The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-22
FlFTY-ONE DEAD.
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explosion, one of the boilers was found
to be leaking badly. and the boiler
maker was sent for to repair the dam
age. Before the latter came. the ex-
plosion took place Hopp say men all
about him killed outright and he him
self was stunned for moment.
The dead will be given a military
burial Sunday afternoon at the mill
tary reservation at Point Iona. Ser
vices will be held at o'clock on the
Point, and launches will convey across
the bay the living officers and men
able to attend.
Help Sent From Frisco.
San Francisco, July 22.-Rear Ad-
niral McCalla, commandant at the
navy yard at Mare island, upon hear
ing of the blowing up of the Benning-
toms boilers, dispatched Captain F. D.
Drake, Chief Surgeon Smith and three
men of the hospital corps to the scene
of the disaster and dispatched the tug
Fortune from Port Hartford to San
Diego to assist in the recovery of the
bodies. So far he has received no ex-
PLANTATION of the cause of the accident,
but Captain Drake has instructions to
investigate the affair and report upon
what he can ascertain, regarding the
cause. If Surgeon Smith considers it
| advisa bic the wounded men will be
brought here by special train and the
naval hospital is being made ready to
receive them.
According to the latest advices from
San Diego, the official list of casualties
shows Al dead, nine of the victims as
! yet unidentified. The list of wounded
numbers 55, 16 of whom, including
one unknown man, are in a serious
condition.
The only officers included in the list
| of victims of the disaster, are Ensign
n. X Perry, who died from the eff
fects of his wounds; Ensign Leo Sahm,
whose right hand was scalded. The
latter's injuries were dressed by the
ships surgeons and he did not go to
the hospital.
The city of San Diego loaded a fire
engine upon lighter and ran it
alongside the Bennington where she
now lies beached and it is now being
used to pump out the vessels engine
room. AS the vessel now lies beached,
she has heavy list to starboard and
at least 3 feet of water in her hold.
| The number of men reported as
missing at latest reports is estimated
at from p to 25, and it is feared that
when the worst is known the list of
dead will be largely increased.
| A roll call ordered by Commander
Young on board the Bennington some
hours after the accident showed 81
men present, leaving 1876 unaccounted
for. These included the dead. injured
and missing. Commander Young be-
lieves some of the missing men were
drowned and that their bodies will be
found in the bay.
| Cause of the Explosion.
The boiler that caused the disaster
on the gunboat Bennington was I'M
safe. When the explosion occurred
Engineer Nelson was inspecting the
boilers. During the gunboat's return
from Honolulu the steam pressure was
kept reduced on the boiler that ex-
p1oded for fear of an accident. This
information comes from Commander
| Young. The statement is also made
that the boilers were old and of the
kind used in locomotives. They were
not the kind suitable for a warship.
The Bennington at the time of the ac-
! cldent was lying in the stream just off
| the Commercial wharf at the foot of H
| street The warship had received or
/ ders from the navy department in
| Washington to sail this morning for
| Port Hartford where it was to meet the
monitor Wyoming end convoy the YES
sci to Mare island navy yard. Steam
| was up and everything was in readiness
! for sailing when the starboard forward
| boiler exploded with a deafening roar
/ The explosion was terrific. Persons
| standing on the floor saw a huge cloud
| of white steam rise above the Benning-
ton. Columns of water were hurled into
| the air and for a distance of nearly
/ twice the height of the spars of the
vessel.
Boats to the Rescue.
The ferry boat Ramona was coming
| across the bay at the time of the acct
| dent. Captain Bertelsen of the Ramona
| gave orders to change the course of the
| boat and instead of continuing his trip
| to the San Diego side of the bay, hur-
| ried to the aid of the stricken WarShip
! The tug, Santa Fe, which was tied up
at the commercial wharf, the launch
| Mckinley, the government launch Gen
! eral De RuSSy and large number of
| other launches and water craft which
| were near the scene at the time also
| rushed to the assistance of the Benning-
| ton.
BY the time the Ramona had arrived
many of the 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 Fee DeRussy and Mckinley
and the other boats present lent aid in
picking up the wounded sailors and
transferring them to the shore.
Commander Was on Shore.
At the time. of the accident Com
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon A.
GERS, as soon as they learned of the
disaster hurried. to the water front,
where Commander Young Immediately
took charge.
Commander Young, as soon as he
reached the ship, gave orders that the
alright compartments be closed to
prevent the listing ship sinking and
that the magazines be flooded to avert
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 commencing to
list. A section of the upper deck was
carried away from stem to stern
Blood and wreckage was distributed
over the entire ship, the after cabin an6
the vicinity of the ship adjacent tC
, the exploded boiler resembling {
charnel house. Over it all hung the
great cloud of. white smoke which
drifted slowly toward the Coronado
shore.
A dozen or fifteen were blown over
board by the force of the terrific ex-
pIosion. Captain Wentworth, who
was looking at the Bennington wher