The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-18
NINTH FATALITY.
Captain Hsnsel Tells Story Of Terrible
Catastrophe

/
| Boston, July 1S.-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 Midshipman James F. 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 H, Hansel was able to tell
the story of the accident. He said
None of us knew much about If until
1t was all over it was SO quick. When
| saw the first flash. instinct told
me what was up and | kept presence
OF mind enough to dodge back from
the sheet OF flame shat began to en-
velop the turret. | got down to the
floor crawled under the gun and ont
70 the portfolio as far as could get
Here | could get some air and | was
SO low down that the fumes did not
hurt me seriously. kimball was with
me and he did not get burn. Nv
hand was burned where | held an iron
rod and | got burned around the head.
nut guess 1t Is not very bad
THE instant the flash came Lieut.
Goodrich. who was in charge of the
work in cur turret. rushed to the
hatchway on top of tn turret, thinking
n nj haff, tL.a{ ~.
smoke and gas. but the powder was
too quick fer 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 ia 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 o. terror to all who were
still conscious. but they were few.
Men were lying in heaps. meaning.
dyin. unconscious baking and suffo.
eating.
The next minute seemed etcruitv
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 to some en-
tent. Those poor fellows were terribly
burned, some so as to 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 Midshir
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
fertility burned We were making a
record. all right Lieutenant Good. |
rich took great pride in the work and
had all the men worked up to tnthu
siasm. We had fired nine shots and
made nine hits, and still had time
enough to fire twice more and that |
two more hits, the way we were |
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 But we were |
hitting. How those fellows suffered |
after they were taken out
Two great boxes. one addressed to
Cruise and the other to |
''The Sailors of the Georgia" were
received at 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.