The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-07-28
UNSAFE BOILER
On the American Gunboat Benz
nington Exploded Friday.
~THIRTY-NINE DEAD.
Capt. Luclen Young, In Command. Was
Ashore at the Time. The Vessel Is
Almost a Complete Loss, aud
1t Was Necessary to
Beach Her.

1t Was Necessary to
Beach Her.
Thirty nine members Of the crew
Of the United States Runboat Benning-
ton were killed and nearly 100 sailors
were injured, some fatally, at 10 o'clock
Friday forenoon by q boiler explosion
that disabled the vessel, in San Diego
harbOr, Cal. Fifteen sailors are miss
ing. There were more than $50 men
aboard the val ship when The acct
dent occurred and many men were
hurled or forced to Jump into the sea
by the terrific explosion, which lifted
part Of the deck and compelled the
Bleaching Of the ship.
Tne Bennington at the time Of the
accident was lying In the stream, just
off the Commercial wharf, at Fl street.
The war ship had received orders from
the navy department at Washington
to sail Friday morning for Port Hart
ford to meet the monitor Wyoming
and convey the monitor to Mare Is.
land navy yard, San Francisco. Steam
was up and everything was in readi.
ness for the departure OF the Ben
niERtOn, when the ~starboard forward
boiler exploded with a deafening roar.
The explosion was terrific People
standing on shore saw u huge cloud OF
steam rise above tho Bennington.
Columns Of water we're forced high
into the air.
A dozen or fifteen men were blown
overheard by the force Of the terrific
| oyn1nstHn " ont Nnntypnrfh ul1n
vas looking at the Bennington when
the disaster occurred, says he saw hu.
man bodies hurled over a hundred feet
upward! The air was clouded with
smoke, which envelopcd the ship.
When the haze cleared away only o
few men could be seen on the decks,
while a number were laundering in
the water. A boat was lowered from
the vesS els side and most Of the men
in the water were picked up and taken
aboard.
Ga board the Bennington were pre-
sented terrible scenes. The force Of
the explosion had torn a great hole in
the starhoard side of the ship and the
vessel saas alread9scommencing toliss.
A section of the upper deck was car
ricd away from stem to stern. Blood
and WreckaQe were distributed over tie
entire ship, the after cabin and tha,
part OF the ship adjacent to the ex,
ploded boiler resembling a charnel
hous
The shocN OF the explosion penetrat.
ed every section Of the ship, blood and
ashes being fiuni a. far as the stern
II the captains cabin Great damage
was done in all parts Of the vessel. The
boiler wh'cl e~Xpiodcd it Is stated, was
regardc as uur arc. Commander Y ing
stated tnat during u recent return
from Honolulu the steam pressure was
kept raduo Il In that particular one.
At tha zine OF the accident Clm.
mander LI"ien Young and Surgeon L.
E Peek were on shore. The two Of
ticers, as o . a They leaned Of the
disaster, hurr cd 20 the water front.
Comma 1dsr Young, az soon as he
reached the ship, gaze orders that the
ar tiGht Compartments he closed tic
prevent the sing snip from sinking
and that the mag zines b, II Joded
tn avert futtNer explosions. lie ther
b anhch the snip at high tide.
The %ferryboat R)m0na, which was
crossing tho bay OF the time Of the
accident, charged It's course and huy
rled To The aid OF the stricken wal
ship. The Government launch Gen
i, De Ru:scy, and large number or oVhc.
launches and water craft which werI
about az the time, also rushed to the
!, assistance Of the bennington.
e By the time the Ramona reached
r tho Remington many or the sailors J.
= the Bennington, who had jumped in.
8 the by TO cEctpo the sc liding steam
k had been rescued by small craft. IN
+ removal Of thu wounded from tn
O ship was conducted iE perfect order
The crews Of the Do r. lAsey and tn,
5 other boats aided I'm picking up tn
wounded sailors and transferring then
to shore. The bodies OF many of til
men taken from the wrecked interio
4 OF the ship were mutilated almost be
n yOnd recognition. The faces Of man
s were covered with blood and ashes
Some OF the bodies may never be idcr
tilted.
Temporary gu .rIers ashore were al
ranged for the wounded and sixt
citizens volunteered and hurried |
launches to the relief OF those on til
IT. ship. Some OF the volunteers wei
o unable to stand the Sickening sigh
It which met their gaze on the Benninl
ton. AS fast as the wounded Gu.
2 be removed thoy were hurried In an
balances, carriages, wagons and autt
mobiles to hospitals. For q long tin
n the hot steam prevented Access to I'll
n space between decks where most
Q. the dead bodies lay, and 1t was NJ
r until late in the afternoon that I'll
IN iasG were removed from the boilt
rooms. Several bodies we're 50 tight
A. wedged in by a bulkhead that I'll
r. woodwork had to be hcwed away
10 free them.
n When The explosion occurred, I'll
engineer was inspecting the boiler
a He was not seriously injured. Onice
lie and msn VINO were able to assist |
On the rescue acted in q brave and &C
We lcctod manner. Pumps we're MANN
to Keep the water from the upp,
compartments, the magazine W
Hooded and men fought their W;
at through the steam into the darken,
Is, hold. Many slightly injured sailo
he remained In the ship and assisted
all rescuing the more severely injured.
kCfuscd TO Mix.
-" Fifteen white girls sewing matre!
es In Pittsburg went on strike |
~ cause q negro girl was brought In