The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1905-08-11
Previous Naval Explosions.

been at least two-score serious eXplo-
sions of various kinds on board the
vessels OF the United States navy
They have included explosions Of boil
ers, explosions OF steam pipes, blow
ing out of cylinder heads, premature
discharge OF heavy guns. accidental
discharge OF powder, flashing OF breech
caps in the closing Of the breech, and
a dozen other mishaps peculiar to con-
ditons on ship-board.
The greatest catastropee-which Of
course cannot be CHASED as an acct
dent-in the annals ofthe recognized
White Squadron was the blowing up
Of the Maine, in the harbor of Havana
on the night Of February 10, 1898. The
battleship was blown up by a Spanish
mine The blowing up OF the Maine
did much to hasten hostlities between
the United States and Spain.
A serious accident was that which
occurred on the battleship Missouri
April 10, 1904 When of Pensacola,
under command of William S. Cowles
brother-in-law of President Roosevelt,
1900 pounds of powder were acci-
IDENTIFY ignited in the after turrent
sheltering II inch gun.
Five officers who were In the turrent
were killed, Twenty-four enlisted men
were also killed. Among the deaths
was that Of Lieutenant John p. ".
Gridley, son Of Capt. Chas. Vernon
Gridley, who commanded the Olympia
flagship in the battle Of Manila bay.
The quick flooding OF the magazine
rooms near the turrent prevented fur
Their fatalities.
On December 10, 1904, the Massachu-
sets lost three of her crew when gas
ket blew of boiler and filled the fire.
room with steam. This occrred when
the battleship was at the League Is
land navy yard
The Massachusetts had an even
worse misfortune the year preceding
When OIL Culebra Island, on Jan. 10,
1903, the accidental discharge Of a
percussion primer while the gun breech
was still open resulted to the killing
of six men. This accident like most
OF those of a similar character, occur
red in ore of the currents. The officer
in charge of the gun was unhurt, but
the gun crew Of nine men was blown
in every direction, Only three OF the
number survived their injuries,
The Iowa when off Pensacola on
April 8, 1903, suffered serious acct
dent. The port l2-nch gun in the for
ward turrent burst Three sections
of the gun each weighing a ton crash
ed through the mess room, killing
three and injuring five. This acci-
dent was caused by an explosion Of a
shell midway of the gun.
Twelve days later the Iowa again
met with misfortune. One of the
steam pipes in her boiler room burst.
The steering gear was torn away, and
for the time being the battleship was
helpless
The Kearsarge, namesake Of the VIC
tor of the Cherbough fight of July 10,
1854 had not been of the stocks long
before she met with accident or rath-
er, in the first instance, got herself in
trouble with the authorities OF New
port. A shell went hurting from a gun
in her fighting top on July "a, 1901,
which clipped huge tree, and then
knocked off a section of the stone slab
from the New. ort city hall. The re-
sponsibility for this remarkable acct
dent was never clearly established
On February 8, 1902, the Navy De-
partment received a cablegram from
Rear Admiral Higginson, commander
Of the North Atlantic squadron, that
five men had been killed by the burst.
ing OF gun on board the Kearsarge.
The battleship was then in West In
dian waters.
An accident occurred to the subma-
rine boat Fulton off Lewis, Del, on
April 20, 1902, when she was endeayor-
ing to make Delaware Breakwater. 1t
was an accident that is rare so far as
the United States naval records go.
The accumulation Of gas in the stor-
age batteries shattered the inside of
the little craft. She was only partly
submerged at the time. A dozen men
we're hurt by flying fragments. Cool
work on the part of the crew preven-
ted fatalities.
Another OF the wasp division" OF
the navy, the Ericsson, met with
mishap of New Lcndon in July, 1895.
A number Of her crew died from their
injuries.
On July l, 1897, at the Brooklyn navy
yard, an accident to the Puritant de-
veloped that her boilers were I'M
fitted in every way. 1t was shown