Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-22
Reported the Crew Had
Feared Disaster for
Six Months.
DETAILS OF EXPLOSION
Dead, Missing and Fatally In
jured Number About
Four Score.

San Diego, July 22.-The appalling
list Of victims of yesterdays explosion
aboard the Bennington grew through
the night, almost every hour adding to
the long reports Of dead in the over
crowded moreues. Fifty-ons dead is
the latest summary completed at 9
this morning.
SOME NET IN HOLD.
This included IS bodies at various
Tnoraues and seven bodies which were
floating about the flooded boierrooms
and which cannot yet be reached.
About so injured are scattered among
the various private and public hospi-
tails and there are missing 20 or 25.
81 Dend, score Missing.
San Francisco, July 22.-The latest
official list of casualties in the Ben
nlngton disaster shows Al dead. nine
unidentified. and 55 wounded. Sixteen
are in a serious condition, and 81 to 25
missing.
roll call on board the Bennington
some hours after the explosion showed
Gl men present leaving 1856 unaccount-
ed for These included the dead. in
jured and missing.
Pumping Water Out.
A San Diego fire engine is now along
side the Bennington. and is aiding in
pumping the water out of the gun
boats engine room There is at least
10 feet of water in her hold.
Revised List of Dead.
San Diego. July 22-Following is the
revised list Of the dead
Ensign r n. Perry. F. w. Brown,
j Newcomb b. A. Hughes. A. b. En-
sci. A. Damerer. w. Cherry. c. r. Rush
ing. A. II. Scruggs, H. Haggbloom, w.
r. Carr. H. A. Sunders. +. Dresch,
J. l.. Burns. NJ G. Quinn. c. J. Kuntz,
j. Hilscher. G. Brownlee. F. NJ. Geiss,
Preston Carpenter. Charles McKeon,
E w Brunson. J. Hunt. e b. Robin
son. J. c. Barchus. w. c. Wilson, c. F.
Nelson. E. B. Ferguson, l.. b. Archer,
w G. Chambers. John McCune, c. J.
EZela.
Boiler Was Leaking.
Fireman f. G. Hopp makes the first
statement as to the cause Of the acci-
dent He says shortly before the ex-
plosion one of the boilers was found to
be leaking badly. and a boilermaker
was sent for 10 repair the damage. Be
fore the latter arrived. the explosion
occurred. Hopp saw men all about
him killed outright. and he himself
was stunned for moment
The dead will be given a military
burial Sunday afternoon at the military
reservation at Point Iona.
Opinion. Diner.
San Diego. July 22.-Commander
Young expressed the opinion there was
a weak spot i'm one of the boilers. but
said there had been no visible defects
so far as he knew. The men who were
injured. including Ensign Perry. tell
different story. They say IL has been
the talk of the ship for at least six
months that the boilers were defective.
Many of them had feared for a long
time just such an accident would hap
pen. The upper deck. amidship. pre-
sents a mass of wreckage. The smoke
stacks have been blown out of place
and the superstructure has been bent
and twisted in all sorts of shape.
Plates on the side are bulging out and
leaks in a number of places are letting
water in.
Was On the Maine.
John Turpin. colored. who was on
the Maine when she was blown up in
Havana was on board the Bennington
and again escaped injury. He render
ed valuable aid in rescuing the dead
and wounded