Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-04-27
DEATH IN WAR SHIP EXPLOSION.
Charge of Powder IGnites in Gun
Turret of Ncnrsnrge.

W =" "uh
Turret of K~carsnrGc.
Seven men We're killed, one injured
so badly that it is feared he will die
and thirteen others hurt, seven serious
ly, by an explosion of powder in the
forward gun turret of the battleship
Kcarsargc of the coast of Cuba Fri
day.
Just two years previously to q day
thirty-thrcc men were killed by n some
what similar explosion on the battlcship
Missouri. The fact that both accidents
occurred ON the 18th day of the month,
one on "A Friday, and one in a thirteen
inch u turrct, has caused Il shivcr of
supcrStitious terror among naval men.
This IS intensified by the origin of these
disasters, aud the fact that they seem
to be almost impossible of prevention.
Tho Atlantic fleet, the strongest fight
ing squadron America has cver owned,
had leen 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 with most satisfactory
results. and it was confidently expect
ed ut the department that all records
would be broken in the matter of rapid
ity of fire and efficiency Of the gunners
But Saturday came Il cablegram from
Rear Admiral Roblcy d. Evans, the
commander of the Atlantic fleet,
telling of the disaster on one of his best
ships, the Kearsarge. The news came
from C~aimamera, a little cable station
at the mouth of Guantanamo Bay, indi-
eating that the Kcarsarge itself had ar
rived at that place.
The cablcgram says the cause of the
ignition was not known, but the first
belief at the department IA 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 smouldering 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.
IL nay pS iioi1t, tiiatt liz
cause of the accident on the Missouri
was entirely different from that in the
case of the hearsarge, for in the Mis-
souri's turret a 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 were quick to guard
against a repetition of an accident of
that kind by fitting out the big turret
guns with automatic spraying devices
and air blasts, which make 1t impossible
to have a 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 81, 1905; 90 killed.
Battleship Missouri, explosion of pow
der off Pensacola, April ID, 1904, 33 kill
ed, ) injured.
Battleship Massachusetts, explosion in
freroom at Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1904 !;
3 killed, 4 injured.
Battleship Iowa, explosion Of gun, April
8, 1903 3 killed, 5 injured.
Cruiser Olympia, explosion Of barrel Of
alcohol at Norfolk, Va, Sept. 1s, 1903
2 killed, 9einjured.
Battleship Maine, blown up in Havana
harbor, March Is, 1898; PAP killed.