The Washington times., 1905-08-22
PLACING BLAME
FOR EXPLOSION
Bennington Disaster Court
Submits It's Report.
ENSIGN AND THREE SEAMEN
First Named VIII Be Court -Martialed,
But the Sailors Are
Dead.

An ensign and three dead seamen are
pronounced responsible fer the exnlo-
sion on the gunboat Bennington at
San Diego Cal. on July p, by the
board Of inquiry which investigated the
disaster. The report and proceedings
OF the board were received by Secre-
tary OF the Navy Bonaparte yesterday,
and were made public by him late In
the afternoon.
Ensign Charles T. Wade. the only
survivor of the four men on whom the
blame Is placed by the board. will prob
ably be cOurt-marualed.
Boilers Not Defective.
The boilers of the Bennington. accord
ing 10 tic report of the board of in
quiry. were not defective. The explo-
sion was caused by the closing off of
valve which connected the exploded
boiler with its steam gauge. so that
the pressure might have been several
hundred pounds to the square inch
when the explosion occurred.
The report praises highly the conduct
Of the officers and men during the
scenes that followed the explosion.
The court consisted of Commander
Stevenson, retired; Capt. q. }. Moore,
and Capt, Thomas s. Phelps. The g find ind
ton at San Diego and says:
Findings of the Court.
The shin was in an excellent state of
discipline, and n good and efficient con-
ditioa, with the exception of her boilers.
which are in fair condition and eff
Gent. considering their age (about four
teen years.. and the use to which they
had been subjected
Continuing, the court says:
about $40 on July q, after both
boilers had been filed and the fur
naces started, il was observed that the
steam gauge on boiler B showed about
five pounds of steam pressure, and AZ
this time Oiler Frank De Courtani.
acting as water tender, directed D. n.
Holland. fireman, second class, 10 close
the aircuck on boiler p; that the SAID
Holland climbed up and closed waive,
and almost Immediately the steam
gauge on boiler B failed 70 register any
T:-sSlIre. that this was apparently not
rcticed by either the water tender or
the fireman and TO attention appears
70 have been paid TO the fact 1hat lne
steam gauge failed TO register, put tney
kent on working the fires and firing
heavily; that when the steam gauge on
boiler \ showed 135 pounds there was
nc pressure showing on the steam
gauge OF boiler B.
Leak in Boiler.
The findlng then goes on to state that
about lG.SJ o'clock a small leak was
found in boiler request mad been
sent 10 the Donermaker TO come and at
tend to- the leak when the explosion &c
Cured. All that happened after the ex-
ploston is described at eonsidera bic
length, and the court says:
No one seems TO have noticed any
IL Fagx vol
of any of the boilers, and no one can
state that any of the safety valves blew
of At any time that morning; that we
can find no record of the safety valve
of boiler E having been overhauled since
july. 1904, nor any positive evidence of
lis having been done, though orders llaa
been given for this 70 be done in March,
1865; That there is no record OF the sen
tineI valves having been 0Yerhauied
since July, 1904, that the safety valves
were set At l45 pounds; but en- route from
Honolulu 10 this port orders were given
10 carry the steam pressure at from I50
10 135 pounds, not 10 exceed the latter,
but The safety valves were not changed :
that this order had been clearly under
stood: that the handgear for lifting the
safety valves was not in working order.
and there is no record or direct evil
dence that The safety valves had been
tested in accordance with the navy reg
ulauons.
THE discipline seems to have been
excellent, and everything that could be
done by the surviving officers and crew
was done in a cool and courageous man
ner, no one thinking of himself, but Of
what he could do for his injured ship
mates and the safety OF his ship. that
volunteer aid of every kind came from
shore. and the injured were promptly
removed 10 the regular and improvised
hospitals. where all was done that NOR
tai could do 10 alleviate their sufferings
ana aid in their recovery, while the
dead were taken TO the various under
taking establishments, where they
were prepared for burial. that. after an
examination of the collapsed furnace
fue, and from physical tests that we
have had made, the material of this
furnace was Of good quality.
The ship was found TO be filing and
settling when a tug was obtained and
the ship was towed into saoal water
until she grounded; that subsequently,
the sea valves were closed, the ship
pumped out. and returned to her an
chorage; that tho ship IS practically un-
injured except in and about the engine
AID boiler rooms