Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-15
Powder Charge BxplOdes in Forward Turret
Of Battleship Kearsarge.
TWO MEN ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED
Accident Happens Just at the Close of
Target Practice.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE DISASTER
Powder Was Being Sent Below When it
Ignited.
CAUSE OF ACCIDENT NOT ASCERTAINED

Forty Men Were In the Upper and
lower Turrets and Small Loss
of Life Surprises Naval
OmciaIs.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-Two years to
a day later than the fatal Missouri dsas-
ter. and as every sailor recalled, on a Fri
day on the 18th Of the month, six men
were killed in the forward turret Of the
batteship Kearsarge by one Of those acct
dents which acquire additional terror for
sailors because Of their obscure origin.
and almost impossibility OF prevention.
The Atlantic fleet the strongest ightng
feet America has ever owned, had been
Tor weeks engaged in the most severe
drills in the waters Of the Caribbean sea.
eliminating I'm the quarterly target prac-
uce. This practice was just about con
Guiding with most satisfactory results up
to yesterday and it was confidently ex-
pected at the department, upon the basis
or preliminary reports received, that all
records would be broken in tho matter of
rapidity Of fire and efficiency of the gunners
But today, just at the close OF the weeks
work at the department, came the cable
manding chief OF the Atlantic fleet, telling
of dreadful accident on of one of his best
ships, the Kearsargc. The cable came from
Carimancra, a little cable station at the
mouth Of Guantanamo bay, indicating the
hearsarge itself had arrived at that place
slight telegraphic error, requiring the
consumption of some time to affect the
diciphering Of the message. added to the
anxiety Of the officials as soon as they
made out the fact that a serious accident
had occurred.
Ohiclal Report of Disaster.
The official account of the disaster is con-
tained in the following cabegram from
Rear Admiral Evans:
CAIMANERA April I4-Secretary Navy.
washington, D. g. On April 13, >about 3:15
y. M, shortly after completion of target
practice of Kearsarge forward turret, while
the powder was going below, three sections
gnted charge Of powder IN dtbsr lit Tgtf jgst
| below and one section inside thrteen-Inch
remained Intact Cause not yet determined
igated. Lieutenant Joseph w. Graeme. gun
umpire, has been sent 10 the Maryland in
very very critical, state about p. m. The fol-
! ius, tuTret officer: Peter Norbnrg glnner's
mate; mate; Theodore Naegely. seanIan; Anton o.
Thorson, ordinary seaman; Julius A.
/ Koester. turFet captain. first class: Ellis H.
1 Athey, seaman. The following were dan
gerously injured by accident, recovery
doubtful: W. King, ordinary seaman; VIII
Dury, dead at Guantanamo Vessel unin-
! jured.
List of Victims.
The residences and next of kin of the vic
! Tins were as follows
! HUDGINS, Lieutenant John M turret
| officer. nearest kin, wife Washington d q
NORBERG, PETER, gunner's mate, third
| class; residence. New York; next of kin,
Margaret Norberg mother, Sandsvall, swe-
! NAEGELY, THEODORE, seaman; resi-
| dence, Elizabeth, N. j.; next of kin -
L9Ts ToRs6 Rsa snaNTasTN NTnN Elza5eth n7als
seaman; residence, New York; next of kin.
| Elias ThOrson, New York City.
| KOESTER, JULIUS ALFRED, turret
captain, first class residence, Chicago, Ill 4;
next of kin, John Peterson, uncle Chicago.
ATHEY, ELLIS HOMER, seaman; resi-
w. f. Athey, father Parkersburg, w. Va.
The following were dangerously injured by
accident, recovery doubtful:
William King, ordinary seaman, residence
Appleton City, Mo; next of kin, Mrs.
The following message of coincidence was
telegraphed to the commander-in-chief of
the feet, Admiral Evans, by Acting Secre-
tary Newberry
April H. 19O6.-Evans Maine. Naval Sta
ton, Caimanera; The department is deeply
4 grieved by the unfortunate accident on
| board the Kesrsarge which occasioned the
| death and injury in the performance of
| duty of brave officers and men in the navy
| and II extends its heartfelt sympathy to
/ the injured and wishes for a speedy re-
covery from their wounds. Spare no effort
to ease the sufferings of the injured In
every possible manner and show every
honor to the dead NEWBERRY,
Immediately on receiving the cablegram,
Acting Secretary Newberry carried it to
the president at the White House and was
authorized TO send the foregoing expression
OF sympathy. He communicated the sad
news TO Secretary Bonaparte at his home
in Baltimore over the long distance tele-
phone Meanwhile. by direction OF Admiral
Converse chief OF the navigation bureau
Captain Pollock, the assistant chief, and
Commander Wilson were busily engaged
in looking up the addresses OF the relatives
OF the victims Of the accident and in writ
ing kilograms acquainting them with the
news. Nothing more could be done in
Washington until further details were re-
ceived from Admiral Evans.
Loss of Life Small.
The first feeling cf the officers az tn,
Navy department after receiving the ca,
bIegram was one OF surprise that the acct
dent had resulted in so little loss of life
The Kearsarge's forward turret, where 4
occurred, is OF the superposed type-ir
other words an elght-inch gun turret sal
upon the top OF the thirteen-inch gun tur