The San Francisco call., 1905-08-01
BOARD BEGINS
THE INQUIRY
Sets on Foot Investigation
Into Disastrous Explosion
on the Gunboat Bennington
IT'S SESSIONS SECRET
report Has 1t That a Pipe
Was So Rusted as to Block
Registration of Pressure

SAN DIEGO. July S1.-The Beard OF In
ouiry, appointed by Admiral Goodrich,
to hear the evidence pertaining 20 the
disastrous boiler explosion on the gun
boat Bennington IN San Diego harbor on
July 21s convened On board the flagship
chicago at noon to-day. The sessions will
be Secret The board consists OF Com
uoooTe Holland n Stevenson, retired,
presiding officer; Captain E. K Moore OF
The Chicago and Captain Thomas S.
Phelps. Lieutenant r. c. Moody OF the
1'llcRgo is 5udge advocate, whose duty
u Is 70 see that the facts are presented
20 tbs court 1t is probable that the work
OF tbs Board OF Inquiry viii require sew
sral Gays, possibly 2 week. The session
to-day was 8 brief one.
There Is considerable conjecture as 20
what the Court OF Inquiry viii find Ia Its
investigations. Several officers who have
discussed the matter think that the blame
VIII be Axed on no one IN particular, as
the accident was one that could not be
1creseen, and certainly was not due TO
the neglect Of any Of the officers on board
the Bennington II the blame rs fixed any
place IL viii be higher up in the scale
probably "a the department itself. There
Is 8 general impression that no Board OF
Inquiry would have been appointed had
3t not been for prompungs from Wash
iugton and the intensity Of public feeling.
II Is believed that the board OF tnvesu-
cation, which has looked into the disaster,
has covered the matter thoroughly,
though no 3ntimation as to the results
has besn given II may be anticipated
however, that the evidence will show that
at the time Of the explosion there was
sufficient water IN the boiler, that the
BteaEa wGs shut of from the adjacent
boilers and that the first effect Of the
ktrain 8as the collapse of the thirty-two-
inch corrugated hue through which the
flames and heated gases pass from the
Gre box. As g result OF this. the escape
OF steam forced out the sneet Of fame
which came near causing an explosion IN
the shell room and hurled boiler 'B'
against boiler ID" driving the latter
through q steel bulkhead and against the
nfe5 Of the engines. II this be correct, 1t
either that there was g. serious
weakness III the big corrugated pipe or
that the pressure n the boiler had
reached an enormous degree.
A suggestion comes from q person ia g.
position 10 have information as co what
was disclosed BY the exafnination In the
boiler-rcom, to the effect that the pipe
leading TO the steam gauge was so
clogged with scale and rust that no
proper register Of pressure could have
been made and also that the release
mechanism Of the safety valve was so
rusted that Il was immovable. No state
uenr can be made positively, however,
that such a condition was disclosed or
that evidence to this effect will be pre-
sented TO the Court OF Inquiry.
Another death, that Of G. H. Hallett,
seaman, which occurred to-day brings the
total number up 10 S.
This morning Admiral Goodrich. Cap
tain Moore and Lieutenant Sargent visit
I'd Captain E D. Scott At Fort Rosecrans.