The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-07-18
8 KILLED ON GEORGIA
Thirteen Others Were Injured by
Powder Explosion.
THE GUN CHARGE IGNlTED
Powder Was Set OF by Spark From
the warship's Srnokestaek and TX.
Ploded in the Face Of vhe Loader Of
the Gun.

tnc WarSnips SrnokcstSck and TX
PiOded in the Face Of The Loader Of
the Gun.
Boston. July l6-By the explosion
Of case of powder i'm the hands og
gunner In the after superimposcd trr-
ret Of the battleship Georgia. IN Mas
sachusetts bay. ciSht men were killed
and - injured. Mt one OF the persons
in the turret escaped injury. TIE dead.
Lieutenant Casper Goodrich. New
York
William ;. Thatcher. chief tprret
captain. Wilmington. Del
Faulkner Goidthwaite. milshipman.
kentucky.
W. J. Burke. ordinary seaman. Quiu-
cy. Mass.
G. G.. Hamilton. ordinary seaman.
South Framingham. Mass.
". NJ. Thomas. ordinary seaman.
Newport. X. l.
George E. Miller. ordinary seaman.
Brooklyn. y. Y.
William F. Pair. ordinary seaman.
Brooklyn. y. Y.
Injured. Midshipman John T. Cruz.
Nebraska: Frank :. Chlapp. North
Adams. Mass. boatswain's mate.
Charles Hssseu. New York. gunner
mate. Orley Tssiand. Richford. Mimi.
chief yeoman. J. q. Thomas. ordinary
seaman. Brooklyn. y. Y. = "a. Rossn-
| berger. ordinary seaman. Philadelphia.
| Edward J. Walsh. ordinary seaman.
Lynn. Mass: John o. Mallck. ordinary
seaman. Cleveland. o.: John A Bush.
/ ordinary seaman. New York. l. o.
/ Mecz. ordinary seaman. Berea. O.: II. l..
| Gilbert ordinary seaman. Southwick.
I Mass. John \. Fone. ordinary sea-
man. Trenton. y J.: Charles Lcich.
ordinary seaman. Frankfort. ind.
Three OF the injured. Lieutenant
Goodrich and Scameu Pair and Walsh
were in a very critical condition when
brought into the hospital ard 10 was
announced that their injuries wouii
prove fatal Lieutenant Goo5rich and
Seaman Maliick jumped overheard i'm
mcdiatcly after the explosion with the
apparent motive OF ending the terrible
suffering from their burns Both of the
desperate men were quickly rescued
by uninjured comrades. Goodrich died
in tho hospital
The accident happened while tae
men were engaged ia TARGET D-a ti-e
together with other vessels &C f..a bait
ueShip squadron OF the Attain ic feet.
Tho powder had jns, been taken from
tho ammunition hoist 90 load an eight
inch gun. ~ was seen 20 be burning
and in IN instant exploded iu the very
face Of the loader 90 the san. so dam
age was done 90 the vessel as the pow
der was not confined
How the powder became i-nited IS
not known. hut the theory held 40 the
navy yard IS that If was set OF hv
spark from the smokestack OF the VIZ
ship After the accident the Georcia
headed FOR the Charlestown navy yard.
There the dead and injured We're taken
ashore. the wounded men being con-
veyed 10 the naval hospital ar Chelsea.
The guns IL the forward tur.ot had
finished eight rounds Of practice. and
the guns OF the after tlrret had dr.d
one round. Two cases. as the hir 100
pound BAGS of powder are called. had
Just been sent mp through the ammufi-
ton hoist and We're in the arms OF the
loader The loader stood az the braa. b
ri one Of the ei-hi-iuch guns. an ready I
to insert the charge At this instant
thc turrct was seen 10 Doe smoky. and
two mon, who stood near the loader
saw black spot on the hac. lndicat-
Ing that the charge had ienited and
was smouiderinr. Tho loader discov- /
cred the spot az the same instant and /
throw himself forward on his face. at
the same time shouting a warning I'd |
his tnrret mates.
Tho other men who had seen the SPOT |
were Eich and Hanseil and they also |
threw themselves on the floor.
Before the other men ia the turrat |
could understand what caused the |
leaders cry ri warming. there was n
binding flash as the burning powder |
exploded. Flames. smoke. and nauso- !
GUS gases filed the little superstruc-
ture In which more than than a score
OF men were confined. As the powder
was not confined there was no report.
nor did the vessel suflcr any inilrv.
bur every nook and granny Of the tur- !
Ter was filed with flame. The loader.
Who was. OF course. nearest the DOW
der. was terribly burned. as was every
other man In the urret.
Blinded by the smoke and flame
choked by tho acrid. penetrating case
ous fumes, and maddened with pain.
the men screamed In agony. Some
staggered blndly up the ladder 10 the
hatchway IN the top Of the turret
while others crept along the turret
floor, begging piteolsly for assistance.
Lieutenant Goodrich and Seaman
Mailich became crazed. staggered Nd
the iron ladder 10 the top Of the tur-
ret and then threw themselves head
long into the sea. in a despairing effort
TO choose death by drowning in pref
erence to death by slow fire
When the smoke of the burning DOW
der had cleared away. the shlpmatcs
Of the unfortunate men rushed 10 their
assistance. and tenderly the suffering
sailors were lifted out of the fire
BACKED turret and quickly conveyed
20 the ships hospital, where their
burns were dressed by the surgeons.
In the meantime Lieutenant Good