course Of the boat, and in
stead Of continuing his trip to the Sal
Diego side Of the bay hurried to tn
aid Of the stricken warship. The tuI
Santa Fe, the launch Mckinley, tn
government launch Gen. De Russo
and a large number Of other launche
and water craft which were near, ais
rushed to the assistance of the Ben
nington and endesvored to lend all tn
aid possible. At the time Of the acct
dent Commander Lucien Young an
Surgeon A. E. Peck were on shore
The two officers, as soon as they learn
ed Of the disaster, hurried to the waite
front, where Commander Young imme
, diately took charge.
Commander Young. as soon as h
reached the ship, gave orders that tn
alright compartments of the ship b
closed to prevent the listing ship sink
ing. and that the magazines be foode
to avert further explosions.
: The Identified Dead.
The total number of known dead q
this time is 80.
Following are the names Of all Q
those identified: F. w. Brown, j
Newcombe, B. A. Hughes, A. Bense
] A. Ksmerer, G. Rushing, G. Hae
, bloom, R. B. Carr, H. F. Saunders
E. Dresch, J. L. Burns, M. G. Quinn
G. K. Kunt, J. Hilscher, j. Brownlee
F. J. Geiss, Ensign N. X. Perry
, Preston Carpenter, Charles McKeor
J E. W. Brunson, j. Hunt, E. B. Robin
, son, J. G. Bsrchus, W. G. Wilson, {
F. Nelson, E. B. Ferguson, L. B. Al
cher, W. 6. Chambers, W. Cherry
John McKune, G. j. Ezell, A. b
Scrugge. Seven unidentified.