The Globe-republican., 1907-07-18
|E|CHT KILLED
| ON BATTLESH|P
TWO HUNDRED POUNDS or
POWDER EXPLODED IN
TURRET.
UNCLE SANS BOYS THE VICTIMS
Spark Settled on Bag Of Powder In
Hands of Loader - He Warns His
Companions, Probably Saving
Many Lives.

Boston, July 1G,--Eight killed and
thirteen injured was the grim result
at late hour tonight of the result
Of powder explosion ntbe Battle
ship Georgia today Off Proyincetown.
Six were dead when the battleship
reached port and two more, one OF
them Lieutenant Casper Goodrich, OF
Brooklyn, N. Y, son Of Rear Admiral
Goodrich, died later at the hospital.
With score Of men either dying
or suffering from the terrible burns
In an explosion Of powder in the af-
ter super-imposed turret, the Battle
ship Georgia steamed slowly up Bos-
ton Harbor from target practice
grounds in Cape Cod bay late today
and landed the dead and injured men
at the Chariestown navy yard. With
the arrival of the Georgia there be-
came known the details of the most
terrible naval catastrophe that has
ever taken place along the coast OF
New England. The accident hap
pened shortly before noon today
while the Georgia's crew were at
target practice off Barnstable in
Cape Cod bay. In some manner as
yet unexplained, two bags of pow
der became ignited and in the terri
BILE fash that followed the entire
turret crew, consisting of three
officers and eighteen men, were en-
w in "a
burns, one officer and five men dy-
ing before the ship reached port.
The guns in the forward turret
had finished eight rounds of prac-
tice and the guns of the after turret
had fired one round. Two cases, as
the big 100-pound bags of powder are
called, had just been sent UP through
the ammunition hoist, and We're in
the arms fthe loader, whose name
was withheld by the ships officers.
The loader stood at the breach of
one of the eight-inch guns, all ready
to insert the charge. At this in
slant the turret was seen to be
smoking and two men who stood
near the loader saw black spot on
the bag, indicating that the charge
had ignited and was smouldering.
The loader discovered the spot at
the same instant and threw himself
forward on his face at the same
time shouting a warning to his tur-
ret mates. The other men who had
seen the spot were Eich and Han
sell, and they also threw themselves
on the floor of the turret. Before
the other men In the turret could
understand what caused the leaders
cry Of warning, there was binding
fash as the burning powder explod
ed. Flames, smoke and nauseaous
gases filed the little superstructure,
in which more than a score of men
were confined. As the powder was
not confined there was no report,
nor did the vessel suffer any injury,
but every nook and cranney of the
turret was filed with flames The
loader who was, of course, nearest
the powder, was terribly burned, as
was every other man in the turret
with the exception of Eich and Han
sell. who, although scorched, escaped
with injuries much less severe than
the others.
Blinded by the smoke and flames,
and choked by the acid. penetrating
gaseous fumes, and maddened with
pain, the men screamed in agony.
Some staggered blindly up the ladder
to the hatchway in the top of the
turret, while others crept along the
turret floor, begging piteously for as
sistance. Lieutenant Goodrich and
Seaman Maleck became crazed and
up the iron ladder to the
top of the turret and then. threw
themselves headlong into the sea in
a despairing effort to choose death
by drowning in preference to death
by slow fire.
When the smoke Of the burning
powder had cleared away the ship
mates of the unfortunate men rush
ed to their assistance and tenderly
Tie SuutIlHS odilOlo MtlS iiiNSu out
Of the fire-blackened turret and
quickly conveyed to the ships hos
pital, where their burns were dress
ed by the surgeons.
In the meantime Lieutenant Good |
rich and Seaman Malock had been
rescued by a launch that was re-
turning from an inspection of the
target
The surgical staff of the Georgia
was soon reinforced by the surgeons
Of the other vessels In the feet, who |
had been Informed of the accident
and summoned to the scene
A wireless message, telling the |
brief details of the accident, was
sent to the government wireless sta
lion on the highlands of Cape Cod,
and thence overland to the navy de-
partment at Washington.
An inspection of the turret after
the accident failed to show that any
serious damage had resulted to the
vessel.