Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-16

| suffered comparatively little damage from
| the explosion and resumed target practice
| Navy Department Conference
| Rear Admiral Brownson, chief Of the
| bureau of navigation conferred with Act
ing Secretary Newberry as soon as the
/ Navy Department opened for business to-
| day, regarding the accident yesterday on
| the battleship Georgia, in which eight men
| lost their lives, and a number of others
| were injured. The admiral had with him
| all the dispatches which had been received
| overnight from the responsible officers of
| the Boston navy yard and from other
sources. These related, however, largely to
| the dead and injured, for whose care and
attention orders were promptly given by
| the acting secretary here. The dispatches
| at hand convey no information not pub
| lished in the newspapers; indeed, the data
available from them is not as complete as
| that in the public press.
| The report Of the board of investigation
| which will examine into the cause Of the
| accident is anxiously looked for by the
naval officials. This is expected to come
| by wireless telegraph from Admiral
Thomas. commanding the second division
| of the battleship fleet. soon as the
| boards work is completed
| Must Wait on Wounded.
| Under ordinary circumstances the board
| of examination would be able to conduct its
| inquiry aboard ship and thus expedite its
work. In the present instance, however,
it may be necessary to interrogate those Of
| ficers and men who were in the turret at
! the time of the accident AS these men are
now in the hospital. 1t may be necessary for
| the members of the board to proceed to
| Boston for the purpose OF obtaining their
| statements.
Advices received at the Navy Depart
ment are that the Georgia reached her
practice ground, near Provincetown, Mass,
at 10 o'clock last night. She will resume
her record target practice tomorrow. 1t is
| generally expected at the Navy Department
| that the board will be made up Of the cap
| tains of the ships composing the second d.
vision of the battleship fleet and Of the
| louisiana which was with the other YES
sells at the time. In that event the board
would be made up of Capts Schroeder of
the Virginia. Wainwright of the Louisiana,
| Kimball of the New Jersey, McCrea Of the
Georgia and Bowman of the Rhode Island.
A brief report of the accident has been
sent to the President at Oyster Bay. 1t
contained nothing that has not already been
stated in the newspapers, the department
| having thus far no knowledge as to the
| cause of the accident.
No Carelessness Suspected.
1t is said at the Navy Department that
1t Is extremely improbable that the acct
| dent aboard the Georgia resulted from
any carelessness or lack Of precaution on
| the part of the personnel Of the snip. A
| short time ago thorough inspection was
| made of every detail of the Georgia's
| ordnance by Commander Schofieid, one of
| the most expert of the ordnance officers
of the navy. That inspection Included
| every one Of the guns, big and little; the
| details of the turret mechanism, the
| workings of the ammunition shoists
| (Which in the case of the supcrposed
| turrets Of the Georgia are rather more
| complicated than in the ordinary type),
and, finally and most important. the han
ammunition by the sailors. 1t was found
| that the ships company was very eff
cient at all points, and it was certain
that they were following closely the
| firing regulations in every essential de-
| tail.
In the absence of any other plausible ex-
! PLANTATION the officials here are disposed to
| give some consideration to the theory ad-
| vancad by soma of the Georgia's officers
when they came ashore at Boston, that the
powder charge of the eight-inch gun was
fired accidentally by c!ot of SCOT, which
| came floating down smoldering from the
ships smokepipe, and settled by chance
| into the open scuttle on top Of the turret,
alighting directing on the fifty-pound bag
loader at the Dreech of the gun. 1t is
| pointed out that the bag inclosing the pow
der is made of thin serge stuff. which is
rather inflammable. In fact, it Is neces-
| sary that it should be so in order to be en-
| tirely consumed in the bore of the gun
! after the charge is fired, otherwise bits of
! burning cloth might accidentally eXI lode
| the next charge of powder introduced be-
| fore the breech of the gun could be closed.
| Such accidents have occurred in the past.
so the bags are purposely made thin and
| inflammable.
| In case Of ammunition used in battle the
| bagg:ng is frequently made of silk, with
view to securing still greater strength and
! perfect combustion of the envelope after
| firing. 1t is proposed to carry this principle
still further, and the ordnance bureau is ex-
| perirnenting with method of impregnating
| the cloth with collodion to make it at once
waterproof and highly infammable.
! Scuttle Must Be Open.
| In answer to an inquiry as to whether it Is
| customary to have the scuttle on top of the
turret open while target practice is going
| on, it was said at the department that this
| is almost a necessity owing to the high tenn
| perature in the turret while the guns are
| rapidly consuming great quantities of
| smokeless powder with its enormous heat
| generating power. The opening also affords
| an easy means Of communication for or
| ders And further consideration is the
| beneficial effect upon the nerves Of the gun
| ners of the knowledge that an avenue of es
| accident in the turret. 1t is said to be
| curious illustration of the irony of fate that
the men may have persisted in the Georgia's
turret through the very means adopted by
( them to secure their safety.
| When asked what additional precaution
| could be suggested as the result of this
last accident. the officials of the depart
| ment confessed ttPmssly at a loss at
| to do but await the findings of the board
| which has been convened on board the
ship, and with the data then in hand to
| endeavor to frame some change in methods
| that will eliminate this latest source of
| danger.
| Admiral Shows Report.
Rear Admiral Snow, commanding the
| navy yard at Boston, has sent the following
| telegram to the Navy Department toiNy:
j Condition Of injured, 8 am, July l6: