Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-12

NORFOLK, Va, June 12.-The steam
launch of the battleship Minnesota was
either swamped, run down by another vessel
or sent to the bottom as result of a boiler
explosion about 1 o'clock yesterday morn
ing, and six midshipmen and five seamen
were drowned. They are as follows:
Midshipman Herbert Leander Holden,
graduated in February from the Naval
Academy, attached to the Minnesota.
Midshipman Walter Carl Ulrich. gradu-
ated in February, attached to the Iowa.
Midshipman Philip H. Field, graduated
last year, attached to the Minnesota.
Midshipman Walter Carl Ulrich, gradu-
ated in February, attached to the Mime
sofa.
graduated last year, attached to the Mime
sofa.
Midshipman F. P. Holcomb. graduated
from Naval Academy in February, attached
to the battleship Connecticut.
Enlisted men of crew of Minnesota S
launch:
r. II. DObSon. seaman.
H. l.. Vandorn, ordinary seaman.
F. r. Plumber, ordinary seaman.
G. w. Westphal, fireman, first class.
Jesse Conn., coal passer.
Second Lieut.. David NJ. Randall of the
United States Marine Corps, attached to
the Minnesota, was reported among the
drowned, but was located in Norfolk. ac-
cording to a late dispatch. He is included
among the lost in Admiral Evans report to
the Navy Department.
Returning From Dance.
The mdshipmen were returning to their
had been given in honor of the midshipmen
from Annapolis and the cadets from West
Point at the jamestown exposition.
A large number of men are reported miss
sence of a comparatively few of these can
not be accounted for. The cape of Mid
shipman Ulrichs was found afloat in the
roads yesterday afternoon by the monitor
Florida.
The naval officers are using every effort
to locate all men attached to the fleet. Men
have been detailed to search Norfolk,
Portsmouth, Newport News and every foot
of ground round about.
AS soon as man is located he is report
ed The vessels of the fleet are keeping
in constant communication with each other
by wireless telegraph.
Naval officers have positive information
that the missing launch left Discovery
landing at the exposition grounds shortly
after u o'clock last night. The men APP
peared to be In high spirits after an even
ing of dancing.
Death Came Suddenly.
How the launch, buoyed by SO many air
tight compartments, could have been lost
is matter of speculation. One theory is
that it was run into and cut in two by a
passing vessel which may have passed COM
pletely over the unfortunate occupants of
the launch, and another is that the boiler
in the launch may have exploded, tearing
up the launch and killing the occupants
Those in the launch must have met with
sudden death, as it is likely that some Of
them would have swum ashore had the
launch merely foundered.
The coast on all sides of Hampton roads
last night was patrolled for bodies that
may wash ashore. The police of sur
rounding cities and towns and the Pow
hatan Guard at the jamestown exposition
have been asked to assist in the search for
those known to be missing.
All Lost Outright.
The dispatches indicate that all the Off
GERS and men We're lost outright. 1t was
not exactly clear that Midshipman Hol-
comb was on the launch, but he was miss
ing from his ship this morning and was
supposed to have taken passage on the
launch returning from the exposition
grounds. The Connecticut occupies po-
sition in the fleet formation close by the
Minnesota, which is the newest warship
to join the fleet, she having only recently
had her shaking down cruise.
Advices From Admiral Evans
The first information of the accident to