The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-10-28
WADE
TES1IF|ESS
interesting Day in the
Lucien Young
Case.

VALLEJO. October 1.-THE most in
teresting day of the court-martial of
Commander Lucien Young of the Ben
nington was todays session, which wit
messed the appearance of Ensign Chas
T. Wade of the Inflated warship on
the witness stand. Although Wade has
been sick almost unto death since the
terrible explosion, he appeared we'll and
to answer many questions, as they
might be used against him in his court
martial which is to follow that of his
commanding officer.
In answer to a question by Judge
Advocate West, Wade stated he had
had no engineering experience aboard
ship previous TO being assigned to the
Bennington on October %, 1904, and that
he was in command of the engine-room
of the ship from that date until July
81
Wade testified that the boilers of he
Bennington had been tested at the
Bremertcn navy yard about a year
ago and that later boiler A was tested
at Magdalena Bay with pressure up
to 200 pounds. Wade stated that on
the morning of the explosion the boil
ers were filed with water from a
lighter and that he had given orders
to the chief machinist to start the by
drokimeters on boilers A and B when
the water showed in the gauge glasses.
He said that he ordered the fires start
ed slowly in order to raise 125 pounds
of steam by 1 p. m. that day. The
hydrokimeters were started about a.
m. and were supposed to be in good
condition.
Wade said he knew of no reason why
steam should form quicker in boiler B
than A, unless the fires were stronger.
The steam gauge had been turned at
$50 a. m. and at that hour there was
about 120 pounds of steam. Water
tender Hunt was relieved from watch
about a. m. by De Curtoni.
Wade stated that he had made ad-
verse reports on the boilers in the log
of the ship previous to the explosion
first the boilers were fair, then good
and lastly poor.
A soiled sheet of paper from the log
book, dated July 81, was handed to
Wade and he identified it as one found
by him in the ship on the day follow
ing the explosion. Its contents were
not stated, but it was admitted as evil
dence Regarding Sunday inspection,
Wade remembered not more than five,
his station on Sunday being with the
deck division and he did not go below
except by order Of the executive Off
Ger. Wade qualified this statement by
saying that shortly after Young joined
the Bennington he had accompanied his
commanding officer on an inspection of
the engineerig department.
The day after the explosion Wade
visited the engine-room with Fred
erickson. They found the main and
auxiliary stops of boiler B closed.
Frederickson found that the main stop
of boiler B would not open and at
tempted to knock it off with a wrench,
but could not do So Asked if he were
aware of the regulation which demands
that the stops and cocks be moved once
a week when not under steam, Wade
answered only after a long wrangle be-
tween the counsels that he was, but
thai Young had never called his atten-
ton to this rule. The rule had been
carried out.
At the morning session Lieutenant
Commander Bartlett completed his
testimony and appeared in an entirely
6iffaraTt
vious. He said that he was willing
to answer the questions to which there
had been objection on the day previous.
There was little discussion over this
admission and the defense smiled
confidently and said that as the board
desired no further expert testimony
from Bartlett that they would not, in
ferring that they believed that Bart
lett had been discredited as an ex-
pert.
After Bartlett had completed his tes-
timony, Judge Advocate West arose
and announced that, without sugges-
ton from any one, he had sent a tele-
gram to the Navy Department re-
questing that on the conclusion of
Bartletts testimony he be retained as
an assistant counsel for the prosecu-
ton. The department had wired its
assent. Thus was briefly explained
what had been heralded as an attempt
Of the Navy Department to convict
Young by furnishing additional talent
for the prosecution
EVIDENCE OF STRUCTURAL
WEAKNESS.
VALLEJO, October 9.-Commander
George B. Ransom, at the Bennington
court martial this morning gave it as
his opinion that. from the condition
of the crown sheets of the middle fur
mace, the combustion chamber and the
tube sheets, after the explosion, there
was no evidence OF low water in the