Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-07-28
go, side CT the bay, hurried to the
side Of the sinking warship.
Hurried to the Rescue.

at the Commercial wharf; the launch
eral DeRussey, and a large number OF
otEer launches and water craft which
were near the scene at the time, also
rushed to the assistance of the Ben
nington and endeavored to give what
assistance possible By the time thu
Ramona had arrived many sailors OF
the Bennington who had jumped into
the bay to escape the scalding steam
had been rescued, and the removal OF
the wounded, which already had been
| commenced, was being conducted in
perfect order The crews of the Santa
Fe, De Russey and Mckinley and the
other boats present lent yeoman aid
in picking up the wounded sailors and
transferring them to the shore.
Commander Young Was Ashore.
At the time of the accident Com
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon #,
&c. Peck were on shore. The two Off
GERS, as soon as they learned of the dis
aster, hurried to the water front,
where Commander Young took charge,
On board the Bennington We're
presented terrible scenes. The force
of the explosion had torn Il great
hole i'm the starboa-d side of the
ship and the vessel was already
commencing to list.
A section of the upper deck was car
ried away from stem tostern. Blood and
wreckaee was distributed over the en-
tire ship, the after cabin and the vicin-
ity of the ship adjacent to the explod-
ed boiler resembling charnel house.
Over it all hung a great cloud of white
smoke which drifted slowly toward the
| Coronado shore
Aid For the Injured.
The scene of hurrying ambulances,
hacks, carriages of every description
which had been summoned, added to
the excitement. Every physician who
could be reached by telephone was
called to the water front Within a
comparatively short time nearly a doz-
en- were on the scene and attending the
wounded.
A dozen or fifteen men were blown
overheard by the force of the terrific
explosion, Capt. Wentworth, who was
looking at the Bennington when the
disaster occurred, says
He saw human bodies hurled over
n hundred feet upward.
| The air was black with smoke
which enve.oped the ship. When il
cleared away only few men could be
seen on the decks, while a number were
flounderng in the water. A boat was
lowered from the vessels side and most
of them were picked up and taken or
board
| Mutilated beyond Recognition.
The bodies of many of the men from
the wrecked interior of the ship were
mutilated almost beyond recognition
Commander Young, as soon as hi
reached the ship, gave orders that The
air tight compartments be closed te
prevent the listing ship sinking ant
that the magazines be flooded to aver
further explosions. Temporary quar-
tiers ashore were arranged for the
wounded
Many citizens volunteered and
hurried in launches to the relief OF
those on the Inflated ship. Some
of The volunteers were unable TO
stand the sickening sight which
met their gaze.
AS the wounded were removed they
were hurried in ambulances, carriages
wagons and automobiles to the hos.
pitfalls
Was Inspecting the Boilers.
When the explosion occurred, Engin'
eer Nelson was inspecting the boilers
as a preliminary to the vessels leaving
port. He was not seriously injured
Officers and men who were able to as
sist in rescue acted in brave and col.
lected manner. Pumps were manned
to keep the water from the upper com
partments, the magazine flooded, ant
men fought their way through thu
steam into the darkened hold to search
for the heir comrades. In the wors
danger, and when it was feared The
ship would sink before she could bt
beached the young officers and mel
stuck manfully to their posts.
The ships inner works are tangled
mass of machinery and she probabl,
will have to be dismantled in order t.
examine her injuries.
Washington, July 2f.-Not since
the Inflated battleship Maine was
blown up in Havana hnrbOr has the
navy department been obliged to
record n disaster TO one of the
Amcricnn-me en- of-war SO fearful n,
that of Friday.
Engineer officers do not recall
when a boiler has exploded aboard
warship of the United States. Mishap
, have occurred in the boileroom, Blu
with slight loss of life or injuries, bu
they were unprepared TO hearof an ex
plosion of such magnitude
1t was learned at the headquarters o
the marine corps that no marines wer
aboard the Bennington. Gen. Elliott
commandant of the corps, hurried owe
to the navy department upon learning
of the explosion and eagerly sough
the details.
,..& srss nlIo nr ITO tkurY