The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-15
EXPLOSION ON WARSHIP Several Lives Lost on
 the Kearsarge. OTHERS ARE BADLY INJURED | Vessel Was at Target Practice Off
 Guantanamo. Acting secretary of the Navy Wires Condolences to Admiral Evans In Command of the North Atlantic Squadron.

Washington, April 1.-Two years to a day later than the disaster on the Missouri, and as every sailor immedf- ately recalled. on Friday and the 18th of the month, six men met death in the forward turYet of the battleship Kearsarge by one of those accidents which acquire additional terrors for sailors because of their obscure origin and almost impossibility of prevention.
 The Atlantic fleet. the strongest squadron America has ever owned. had been for weeks engaged in drill in the Caribbean Sea. eliminating in the quarterly target practice. This prac- tcie was just about concluding with most satisfactorily results up to yes terday and it was confidently expected at the Department that all records would be broken Tn the matter of rap- idity of fire and efficiency of the gum ners. A
 But today cablegram came from Rear Admiral Evans telling of dread full accident on the kearsarge The news came from Caimanera, little cable station at the mouth of Guam tanamo, Bay. indicating that the Rear sarge had arrived there. A slight tel egraphic error requiring the consump- tion of exta time to decipher the mes sage added to the anxiety of the off, cials. When the message was finally reduced to form it read as follows:
 CabIegram of Evans.
 "Caimanera, April IT. Secretary Navy. Washington:
 April 13th about 3:15 D. rn.. shortly after completion of target practice of Kearsarge forward turret, while the powder was going below. three sec tions of d 13-inch charge of powder were ignited. Charge of powder in other lift just below and one section inside 13-inch remained intact. Cause not yet determined, nor accountability. Matter is being investigated
 ".leutenant Joseph w. Graema. gun umpire, has been sent to the Maryland in a very critical state. The follow ing have died: Lieutenant Huggins, turret officer; Peter Norbeerg. gunners' mate: Theodore Naogely. seaman: An ton O. Thorson, ordinary seaman; Ju- Illus A. Rooster, turret captain, first class. Ellis II. Athey. seaman. The following were dangerously injured by accident, recovery doubtful " kiug. ordinary seaman. Will bury dead at Guantanamo. Vessel nninjured. !"
 The residents of next of kin to the victims are as follows: Norberg, Pe- ter, gunner's mate; third-class. resi- dence in New York. N. Y.. next of kin, Margaret Norberg, mother. Sands Wall, Sweden.
 E Noagely. Theodore. seaman. resi- dence. Parkersburg, W. Va, next of Louis Graf. guardian. s6f Elizabeth Avenue. Elizabeth, N. J.
 Thorson, Anton Claus, ordinary sea man. residence New York. N. r.; next of kin. Elias Thorson. father. Wickoff Avenue. near Broadway. New York.
 Rooster, Julius Alfred. turret cap tain first class. residence. Chicago Ill, next of kin. John Peterson, uncle. 34a West Huron street, Chicago.
 Athey, Ellis Homer. seaman. resi- kin w. E. Athey. father, 1006 21st street. Parkersburg. W. Va
 The following dangerously injured by accident, recovery doubtful:
 Those Dangerously Injured.
 King, William, ordinary seaman, residence, Appleton City. Mo; next of kin. Mrs. Alice Cox. Appleton City. Mo.
 The following messsge4 of condi- Ience was telegraphed to the comman- der in chief of the fleet Admiral Evans. by Acting Secretary Newberry:
 Evans, Maine. naval station. Cai- manera. The department is deeply grieved by the unfortunate accident on board the ,earsarge. which occa- siond the death and injury In the per formance of duty brave officers and men in the navy and it extends it's lp tiN ilAJNAC Cu anu wishes for a speedy recovery 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."
 Acting Secretary Newberry carried the cablegram to the President and was authorized to send the foreging expression of sympathy. He also com IA he oah Ioo nm tN r. Bonaparte at Baltimore. Meanwhile the officials were finding the addresses of the relatives of the victims and in diting telegrams to them. Nothing more can be done in Washington until further details are received from Ar miral Evans. The dead sailors have been buried at Guantanamo.
 The officers at the Navy Department are surprised that the accident resulted in so little loss of life. The Kearsarges forward turret is of the superimposed type; in other words, it is an S. inch gun turret set on a t3inch gun turret In the lower turret were twenty four men and in the upper tur- ret sixteen An ammunition hoist connects the two and had the powder in the lower hoist exploded. probably every man in the two turrets would have been killed. The full charge of powder for a 13inch gun Is too large to he handled hY one man, SO 1t Is divided into sections in canvas bags, and 1t was three of these probably. just enough to fill one compartment in the ammunition hoist. which ignited.
 The cause ot the ignition Is not known, but the first belief al the Navy Department is that in cleaning up the turrets and throwing open the brooches of the big guns after the last round had been fired. some small bit of smouldering canvas bagging was blown out of the guns as the breech block was swung around and fell upon the loaded ammunition hoist, where the surplus powder was being returned to the magazines below.
 Cause of Che Accident.
 Had the remainder of this powder exploded, there might have been a re- petition of the Missouri disaster, when twenty-six men were killed. It may be noted. however, that the cause of the accident on the Missouri was entirely different The Missouris breech lock was swung open before the burning powder gases had escaped, resulting in the ignition of the powder in the turret. The ordnance officers were