The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-07-22
Crew
ALL lie SvvIA'THED
IN BAMDAGES

u'teSs oroihnty seaman
Cleveland. +,
H. E. Hise. steward. Columbus.
w. Hofreuter.
II. J. Knoblock. apprentice seaman.
San francisco.
2. Z. Miller. machinist. East
stroudsburs. Pa !.
o. +. Nelson. machinist. Minneapo-
MS. Minn.
William Pfluger. Chicago.
Leo Sohm. Ensign. Dubuquc. Iowa.
E. A. stariSweather, MinlnvilIo.
Michigan.
Roy G Shepard. yeoman. uuioa.
vile, Missouri
H N. Stewart. machinIst. church-
vile. Maryland.
p Savage. abIe seaman. Daty.
Texas.
L. X. strobei. apprentices. Tacoma,
Washington.
p. II, TAYLOR. coal passer. Boston.
w. NJ. Taylor, Landsman. At:anta.
Ga.
G. Wilson, apprentice seaman. Ban.
Ia Clara. Cal.
Thirty-two others unnamed.
Ensign Newmrn K. Perry was the
only officer killed by the explosion.
He was acting officer OF the deck and
stood directly over the explodinr
boilers on the upper fore deck. He
was burned almost beyond recoeni.
tion by steam and struck by flying
objects. He died after ave hours OF
suffering
Ensign Hahn was burned about the
face and hands but not seriously
Among the jackies who jumped
overheard and succeeded In reaching
shore was J. Fl. Turpin who was
blown up with the battieship Maine
In Havana Harbor and was uncon-
scious for six months.
| Lieutenant Yates. executive of,,ccri
in charge Of the Bennington at The
time Of the disaster. was in the AFT
cabin. He rushed out to! be met by a
binding. scalding cloud OF steam as
II swept the vessel Speaking OF tho
occurrence he said:
y must have remained stunned
several seconds after Il occurred and
did not know what had happened /
then rushed out and the steam, even
at the extreme aftcrpart OF the slip.
was SO dense that could not get a
breath OF air until ascended the
rail
AsI ran forward passed one OF
our boys crawling along on his belly.
There was no time to attend to ind.-
vidual cases-there were so many
and they seemed almost like an in
distinct memory to me. About Thirty
boys were on the. fore deck all badly
wounded. called for men 10 man
the boats and only about twelve. In
Guiding officers, responded. All tho
rest were injured or had been driven
over the side by the scaldine steasn.''
CHER Engineer c. L. Wade did not
happen TO be in the boiler room when
the explosion occurred and escaped
Injury Covered with ashes and nc
grimed with dirt he worked through
out the day. J.
From a ctirsory examination. he
said. Il find the top crown sheet OF
the lower furnace OF boiler 3 ex-
ploded. forcing Il astern and against
boiler D which also exploded wreck
ing the pipes and llberating the vast
volume OF steam
There was no fire under the star
board boilers and they were ;eft In
tact. The explosion occurred at 1os15
A. NJ. while we were making prepa-
rations for getting under way and
while all hands were at their respec-
tive stations AS to the cause OF the
explosion cannot say and I doubt
that II viii ever be discosercd as the
engine rooms are mass>of wrecknse
apd everything is torn out"
The only men who know what re-
ally happened down in that hell of
boiling water and scaldins steam
Will never be able to ten the story.
1en;h came to them swiftly down
thesc in the boiler room.
These on deck Jared little better.
From every ventilator there snot
streams cf'boiling water and over an
settled the biting steam. Men witl<
awful injuries went over the Side and
into the water below. One seaman
with great STRIPS Of flesh literally
peelins from his arms and legs svarl
10 the shore Another man. his leg
broken by the Tying timber. made his
way to the nenrcst landing.