The Washington herald., 1907-07-28
new NAVAL DANGER
Officers Much Mystified Over
the Georgia Accident.
MAY HOLD ANOTHER INQUIRY
Theory OF Delayed "FIare-basl"
Not Entirely Satisfaetory-SOme
Doubt Regarding Air Blast which
should Have Prevented Catas-
trophe-Prestdent Has Report.

Naval officers are worried a good deal
more than they care to tell about the
recent accident on board the battle Ship
Georgia, which has already cost the lives
of ten officers and men and may yet pos
sibly claim more victims from those in
jured seamen lying in the Naval Hospital
at Boston.
The reason for the worry is that they
are not at all satisfied as to the cause of
the disaster And so long as they are
uncertain upon this point they do not
know what to guard against nor when
similar accident may occur in the fu-
ture
a board Of officers made an investiga-
tion Immediately after the accident. They
| interviewed every one who was in the
turret at the time of the fire who was
left alive and in condition 10 tell the tale
OF how it happened, They interviewed
everybody else who might throw light on
the subject. and they examined all of the
mechanism OF the guns. &c.
AS a result of their inquiry they came
10 the conclusion that the accident was
the result of a delayed bareback.
That means that some sparks or burning
gases from the shot that had just been
fred came from the breech of the gun
ana set fire to the bag of smokeless
/ powder which was about TO be inserted
/ for the next shot.
/ That sort of an accident cost the lives
4 OF several officers and men on board the
/ Missouri two years ago. Since then
every gun in the navy has been equipped
af4F
/ blows air through the barrel Of the gun
| at a pressure Of about 100 pounds TO the
/ inch so as to blow out every fragment
/ Of burning material that might be left
/ IN the bore.
hystery About Accident.
Now. the mystery about the Georgia ac-
cident is that this air blast was not only
in good working condition at the time
/ bat, according to the testimony Of an off,
! Ger who entered the turret some time af-
/ ter the disaster occurred. it was still
blowing away at undlminished pressure.
/ What is puzzling naval officers is whether
/ the air blast was set going before or after
/ the explosion. II IL was going before and
while the gun was being loaded they do
not see how the bareback could have Oc-
/ CURED, because the pressure Of the air
was powerful enough 20 prevent It.
! 1t is regarded as quite possible. how
! ever. that somebody may have turned the
/ blast on. either accidentally or intention
ally, after the explosion. II only needed a
/ touch of a valve 10 set the blast in action.
/ Strangely enough. no one has been asked
about this point. and it may be made the
basis for another inquiry by naval ord
/ nance experts into the real cause Of the
/ accident.
Cigarette Theory UntenabIe.
No one at the Navy Department takes
stock for one moment in the suggestion
! accredited 10 a seaman on the Georgia
that the explosion was caused by a light
ed cigarette falling upon the bag Of pow
der From the time that the ammunition
magazines are opened on board a war
ship about 10 engage in gun drill or tar
get practice not a light is allowed any
/ where on board, except down in the en-
gine rooms under the boilers. Even the
cooks galley is put out Of commission.
and no smoking by officers and men is al
lowed
Any man that was seen smoking a pipe
or cigarette IN or around the turrets
while powder charges were being han
died would be pOunced upon by his COM
rades and be made a fit subject for the
hospital without counting what might
happen TO him for his violation of the
ship S regulations. So the cigarette theory
IS regarded IS uRtenabIe.
Fear some New Danger.
But the naval officers are not satisfied
that they have discovered the real source
from which the spark that set the fire did
come. They do not know whether they
have to face some new and never before
conceived Of danger or whether at the
crucial moment ali their precautions
against such accidents failed Not know
ing from which direction the danger
threatens nor what TO guard against
there is a feeling Of uneasiness in naval
circles.
After the report of the board which
made the inquiry comes back from Oyster
Bay, where Acting Secretary Of the
Navy Newberry took It for the inspection
Of the President it is quite possible that
another board Of experts in naval ord
nance may be appointed TO investigate
the entire occurrence.