The Washington herald., 1907-08-02


berry acted yesterday upon the proceed
ings, findings, and recommendations Of
the naval board, headed by Capt. Schroe-
der which investigated the fatal accident
in the eight-inch turret Of the battle
ship Georgia on July 10, resulting In the
death Of ten officers and sailors and the
Injury of others.
The report includes all of the testimony
taken by the board, which il substance
found these facts TO be established; That
al the time Of the accident the smoke
from the tunnels was carried over the
starboaTd quarter clear of the after tur-
ret, but the smoke ana gases of the dis
charge Of the gun were blown back so
as 10 tend to cloud the sights Of the
gun, and the wind was blowing nearly
into the muzzle of the gun. All firms
rules were observed and all safety pre-
cautions adopted, except 1t appears that
after the firing Of the right gun imme-
diately preceding the accident. the air
blast was shut off and the ammunition
car consequently brought above the tur-
ret floor before the bore was clear of
dangerous gases
This finding is disapproved by Mr.. New
berry after an expert examination had
been made OF the evidence produced.
Powder All Right.
The powder which was burned was put
up at Iona Island Naval Magazine In
September, 1906. and was properly in
spected and kept in magazine in which
the highest temperature recorded was
IS degrees for one day. The powder
was tested June 30 last and found to be
perfectly satisfactory.
When the accident occurred. every
thing was done TO extinguish the fire. aid
the injured, and provide for the safety
of the ship. Says the board on this point:
1T appears that all officers and men
performed their whole duty with coolness
and courage, and IN a most commendahle
manner
After the accident the left gun was
found loaded and the breech partially
closed. the gun depressed about two 10
three degrees. and the ammunition car
AT the foot of the hoist on the buffers
with only the shell in, the powder having
been removed when burning powder grains
fell into the handling room AT the time
OF the accident. The right gun was de-
pressed two TO three degrees, hreech
open, loading funnel in the breech, air
blast turned on and blowing III pounds
pressure gauge In the turret, the am
munition ear At the top OF the hoist
with the controller of
No Powder in the Car.
There wac no powder ia the car, but
I d OBJ.
was in the vertical position, and not swung
/ into loading position. The electrical con
nections were all right.
/ When the charge was ignited the two
/ powder sections had been removed from
( the ammunition car; one was on she deck,
and the other in the hands Of the second
( loader. The burning Of the powder was
/ followed almost Immediately by burning
grains falling through the apertuTes Of
/ the automatic shutter into the S-inch and
/ the Pinch handling rooms. The apertures
are TO provide clearness for the hoist
/ ropes Of the ammunition cars.
/ The automatic shutters do not en-
( tirely accomplish the object for which
/ they were designed and a much greater
/ accident was averted only by the prompt
/ and thorough action of those in the
+ S-lnch handling room. If there had
been powder in the ammunition cars in
/ the 12-lnch handling room, the burn
/ ing grains from above would have fallen
directly on the powder charges through
/ the large direct opening between the
S-inch and the Pinch handling rooms.
Rooms should BE Isolated.
Therefore the board, IN addition to rec
ommending that the automatic shutters
be fitted so as to effectually close the
trunks from the turrets to the handling
rooms. urge that these rooms be isolated
from one another.
/ Also that spray nOzzles should be fitted
20 drench instantly all the powder in the
handling rooms and tUrrets by single
motion of a lever in case Of fire. Cart
ridge bags, the board says, should be
made Of a material less easily ignited
than the cotton now in use. Loading
/ trays that will obstruct the jets of the
gas electors should not be put In place
in the gun until after the bore is clear.
/ Under penalty the ammunition car should
/ keep below the level Of the turret floor
until the air blast is closed of and the
man in charge signals Bore clear; up
car"
With the exception noted, Acting Secre-
tary Newberry approved all the findings
and recommendations, and yesterday
gave the necessary orders to have them
put into effect. Like other officers Of
the Navy Department. he is satisfied that
/ the accident was due to a bareback,
which is regarded as a welcome conClu-
| sion, because it is certain that such
/ fiare-backs can be dealt with effectively.
! The reasons for reaching the conclu-
1 sion were found in an analysis of the
! proceedings of the board Of inquiry by
Rear Admiral Mason. chief of the Bu-
reau Of Naval Ordnance as follows:
! l. II a bareback occurred after the air
blast had been on, even for a brief period
it would in all probability give a small
| flash which would last only an instant
| 2 1t might not develop until the gases
had drifted some distance beyond the
| breech Of the gun, toward the rear tur-
ret
| 3. It might ignite the bag Of the powder
| charge in one or more spots due to IN
| known local causes.
| 1. If slight bareback occurred, as that
suggested, it would be seen only by those
who were in the rear of the gun, and
| those who, although further away, were
| looking in that direction.
| 5. The effect of such q Bareback would
| be to arrest the progress of the drill on
the part of those in the rear of the gun,
who would be in doubt as to the signifi-
canoe and Importance of what had oc-
| CURED.
/ Statements from Two Men.
/ s. OF those who were in the rear OF the
! gun, and therefore might have been ex-
pected TO see the bareback, if one Oc-
| Cured, only two were able to make
statements From one of these state
ments two things are clear: First, that
he attributed the accident TO some cause
which conceivably was failure in the
drill on the part of the crew, and thus
1 fndiractix attributed TO him as q fau1t