Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-07-18
NINTH FATALITY.
Captain Hansel Tells story Of Terrible
Catastrophe.

Catastrophe.
Boston. July Edmund ]. Walsh.
seaman, died at the naval hospital at
Chelsea. This Is the ninth fatality re.
sulting from the accident on the bat.
tleship Georgia in Cape Cod bay.
Twelve injured remain in the hospital.
Of whom Mldshipman James +. Cruise.
of Nebraska. and Seaman James p.
Thomas OF Brooklyn. are not expected
TO recover.
From his cot in the naval hospital
at Chelsea. Acting Gunner Captain
Charles II. Hansel was able to tell
the story OF the accident. He said
None OF us knew much about IL until
II was all over Il was SO quick. When
! saw the first flash. instinct told
me what was up and kept presence
Of mind enough 60 dodge back from
the sheet OF flame that began to en-
velop the turret. | got down To the
floor. crawled under the gun and out
20 the porthoie as Tar as I could get
Here ] could get some air and was
50 low down that the fumes did not
hurt me seriously Kimball wa With
me and he did not get a bur- ,iy
hand was burned where held an iron
rod and got burned around lie head.
but | guess II is not very bad
The instant the flash came Lieut.
Goodrich. who was in charge OF the
work In our turret. rushed 10 the
hatchway on top OF IN turret. thinking
10 get out before the turret filled with
smoke and gas. but the powder was
too quick for him and he was horribly
burned before he could get TO the air
and safety. Seaman Malek was sit.
ting on top of the turret. where he was
stationed "a take messages. with his
legs hanging down the hatchway. In.
fluenced probably by Lieutenant Good.
rich who. maddened by his sufferings.
plunged into the sea. he threw himself
overheard also.
The first flash was followed quickly
by second from the bag Of powder
containing about one hundred pounds
OF smokeless powder. That was
moment OF terror 10 all who were
still conscious. but they were few.
Men were lying In heaps. moaning.
dyin. unconscious. baking and suffo.
eating.
THE next minute seemed eternity.
But help from outside came quickly
and the men were lifted out and taken
away TO be cared for But living men
could not enter the turret until the
heat had been overcome by pouring
In water. which also settled the smoke
and drove out the gases 10 some ex.
tent. Those poor fellows were terribly
burned. some so as 10 be unrecog.
nizable. Eyes were burned out: faces.
bodies and arms and legs blackened.
and there were no features left on
some OF the chared faces Midship.
man Cruise was pointing the gun when
the flash came. and was by his side
He did not move away from the sheet
OF flames as quickly as | did and was
ferfully burned. We were making a
record. all right Lieutenant Good.
rich took great pride In the work and
had all the men worked up 10 enthu
siasm We had fired nine shots and
made nine hits. and still had time
enough TO fire twice more and that
meant two more hits, the way We were
shooting. and still be within two min.
utes Now when YOU fire eleven shots
with eighti-nch guns In two minutes.
you're doing some shooting. whether
YOU hit the mark or not hut we were
hitting How those fellows suffered
after they were taken out"
Two great boxes. one addressed 90
Cruise and the other 20
"The Sailors Of the Georgia" were
received az the naval hospital. They
flowers. and inside Of each
box was the card OF Admiral Yama
motto. the Japanese naval officer who
also sent his sympathy.