The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-25


27S men more or less seriously Nm.
jured, the United States gun boat
Bennington, wrecKed today by the ex.
plosion of one of her boilers, lies 1'
night on the beach near one Of the
docks in the harbor. 1t Is not believ-
ed that she can be kept afloat during
the night until the bodies of the men
who died aboard of her can be
brought out.
Excepting the blowing up of the
Maine in Havana harbor, the accident
to the gun boat today is
WITHOUT PARALLEL
in the history of the American navy.
Il is impossible to gain accurate In
formation from the navy officers who
are here and who reply to all ques.
tions for information that the navy
department at Washington will give
out complete lists of the killed and
injured, and the official reports of
the accident.
The magnitude of the disaster can
be easily seen from the brief dis
patch that Commander Lucien Young
of the unfortunate vessel, sent to tho
navy department, Immediately after
the accident He reported as follows:
Boiler exploded; nearly every one
killed or wounded"
SERVED UNDER DEWEY.
"The staunch little gun boat that
had rendered excellent service under
Admiral Dewey in Manila bay and
which was manned by one Of the best
crews in the service, was under or
ders to proceed Immediately to Port
Hartford and to take In tow there the
monitor Wyoming and carry her to
the Mare Island navy yard for repairs
to a propeller which was broken re-
recently while in a heavy sea-"
Coal had been taken on board the
gun boat and she was practically
ready to go to sea with her tow. She
was the center of attraction for many
people on the beach, in launches,
yachts and on the ferry boats plying
near by, when a report of an explo-
sion that
JARRED THE CITY
and sent a miniature tidal wave roll
ing up the beach, was heard Per
sons near the waters edge saw frag-
ments of the gun boat being hurled
high into the air. 1t was at once re-
allied that a disaster had occurred
and naval and port officials, in all
kinds of craft, put off to the gun boat.
When rescuing parties reached the
sids of the damaged gun boat the
decks were strewn with debris and a
few uninjured sailors were bringing
p up the
DEAD AND WOUNDED.
Others were floating in the sea, some
dead and others wounded.
Eye witnesses to the disaster de-
clare that a cloud Of steam burst
from point just forward of the
smoke stack and bodies of men were
hurled high in the air and scattered
over the surrounding water. The out
burst was accompanied by roar as
OF thunder. 1t is believed that one
of the magazines exploded second
after the boiler blew up and wrecked
the vessel.
A ferry boat that was near thu
Bennington at the time, turned to
ward the stricken gun boat, and al
though its own deck was covered with
frightened men, women and children
it's captain stood by and
ASSISTED IN THE RESCUE
from the water of many blackened
disfgured sailors, who were making
valiant efforts to keep afloat, while as
sisting their more seriously injured
comrades. ..s
AS quickly as possible the injure.
and dead were taken from the Ben
ning:on or picked up in the water, ant
as. each small boat that was engaged
In the rescue work succeeded In TAX
ing aboard one or more Of the unfor
tunates they started for the docks al
fast as wind, steam or the arms o
their rowers could drive them.
On the wharves, the awful proper
tions of the accident being seen, ey
erything possible was done to aid thC
hurrying
TO THE HOSPITALS
of the injured. Ambulances, polic'
patrols, express wagons, automobiles
street cars and buggies were presses
into service and one or two sailor
were placed in each and the race 70
the hospital begun.
Tugs put out to the Bennington
She was towed to a whaif but late
beached, in an effort to keep he
cfoat.
Two hours after the explosion
barge brought ashore five bodies tina
had been picked up in the bay. Th
: barge men said that other bodies, al
FRIGHTFULLY MANGLED,
had. also been found and would b
brought ashore. s sas,.
The scene on board the Bennington