Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-04-24
DEATH IN wAR sAIp gxpLosloN.
Charge of Powder Ignites in Gun
Turref Of iSearxnrre

Charge of Powder Ignites in Gun
Turret Of KearSarge.
Seven men were killed. one Injured
SO badly that it is feared he will die
and thirteen others hurt. seven serious
". by an explosion of powder in the
forward gun turret of the battleship
Kearsarge off the coast of Cuba Fri
day
Just two years previously 20 day
thirty-three men We're killed by a some
what similar explosion on the battleShip
| Missouri. The fact that both accidents
occurred on the 18th day of the month";
one on Friday, and one in thirteen
inch gun turret, has caused shiver of
superstirious terror among naval men
This is intensified by the origin of these
| disasters and the fact that they seem
to be almost impossible of prevention.
The Atlantic fleet. the strongest fight
ing squadron America has ever owned
had been for weeks engaged in the most
| severe drills in the waters of the Carib-
bean Sea, eliminating in the quarterly
target practice. This practice was just
about concluded NStii most satisfactory
results. and it was confidently expect
ed a. the department that all records
would ne broken in the matter of rapid
ity ct fire and efficiency of the gunners
But Saturday came a cablegram from
Rear Admiral Ro0ley ID. Evans, the
commander of the Atlantic fleet.
telling of the disaster on one of his best
ships, the KearSarge. The news came
from Caimamera. a little cable station
at the mouth of Guantanamo Bay. indi-
eating that the kearsarge itself had ar
rived at that place
The cablegram says the cause of the
ignition was not known. but the first
belief at the department was that in
cleaning up the turret and throwing
| open the breeches of the big guns after
the last round had been fired some
small bit of smOulderng canvas bagging
was blown out of one of the guns as the
breech block was swung around. only to
fall upon the loaded ammunition hoist,
where the surplus powder was being
returned to the magazines below. Had
the remainder of this powder exploded
there might have been a repetition of
the Missouri disaster.
1t may be noted, however. that the
cause of the accident on the Missouri
was entirely different from that in the
case of the Kearsarge for in the Mis-
souri's turret Il breech block was
swung open before the burning powder
gases had escaped, resulting in the igni-
ton of the powder in the turret. The
ordnance officers We're quick to guard
against Il repetition of an accident of
that kind by fitting out the big turret
guns with automatic spraying devices
and air blasts, which make it impossible
to have flare back"
The following serious disasters have
occurred ON ships of the United States
navy in recent years:
Gunboat Bennington. boiler exploded at
San Diego, Cal, July 21, 1905; 81 killed.
Battleship Missouri. explosion of pow
der off Pensacola, April 13. 1904, SO kill
ed > injured.
BattleShip Massachusetts, explosion in
| ireroom at Philadelphia, Dec -, 1904 ;
killed, injured.
Battleship Iowa. explosion of gun, April
o, 1903 3 killed. ) injured.
Cruiser Olympia, explosion of barrel of
alcohol at Norfolk, Va, Sept y, 1903 !;
killed. 8 injured.
Battleship Maine, blown up in Havana
| harbor, March II, 1898; 242 killed