Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22

ship adjacent to the exploded boiler re-
sembling a charnel house.
The shock of the explosion penetrated
every section of the ship. ashes being found
as far as the stern Of the captains cabin.
Great damage was done in all parts OF the
vessel.
The boiler which exploded. It Is said. was
regarded as unsafe. Commander Young
stated that during a recent return from
Honolulu the steam pressure was kept re-
duced in that particular one.
At the time Of the accident Commander
Young and Surgeon F. E. Peck were on
shore. The two officers, as soon as they
learned OF the disaster. hurried to the wa
ter front. Commander Young. as soon as
he reached the ship. gave orders that the
alright compartments be closed to prevent
the listing ship from sinking. and that
magazines be flooded to avert further
explosions. He then beached the ship at
high tide.
The ferryboat Ramona which was cross
ing the bay at the time Of the accident.
changed its course and hurried to the aid
of the stricken warship. The government
launch General De Russey and large
number of other launches and water craft
which were near the scene at the time also
rushed to the assistance of the Bennning
ton.
By the time the Ramona reached the Ben
nington many of the sailors of the gun
boat who had jumped into the bay to
escape the scalding steam had been rescued
by small craft
The removal of the wounded from the
ship was conducted in perfect order. The
crews of the De Russey and the other
boats aided In picking up the wounded sail
ors and transferring them to shore.
News Of the Disaster.
The news Of the explosion spread over
the city like wildfre. AT first reports were
that half the crew had been killed. The
scene OF hurrying ambulances and car
riages Of every description, which had been
summoned, added TO the excitement Every
physician who could be reached by tele-
phone was called to the water front. With
in a short time a score of physicians were
attending the wounded.
Most of the dead and injured were taken
ashore. where the undertakers and physi-
clans were assembled.
The bodies of many of the men taken
from the wrecked interior of the ship were
mutilated almost beyond recognition. The
face of many were covered with ashes.
Some bodies may never be Identified.
Temporary quarters ashore were arranged
for the wounded and sixty citizens volun-
teered and hurried in launches to the re-
lief of those on the ship.
Some of the volunteers were unable to
stand the sight which met their gaze on
the Bennington.
Hurried to Hospitals.
As fast as the wounded could be removed
they were hurried in ambulances, carriages,
wagons and automobiles to hospitals.
For long time the hot steam prevented
access TO the space between decks, where
most of the bodies lay. and it was not until
late In the afternoon that the last was re-
moved from the boiler room.
Several bodies were so tightly wedged
IN by bulkhead that the woodwork had to
DE hewed away to free them.
When the explosion occurred the engineer
was inspecting the boilers He was not
seriously injured. Officers and men who
were able to assist in rescue acted in a
brave and collected manner. Pumps were
manned to keep the water from the upper
compartments, the magazine was flooded
and men fought their way through the
steam In to the darkened hold. Many slight
ly injured sailors remained in the ship and
assisted in rescuing the more severely In
jured
=, : Machinery a Tangled Mass.
The ships inner works are tangled mass
OF machinery and the vessel probably will
have to be dlsmantled to repair the in
jures, IL, indeed, the warship is not a
total loss.
charge of the Bennington at the time of
the disaster, was in the aft cabin He
rushed out, to be met by binding. scalding
cloud OF steam as 1t swept the vessel.
Speaking of the occurrence, he said:
II must have remained seated in my
chair several seconds after it occurred and
did not know what had happened. 1 then
rushed out, and the steam, even at the ex-
treme after part of the ship was so dense
that I could not get a breath OF air until
assembled the rail-
LAS 1 ran forward I passed one OF our
boys crawling along. There was no time
to attend to individual cases, as there were
so many. About thirty of the boys were
on the foredeck. all severely wounded. 1
called for men to man the boats and only
dozen men, including officers, responded
at that moment. All of the rest were in
jured blinded or had been driven over the
side by the scalding steam
Damaged Below Decks.
An examination of the Bennington above
deck did not disclose any great damage.
The vessel was covered with a gray coat
ing, the color of ashes. The escaping steam
carried a gray colored mud, which srneared
everything. even the sides of the vessel.
There were broken gangways and displaced
machinery of a minor character, but no
serious damage to the main deck was Wis
ible. 1t was explained by those on board
that the wreckage was all below but just
how serious this is will be fully determined
only after a thorough examination can be
made.
This cannot be made until the water has
been pumped out and the vessel righted
Commander Young declined to make any
official statement for publication. He said.
however. to a reporter yesterday that he
believed the disaster was caused by the ex-
plosion of boiler d. on the port side and
that boiler "B," while not exploding had
been damaged, allowing the steam to es.
cape.
To Helm the Wvon,jnU