Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
IN GUNBOAT EXPLOSION
Continued From First Page.)

bureau of steam engineering. Navy De-
partment says he cannot account for the
damage done the Bennington, unless some
high explosive was accidentally discharged.
and reiterates that there was nothing In
the reports to the bureau to show that the
boilers were In an unsafe condition. He
said today:
After examining the plans of the Ben
nington in the light of the dispatches giving
an account of the disaster / cannot pos
sibly conceive how the collapsing of a
crown sheet could damage the ship to the
extent stated or have blown people over
board from the deck
The detailed plans OF the boiler room
deck of the Bennington show a pump room
a narrow space. just forward of the fire
room and Immediately forward OF the pump
room IS a shell room.
Attention was called today to the regu-
lations governing the inspection of boilers,
which show that the boilers of all war
ships in the navy must be inspected every
three months The regulation IS as follows:
The boilers will be thoroughly examined
at regular intervals of about three months.
other examinations being made as oppor-
tunity offers and as the senior engineer Of
ficer may consider necessary. A detailed
description of the condition of each boiler
at each of these examinations shall be en-
tered in the steam log and the senior en-
gineer officers remark book
Talked Over by officials.
The horror continued to engross the at
tention of officials of the Navy Department
today to the exclusion of everything else,
save passing interest in the arrival of Adj
miral Sigsbee's squadron with the remains
of John Paul Jones. Owing to the differ
ence In time between the Pacific coast and
Washington very little information was re-
ceived early in the day, and none which
lessened the extent of the disaster. From
the press reports the officers do not believe
that the damage to the vessel is as great as
Indicated by Commander Young in the brief
dispatches touching on that feature of the
disaster received from him. But 1t is real
lied at the department that Commander
Young has been giving his entire attention
10 the care or the dead and wounded of his
crew, and has been unable to make a close
examination of the ship necessary for any
thing like a complete report.
The Navy Department officials are at a
loss to understand how the accident oc-
CURED and how SO much damage was DONE
1t is believed that the great loss of life was
due to suffocation from escaping steam, all
though the long list of wounded indicates
that great havoc was wrought by the
wreckage of the vessel. The statement
made yesterday by Chief Engineer Wade of
the Bennington that the cause of the ex-
plOsion probably will never be ascertained
expressed the opinion of several officers of
believe the boilers of the Pennington were
in such condition as to partly account for
the disaster. 1t Is expected that all the
facts pertaining to the Bennington and her
condition will be brought out by court of
inquiry which will be ordered either by
Rear Admiral Goodrich, commanding the
Pacific station or by the department if
Admiral Goodrich does not come within tel
egraphiC communication within few days.
Although no official announcement has yet
been made, there is general commentator
among the officials of the department upon
the work OF the surviving officers and crew
of the Bennington for the prompt manner
in which they did their duty after the ex-
plosion In their efforts to rescue the wound
ed and to bring the vessel to the shore.
Belief Of Officers.
nance say that they believe the magazines
of the Bennington will be found intact. Had
the magazines exploded they say the bot
tom would have been blown out Of the ship
and it would have sunk rapidly. There
was one magazine forward and one aft.
Ordnance officers point to the fact that
Commander Young, according TO the dis
patches gave orders on reaching the ship
to flood the magazines, which they take as
Indicating hat they did not explode when
the boiler explosion occurred.
Officers at the Navy Department anxious
~ await the result of an investigation,
which will show specifically what occurred.
Acting Secretary Darling has written
letter to Acting Secretary of War Oliver
requesting him 10 tender to Capt. r. d.
Scott, commanding officer at Fort Rose
Grams, San Diego, the thanks of the Navy
Department for his action in giving the use
of the barracks for the wounded sailors
from the Bennington.