The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-16


by launch that was returning from an
inspection of the target
The surgical staff Of the Georgia WAS
soon reinforced by the surgeons of the
vessels in the fleet who had been in
formed of the accident and summoned
to the scene
News Sent by Wireless.
A wireless message telling the brief de-
tails of the accident was sent to the gov
erument wireless station on the high
lands Of Cape Cod and thence overland to
the navy department at Washington
An examination of the turret after the
accident failed to show that any serious
damage had resulted to the ship
Immediately after learning the details
of the accident, Captain Henry McCres,
commander of the Georgia, notified Rear
Admiral Charles NJ Thomas. commander
of the squadron, of what had occurred
Rear Admiral Thomas ordered in
yestigating board TO examine into the
cause of the accident. Until this board
makes its report the primary cause OF
the explosion will be in doubt, and it is
uncertain even that the board viii be
able to determine definitely what ignited
the powder.
Two theories are entertained. One be-
lief is that a spark from the discharge OF
I the guns flOated back into the turret
through gun port and settled onto the
powder cases Another theory IS that the
spark that caused the trouble came from
through the gun ports.
That floating spark caused the acct
dent seemed evident to several men. but
whether from gun or funnel furnished
topic for discussion
Death Ended sufferings.
Not until half an hour after the Geor-
gia came up TO the dock at the navy yard.
was it known that there had been any
fatalities. On the way across Massac7u-
sets bay Midshipman G0ldthwaite sue
cumbed to his tortures. and q little later
death ended the sufferings of Turret Cap
I tain Thatcher and Sesmen Burke, Thomas
and Miller. Seaman Hamilton died while
! the ship was approaching the navy yard
pier.
When the Georgia arrived at the navy
{ yard dock about AS o'clock a great
/ crowd was awaiting her
Several hundred WOrkmen from the ma
chine shops and other departments of the
yard had gathered as well as large
corps of newspaper men and three priests
/ the latter believing that they might be
called on TO administer the consultations
/ of the Roman Catholic church to dying
sufferers of that faith
With the exception OF officers and the
/ priests. however. no one was allowed on
1 the deck A detachment Of marines arm
/ ed with fixed bayOnets, kept the crowd
I at a respectful distance and no one was
allowed TO pass down the pier. As soon
as the ship was made fast to the dock
/ five ambulances drove up TO receive the
/ injured men.
Survivors Taken to Hospital.
] TenderIy the sufferers were borne down
the gang-plank on stretchers and placed
! in the ambulanees which carried them to
/ the naval hospital.
Assistant Surgeon Paul 7. Dessez, as
/ SiStant to Surgeon ". H. BuchOr. the act
/ ing medical director of the naval hospital
had chage of the injured IN the wards
and attended to redressing the wounds
and seeing that everything possible was
| done for those who seemed to be dying
Working with him were naval surgeons
| from other warships.
A message from Rear Admiral Good
rich in the afternoon requested hourly
/ bulletins on the condition Of his son and
they were sent to various points along
I the railroad line to be delivered to hin,
! on the train as he hurried toward Bos-
ton where he was due at 10 o'clock to
I night.
As soon as the men had been made as
comfortable as possible those who were
able to talk told something of the terri
bic experience they had been through.
Victims Terribly Burned.
Both the living and dead we're found
to be terribly burned. Three Of the ner5
| were burned beyond recognition Eyes
were burned out and faces, bodies, arms
and legs blackened.
Soon after the men had been placed IN
their cots In the ward it was seen that
Lieutenant Goodrich Pair Walsh ana
Thomas had but a short time 10 live Six
doctors and attendants watched constant
~ at the bedside of Lieutenant Goodrich.
VINO was barely alive and at 6.3a O'Clock
it was thought a half hour would nut him
beyond suffering. Then he rallied enough
to give the surgeons hope that his father
would be in time to see him alive.
Thomas was ali this time suffering nm
told agony, begging piteously that he
might live, but his doctors did not believa
he would last through the night
Suffered in Silence.
The rows of cots in the wards with tbe,-
suffering. bandaged burdens bore sufff-
Gent testimony TO the bravery of the
man. who in almost every case. though
conscious, uttered not a sound Heads
were bandaged to twice their normal size
and all stained a vivid yellow BY fhe
soothing oil that saturated them to a.
suage the pain. Arms hands legs and
bodies We're similarly bandaged. and the
worst cases seemed to be all bandages
Several incidents we're told Of the cool
ness and heroiSn of some of the men
Just after the explosion Chaplain Chart
turret. The first man he found was Mid
shipman Cruise. who vas terribly injured
He would not allow the chaplain TO do
anything for him, but said.
Let me alone. am all right Look
after those other fellows"
In one or two other cases also he mel
with the same spirit of self-sacriffee
The national colors floated at the neal,
of the Georgia as she steamed IN fhe
harbor. AS the ship made fast 20 Tia
Con%fnr.d - 3D..