New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-07-26

VESSEL was already commencing to list.
A section of the upper deck was car
ried away from stem to stern Blood
and wreckage was distributed over the
entire ship, the after cabin and the
vicinity of the ship adjacent to the ex-
ploded boiler resembling charnel
house Over it all hung the great
cloud of white smoke, which drifted
slowly toward the Coronado shore.
Many Blown Overheard.
A dozen or fifteen were blown over
board by the force of the terrific ex-
plosion. Captain Wentworth, who was
looking at the Bennington when the
disaster occurred, says he saw human
bodies hurled over hundred feet up
ward. The air was black with smoke,
which enveloped the ship. When it
cleared away only few men could be
seen on the decks, while number
were foundering in the water. A boat
was lowered from the vessels side
and most of them were picked up and
taken on board. The shock of the ex-
plosion penetrated every section of
as far as the stern of the captains
cabin. Portions Of the upper deck
were carried away and great damage
was done in all sections.
All the available launches fastened
to the wreck while most of the row.
boats along the bay were brought into
use. Most of the dead and injured
were taken ashore, where the under
takers and physicians were assembled,
the former taking charge of the dead
and the latter to minister to the needs
of the living. The bodies of many of
the men taken from the wrecked in
terror of the ship were mutilated al
| most beyond recognition. The faces
of many were covered with blood and
ashes.
AS fast as the wounded could be
removed they were hurried in ambu-
lances, carriages, wagons and auto
mobiles to the hospitals. For a long
time the hot steam prevented access
to the space between decks, where
most of the dead bodies lay, and it
was not until late in the afternoon
that the last were removed from the
boiler rooms. Several bodies were
tightly wedged in by bulkhead that
the woodwork had to be hewn away
to free them. Most of the bodies yet
unidentified have been mangled, most
beyond hope Of recognition.
The boiler which exploded, it is
said, was regarded as unsafe. Com
mander Young stated that during a
recent return from Honolulu the
steam pressure was kept reduced in
that particular one. The ships inner
works are tangled mass of ma
chinery and she probably will have
to be dismantled in order to examine
her injuries.
The Inflated Vessel.
Washington, July 22.-The Benning-
ton was a three-masted schooner. She
was built by N. F. Palmer & Co.,
of Chester, Pa. Her construction was
authorized by congress on March 8,
1887, her keel being laid in June, 1888.
She was launched June 8, 1890. She
was commissioned for the first time
June 20, 1891. The Bennington's
engines were twin screw horizontal
triple expansion. She attained
speed of It's knots on her trial trip.
Her main battery consisted of six
six-inch breech-loading rifles and her
secondary battery of four six-pound-
ers, four one-pounder rapid fire guns,
and two 3O-calibre Colts.
The Bennington had four cylindrical
straightway boilers, commonly called
locomotive gunboat boilers. Each boil
er was II feet and nine inches long
and nine feet nine inches in diameter.
They were originally designed to carry
l6O pounds of steam, b,Ss the last log
received at the department shows
that the safety valves were set for
145 pounds and that she carried from
l35 to 140 pounds of steam in cruising.
The boilers were Is years old, accord
ing to records in the department, but
were retubed in 19O3-19O4.
Boilers Needed Repairs.
The admiral of the Pacific fleet in
OSeoOSAs AoO3J ASpoA CCo W tuS navy u0.
partment that the boilers were in
need of repairs. but that the repairs
were not urgent. A report from the
engineer officer of the ship received
at the department at about the same
time was that the boilers generally
were in poor condition, but that the
internal conditions of the boilers were
good. In May last the Bennington
was sent to the Mare island yard when
temporary repairs were made on her
boilers to put her in cruising condi-
ton. 1t is stated at the bureau Of
steam engineering that there has been
nothing in the reports coming to the
department to show that the boilers
were in an unsafe condition.