The San Francisco call., 1905-08-02
Court Finds Cause
Of Bennington
Disaster.
Blame Rests at Door
Of Men at Head of
!. Department.
Worn Out Parts of Machinery
Allowed to Remain
on Vessel.
Special Dispatch to yhe can.

SAN DIEGO, SAug. From an Off
cial source, the reliability off which
cannot be questioned because of its
connection with the court itself, 1t be-
came known sto-night what in substance
will be the report of the court Of in
quiry now investigating the Benning-
ton disasters
1t may be stated authOritatively that
the court will find that boiler 81" of
the Bennington exploded not because of
unusually high pressure, but because
the metal of the crown sheet and the
bolts holding that crown sheet In place
had become dead" had lost all life
and nearly all tensile strength by rea-
of constant uae and the failure of
those responsible to renew the weak
ened place during the twenty years
that the Inflated Bennington was In
service. The court Will not censure7
the officers of the Remington, but Will
pass up the matter and the responsible
ity TO higher authority, and it will be
for the heads OF certain bureaus at
Washington to explain how the acci-
dent happened.
Under pressure of 100 pounds or less,
the crown sheet of boiler "B, its sup
ports weakened, and, robbed of their ten
sie strength by the crystallizationa Of the
metal parted at both ends and dropped,
letting the water and steam directly into
the firebox. This is what the members of
the court of inquiry found this afternoon
after q careful examination or the wreck
ed boilers. This accounts for the terrific
explosion and for the fact that the fire
and ashes were blown aft through the
fire rooms. So fierce was the force of the
explosion that fire, ashes and live steam
were blown to nearly all parts of the
vessel through the matches and ventila-
tors. Boiler I'D" did not explode, al
though the other boiler was driven
against II.
The court has established the further
important fact that at the time Of the
explosion the boiler which exploded was
under lower steam pressure than any of
the other boilers. 1t had been filled last
and was fired last and could not have
raised sufficient steam to cause the ex-
plosion9 except for the defective parts.
NO BLAME FOR YOUNG.
The court of inquiry will report on be-
half of Commander Young that that off,
Ger not only was aware of the weakened
condition of the Bennington's boilers, but
had more than once advised higher au-
thority. On the evening before the ex-
plosiou he had, upon the receipt of rush
orders 70 proceed to Port Hartford to as
sist the Wyoming given instructions to
his chief engineer that under no circum-
stances were the forward boilers to be
forced in getting up steam, nor were
they.
One Of the most important statements
TO be forwarded to Washington in the
court s findings is that the heavy one
inch steel bolts which rivet the crown
sheet to tho boiler shell snapped off as
cleanly as though they had been filed or
bitten The bolts, through too long use,
had become crystallfzed. brittle, burned
out, Iifeless and incapable of withstand
ing even an ordinary strain. Tests here
of the tensile strength remaining in them
have proved this and this Is one of the
facts which the court is now most jeal-
ously guarding. The condition of these
bolts meant life or death TO the crew
1t is more than limited that the findings
of the court, when forwarded to the Sec
retary of the Navy, will contain recon-
mendations backed by what has been dis
covered on the Bennington which will be
surprising enough to shock the Navy De-
partment and to set on foot a close in
spection of the boilers of other vessels
which have been long in constant. use. 1t
is admitted by the officers here that the
court hopes to- impress upon WASHINGTON
the full meaning Of the lesson to be
learned from the Benningtons They take
the ground that If their report shall bring
about a general inspection of naval ves-
sells and the correction of similar condi-
tons. which are believed to exist upon
other eessels of the navy, the victims of
the Bennington disaster will not have
died in vain 20
TO CLEAN UP SHIP.
IT is understood, that "a portion of the
Continued on Page 2. Column &