The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1907-07-24
That Have Happened Since
The Civil War.
A LONG LIST OF CASUALTIES
Many Lives Have Gone Out
in Flame and Smoke in
Times of Peace.

listed men or the navy, is one or the
series of momentous disasters which
have overtaken the navy in times of
in naval history that since the Civil
War almost all accidents resulting in
the loss of life which have occurred
have represented greater fatality than
any engagement which occurred in the
war with Spain.
OF course the principal disaster in
recent years has been the blowing up
of the Main in Havana HarbOr on
February Is, 1898, an incident that
in the end Rear Admiral (then Cap
tain) Charles d. Sigsbee, U. S. N, in
command of the Inflated ship, says,
twas the ultimate incident which i'm
PEELED the people of the United States
to regard Spain as an impossible
neighbor." That explosion resulted
in the killing of two officers and
25S enlisted men, eight of the latter
having died from wounds in the hos
pital at Havana. The Court of In
quiry, of which Rear Admiral w. T.
Sampson was President, reported that
the Maine was destroyed by the ex-
plosion Of a submarine mine, and
that view remains the official conclu-
sion.
Another naval disaster which at
tracted much attention at the time
was the wrecking of the Kearsarge in
February, 1894. The ship went on
the famous Roncador Reef, but no
lives were lost. 1t was found impos-
sible, however, to save the historic
vessel, the name of which has been
bestowed upon modern battleship.
Another naval explosion of recent
years which suggested the Main dis
aster in it's effect was that on the
United States ship Bennington in
July. 1905. While the ship was at San
Diago, Cal, one of the boilers of the
vessel exploded, killing two officers
and about 60 members of the crew.
The accident to the Bennington re-
vived service argument in favor of the
establishment of the naval engineer
corps. That corps had been abolish
ed by the naval personnel act by the
amalgamation of the engineers with
the line, and it was insisted that the
disaster on the Bennington was due
to the inexperience of the officers de-
tailed to perform engineer duty The
agitation led to better system of the
training of line officers for engineer
duty.
Another accident in the navy which
taught it's lesson and led to reforms
was the explosion on board the Mis-
souri,. This occurred in the forenoon
of April 10, 1904, while the ship was
engaged at record target practice near
Guantanamo. The accident occurred
through the ignition of a charge of
smokeless powder while the gun was
being loaded. An appalling disas-
ter resulted. There was no explosion,
but the burning of about 100 pounds
of powder filled the room, turret and
intervening space with suffocating
burning gases. All persons in the
turret, consisting of four officers and
ii men, lost their lives. All those
stationed in the handling room and
|
died from burns or suffocation
The accident led to an investigation
and the adoption of effective means
4 for blowing the bore of the gun
clear of all residue before the breech
plug is withdrawn. There was pre-
liminary installment on all turret
guns of an apparatus for expelling
gases.
Another wreck of Importance was
that of the Charleston in command of
Captain G. W. Pigman. The ship
while in Philippine waters on Novem-
Der /, 1899, struck on some rocks
and was wrecked. The obstruction
was an uncharted submerged rock,
north of Luzon.
Conspicuous in the list of naval dis
asters was that in the harbor of Apia,
Samoa, in the hurricane of March 16,
1893. The Nipsic the Trenton and
the Vandalia were lost. Four officers
and forty-seven men lost their lives.
Among those who died was the Cap
tain of the Vandalia, c. M. Schoon-
maker. Everything was done at the
time of the storm to avoid the disas-
ter Its force, however, could net be
foreseen, and the navy people were
surprised at the violence Of the gale.
/ The Nipsic was enabled to reach
Eplace of comparative safety on the
beach. The Vandalia struck ON reef
where she remained exposed to the
fury Of the storm, her officers and
men taking refuge In the rigging