Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-07-16
Terrific
Powder
Explosion
KILLED SIX AND SERIOUSLY IN
JURED FIFTEEN MRN
ON BATILESHP.
(By Unltod Press.


boston, July 16.--ln the after
supeTmposed turra OF the great
battelship Georgia there is reported
a terrfno powder explosion (which
caused the instant death OF six men
and the serious burning of aftocn
Others
Ine accident happened while the
pat'lSshlp was several miles oa
Provincetown aud tue mon wore en-
gagged IN target practice. together
with othor vessels OF the battloship
squadron ol the Atlantic neet. The
powder had just been taken from tho
ammunition hoist to load AN eight
inch gun. II was seen to be- burning
and in an instant It exploded In the
very face o the loader OF the gun.
How the powder became ignitod il
not yet known, but the theory held
at the navy yard Is that Il WAS sot
Off by spark from tho smokostack
OF tho warship. The onward turrots
had finished eight rounds of practice
and the guns of the aftor tVrret hao
iired one round. Two cases, az the
big lOO-pound BAGS arc called, had
just been sent up through the ammu-
milton hoist and were i'm tho arms
of the Loader. Tho loader stood az
the brooch or one or the eight-inch
guns, all ready TO Insert tho charge.
At this instant tho turret was sean
TO be smoky and rwo mon who stood
near the loader saw blackspot oil
the bag, indicating that the charge
hsi 'snI'sd and was smoa,iS,inx
IhV lpadti discovered the SPOT 81 ,he
sipne instant and throw himself for
ward ON his face at the same time
shouting warning TO his turret
mates. The other mon who had seen
the spot wTe IGich and Hansell. and
they also throw themselves on tho
moor OF the turret
Before tho other men In the tar
ret could understand the loader's
cry of warning there was a binding
Hash as the burning powder explod-
ed Flams, smoke and nauseous gas
.os h'lCd the llttlo upern1uclmra.
III winch more thnn a score of men
were confined As the powder waa
not confined there was no report. nor
did the vessel suffer any injury, but
every nook and granny Of tho turret
was 6iUed with flames. The loader.
who was Of course nearest tho
powder was terribly burned as was
every other man I'm the turrct. with
the exception or Dich and Hansei.
whD ohl cugh sCorched escaluI
with injuries much less severe than
tho otheR
Lieut. Goodrich and Seaman Ma
l"ck became oraEed. staggering up
the iron ladder to the top OF tho
tTret and threw themselves head
long into the sea, I'm desOairing sf-
forts 90 choose death by drowning
in preference 10 death byslow FIRE
NbeH the SMOKE Of the burning
powder had cleared away, the ship
mates ~ the unfortunate men rushed
to their assistance nd tenderly the
suffering sailors gore lifted out OF
the freblackened turret and quickly
conveyed 10 the ships hospital,
where their burns were dressed by
the surgeons
In tho meantime Lieut. Goodrich
aud Seaman Maiecll had been rescued
by launch that vas returning from
.au inspection Of The target.
Tho surgical staR Of tho Georgia
was soon reinforoo4 ~ the surgeons
of tho other vosseas - the feet who
had been informeA Of tho accident
.ond summoned 10 the scene.
More names arc yet 10 be added
tD the li.t OFF d@ad from yat9rdays'
powder Haat ru sft upper turret OF
batleship Georgia Mdshlpmsn j.
II. Crul and soomau James j Walsh
are DYING and 30 o. vot a question
with scvcra. olhcrs who viii have a
hard nehf on ilfc Surgeons fear
that NOT 900 of them will win Tho
injured having Doou discharged from
rho GoorPa Inc ehiD returacd 10
Ifarr.t practice ground on Nauluckss
| Ihav Th. bouof is .ho. the pow
Idcr was arsd br spark but whether
| Or Hma from funnel outside or from