The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-07-18
ON
BATTLESHIp KILLS
5, BURNED IS
Two Bcgs Of Powder Become
Ignited While Georgia Is at
Target Practice.
ACCIDENT IS A MYSTERY
Two Theories Are Advanced az to the
Cause, but II Is Believed Float
ing Spark lsnited the
Powder.

Boston. July 17,--with eight Of her
ofiicers and crew dead and thirteen
others suffering from terrible burns
received in an explosion OF powder in
the after superimposed turret, the
battieship Georgia steamed slowly up
Boston harbor from the target prac-
tice grounds in Cape Cod bay late
Monday afternoon and landed the dead
and injured meE at the Charleston
navy yard.
with the arrival OF the Georgia
there became known the details OF
the most terrible naval catastrophe
that has ever taken place along the
coast OF New England.
The accident occurred shortly be-
fore noon, while the Georgia's crew
were at target practice of Barnstable,
in Cape Cod bay. In some manner,
as yet unexplained. two bags of pow
der became ignited. and in the terrible
flash that followed the entire turret
crew, consisting OF three officers and
eighteen men, were enyeloped In nre
and received horrible burns, one offi-
Ger and five men dying before the ship
reached port.
The Dead:
The victims of the accident are:
GOODRICH, CASPER, lieutenant,
Brooklyn, N. Y,
GOLDTHWATTE, FAULKNER, mid
shipman, Kentucky.
THATCHER. w. M. j., chief turret
captain, Wilmington, Del.
BURKE, WILLIAM JOSEPH, sea-
man, Quincy, Mass.
HAMILTON, GEORGE c., ordinary
seaman South Farmingham, Mass.
MILLER, GEORGE E., ordinary sea-
man, Brooklyn. n. x.
THOMAS, WILLIAM M, seaman,
FAIR, WILLIAM f., ordinary sea-
man, Brooklyn, N. 7.
Seriously injured:
Cruise, James T., midshipman, Ne
braska. hands and face burned very Sc
riously.
Schiapp, Frank, boatswain's mate,
second class. New York; race and
hands burned
Hansell, Charles, gunner's mate, first
class. New York: face and hands
Tagiund, orly. chief yeoman, Rich
ford. Mimi; arms, back and face
burned EE4N t&aH
Walsh, Edward j., seaman. Lynn,
Mass. chest and face burned fatally
H
York; face. arms and chest burned,
probably fatal. H. ..... .
Eich. Charles, ordinary seaman,
Frankfort, Ind; face, arms and hands
burned. a. .
Fone, John A., ordinary seaman,
southwick, Mass two-thirds OF body
Gilbert, Harold L., ordinary seaman,
Southwick, Mass; two-thirds Of body
burned E.. ..
Maleck, John c., ordinary seaman,
Cleveland, o.; arms and face burned.
Meese. Louis o., ordinary seaman,
Berea, o.; arms and face burned.
Rosenberger, Samuel L., ordinary sea-
man, Philadelphia; arms and face
burned ....."
Thomas, James p, ordinary seaman
Brooklyn, N. r: face, arms, chest and
back burned fatally.
Four other men received minor In
jufies. Their names were not given
out and they were not taken off the
ship.
y Powder Smoking When Hoisted.
The explosion occurred In the after
superimposed turret, whre the men un-
der command Of Lieutenant Casper
Goodrich, son of Rear Admiral Good
rich, commandant OF the New York
navy yard, and Midshipman Faulkner
Goldthwaite and James T. Cruise were
operating the 8-inch guns.
The guns in the forward turret had
finished eight rounds OF practice and
the guns OF the after turret had fired
one round. Two cases, as the big 100
pound bags OF powder are called, were
Just sent up through the ammunition
hoist and were in the arms of the load
er, whose name was withheld by the
ships officers. The loader stood at the
breech OF one of the S-inch guns all
ready to insert the charge. At this in
slant the turret was seen to be smoky,
and two men who stood near the loader
saw q black spot on the bag, indicat-
ing that the charge had ignited and
was smouldering. The loader discov-
cred the spot at the same instant and
threw himself forward on his face, at
the same time shouting a warning to
his turret 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 9TH
er men I'm the turret could understand
what caused the leaders, cry OF warn
ing there was binding flash as the
burning powder exploded. Flames,
smoke and nauseous gases filled the lit
tie superstructure In which more than
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 Granny OF
the turret was filled with flames.
Cause Of Accident Unknown.
Immediately on learning the details of
the accident Captain Henry McCrea,
commander of the Georgia, notified
Rear Admiral Charles M. Thomas. COM
mander of the squadron, Of what had
occurred Rear Admiral Thomas or
dered an investigating board to exam
inc into the cause of the accident. Un-
I'll this board makes its report the prf-
mary cause OF the explosion will be in
doubt, and 1t is uncertain even that the