The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-07-27
Terrible Disaster on Board the
United States Gunboat Ben.
nington at San Diego.
THE VESSEL ALMOST RUINED.
Scores of Men Are Lying Greviously
or Painfully Injured in Sanitar.
iums and Hospitals.
Ffty-Nine Killed, SO Injured and IS
Men Are Missing-Forty-seven
Of the Dead Were Buried
Near San Diego, Cal.

San Diego, Cal, July 22.-One OF the
boilers on the United States gunboal
Bennington exploded in the harboI
here with terrible results.
The Bennington at the time Of the
accident was lying in the stream Just
off the commercial wharf at the foot
of street. The warship had receiv.
ed orders from the navy department
at Washington to sail for Port Har.
ford where she was to meet the moni.
tor wyoming and convoy the vessel
to Mare Island navy yard. Steam was
up and everything was in readiness for
sailing when suddenly and without any
warning whatever the starboard for.
ward boiler exploded with deafeniug
roar. The explosion was terrific.
People standing on the shore saw a
huge cloud of white steam rise above
the Remington. Columns of water
were hurled into the air and for a dis.
tance of nearly twice the hight of the
Spars of the vessel.
At the time of the accident Com.
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon F.
Peck were on shore. The two officers,
as soon as they learned of the disas-
ter. hurried to the water front where
Commander Young Immediately took
charge.
On board the Bennington were pre-
sented terrible scenes. The force Of
the explosion had torn a great hole in
the starboard side of the ship and the
vessel was already commC lclng to list
A section of the upper deck was car.
ried away from stem to stern. Blood
and wreckage was distributed over the
entire ship. the after cabin and the
vicinity Of the ship adjacent to the
exploded boiler resembling a charnel.
house. Over 1t all hung the great
cloud OF white smoke, which drifted
slowly toward the Coronado shore.
The shock Of the explosion penetrat-
ed every section Of the ship blood and
ashes being found as far as the stern
of the captains cabin. Portions Of the
upper deck were carried away and
great damage was done in all sections.
Most of the dead and injured were
taken ashore, where the undertakers
and physicians were assembled. the
former taking charge Of the dead and
the latter to minister to the needs of
the living.
The bodies OF many of the men ta-
ken from the wrecked interior of the
ship were mutilated almost beyond
recognition. The faces of many were
covered with blood and ashes.
The boiler which exploded. 1t is said.
was regarded as unsafe. Commander
Young stated that during a recent re-
turn trip from Honolulu the steam
pressure was kept reduced in that par
ticu'ar one.
When the explosion occurred the
engineer was inspecting the boilers as
preliminary to the vessels leaving
port, and he was not seriously injured.
San Diego, Cal. July 24.-They bur.
led the Bennington's dead Sunday
AZ of them, in a common grave. On
the crest of the promontory Of Iona.
high above the shimmering water OF
San Diego bay on the one side and
within sound OF the booming surf Of
the Pacific on the other. they we're
laid to rest in the peaceful little mill.
tary burying ground. without the
crash of drum or the sound Of brass.
without pomp or parade. yet with sim.
pie impressiveness, all honor was paid
the natisn's dead.
They have honored dead to keep
them company. the brave boys OF the
Bennington. All about them lie those
who died in the nations service In
more trying times. Gravest0nes yel
low with age bear the names of men
who died at Monterey In the Mexican
war; others who gave up their lives
In the conquest Of California and who
followed Commodore Stockton at Old
San Pasquel. These are their neigh
bors In death.
Army and navy paid tributes NO
less sincere than the simple grief Of
the representatives Of peace. who
made the long journey around or
scross the great bay. From TT. Rose.
cans came the 115th compaay. coast
heavy artillery. from the city Of San
Diego. the naval reserves; from the
Universal BrotherhoOds home on Pont
Iona, company Of khaki clad repre-
sentatives and from the government
ship Fortune dozen OF their sailors.
But the most impressive body OF
mourners were the SO men from the
battered Bennington.
Besides these there we're hundreds
of civilians who, unthOughtful of the
fatiguing journey from the city,
brought their offerings Of flowers TO
lay upon the graves.
A careful compilation OF casualties
was made by a press representative
and is as follows: Buried In military
cemetery at Ft. Rosecrans. 47; dead
now in morgue, 10. awaiting shipment
to relatives; dead In fire room Of Ben.
nington still unrecovered, 2. Total
dead, SO. Injured at various hospitals,
80. Missing. 16. Grand total, 1876.
Among the wounded are: A. J.
Worthen, Dayton. o.; Brown Telley,
Flickweiler. Ind; l.. A. Cries. sylvia.
mia, O.. and w. J. Weller. Cleveland. o
Refuse To Sell American Goods.
Shanghai, July 32.-The boycott Of
American goods ia now working, but 1t
has been agreed that the completion of
all running contracts for supplies will
be allowed. Meanwhile all the Chi
nese shops refuse to sell American
goods. including Standard OH.
spselal Session Of Congress.
IAneOln Noh Julv 30 -9on otor n