Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-31
YOUNG TO FACE
COURTMART|AL
BONAPARTE'S DECISION IN
4 BENNINGTON INQUIRY
ENSIGN WADE IS INCLUDED
Commander Of Warshlp and His SUBJ
ordinate Must Clear Themselves
Of Charge Of Neglect
Of Duty
ENSIGN WADE is INCLUDED
Rv Ansooiatad Presa.

tWAoI1AlNGlOIN, AUG oV' -oScA Staiy
Bonaparte in his action today on the
findings of the court Of inquiry in the
case OF the Bennington explosion Sc
verely arraigns some officers of the
Z vessel for failure to look after the
safety valves; orders Commander
Lucien Young before courtmartial
to clear himself of the charges of neg
lect Of official duty" directs the court
martial of Ensign Wade on the charge
of neglect of duty and disapproves
the court of inquirys finding that the
Bennington was ''in an excellent state
Of discipline and in good and efficient
condition.
Ensign Wade was in charge of the
machinery. The action as to Comman-
der Young was taken in view of the
fact that the court Of inquiry in it's
findings and opinion did not pass ex-
pressly upon his conduct and the ques-
tion of his responsibility for the explo-
sion. Secretary Bonaparte, however,
approves the court of inquiry's in
dorsement of the creditable conduct of
all of the survivors of the officers and
crew of the Bennington latter the ex-
plosion occurred
Secretary Bonaparte's Endorsement
of the courts findings is in part as fol-
lows:
"The department has very carefully
considered the findings and opinion of
the court of inquiry, the testimony and
exhibits thereto attached and the in
dorsement of the commander in chief
OF the Pacific squadron thereon. 1t
has also considered the letters of the
court of inquiry commendatoIy ~of
Lieut.. A. F. H. Yates, U. S. N, and
Elnsign Charles T. Wade, U. S. N, and
the Endorsements thereon of the COM
mlander in chief of the squadron afore-
said, the questions involved in this in
auiry, being deemed by the depart
fnent of exceptional interest and i'm
portance to the service, have been
weighed with more than ordinary care
and deliberation.
'The department approves the several
findings of fact by the court of inquiry
with the exception Of so much thereof
as in the words following:
""That the Bennington Con July 10,
l905,) was in an excellent state of dis
eiplne and in good and efficient condi-
ton with the exception of her boilers,
which were in fair condition and eff
ficiency considering their age (about
fourteen years. and the use to which
they had been subjected.
Department does not consider this
particular finding sustained by the evil
dence; the proof tends strongly to show
that the enlisted force of the engineer
ing division had been permitted to fall
into habits of laxity and inattention in
the discharge of their duties and that
at least some of this force were also
imperfectly Instructed regarding their
duties- In the view of the department
the evidence establishes further. that
certain appurtenances, to wit, the safety
and sentinel valves of at least one OF
the boilers were not in an efficient con-
dition at the date mentioned and had
not been iii such condition for a con-
! siderable time previously, and in the
Judgment of the department this evil
dence renders the statements that the
ship was in a good and efficient condi-
ton and that her boilers were in fair
condition and efficient inappropriate
to the facts disclosed by the proof.
The secretary discusses certain por-
tions of the evidence which, he says
were sufficient to justify the court in
advancing another charge of neglect
OF duty against Ensign Wade, and pro-
ceeds:
1.-The department approves the rec
omrnendation of the court of inquiry
that Ensign Charles T. Wade, u. S. NJ,
be brought to trial by courtmartial
upon the charges contained in the
opinion of the said court of inquiry.
Such courtmartial is hereby ordered,
but the judge advocate general is in
structed to include in the charges and
specifications the further charge here
inbefore set forth.
"Inasmuch as the court of inquiry
did not pass explicitly in it's findings
and opinion upon the conduct of Com
mander Lucien Young, u. S. ~, COM
manding the United States ship Ben
nington ana the question of his respon-
sibility for the explosion thereon and
consequent loss of life and injury to
persons and property, the department
must treat this silence as an implied
hnding that he was not thus RESPONSE
BILE. After very careful consideration
the department is compelled TO disap-
prove this implied inding."