Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-07-19
MAY SWELL LIST or
BAT TLESH|P dead
THREE OF SURVIVORS OF ExPLo.
SION ON sTHE GEORGIA IN
CRITICAL CONDITION.
VICTIMS OF SHOCKING
ACCIDENT NOW EIGHT
Cause Believed Due to Spark from
smokestack Failing on Bag Of
Powder-vesseI Resumes Target
Practice Immediately.

ors of those injured through the igni-
ton OF bag Of powder in the after
superimposed turret Of the battle
ship Georgia while the vessel was en-
gagged in target practice in Cape Cod
bay Monday, three are believed to
have small chances of recovery. The
injured men are at the United States
naval hospital at Chelsea.
Those whose lives are in danger
are Edward j. Walsh, seaman, Of
Lynn, Mass, whose chest aud face
are badly burned; Louis o. Meese of
Berea, o., ordinary seaman, whose
arms, face and chest were burned, and
James p. Thomas. ordinary seaman,
of Brooklyn, N. T., whose face, arms,
chest and back were burned.
Eight Lives Are Sacrificed.
When tho Georgia arrived here late
Monday afternoon she carried the
corpses of six OF her Grew who had
died from burns on the way from the
target grounds to the hospital. Dur
ing the night two others succumed
to their injuries. One OF those who
died during the night was Lieut.. Cas-
par Goodrich, son Of Rear Admiral
Caspar F. Goodrich, commandant of
the New York Navy yard. Admiral
Goodrich arrived at the hospital with
his wife just before his son died.
The cause of the accident was the
falling Of q spark which probably was
blown from one of the Georgia's
Lnc fon nh hne ~
which a loader was carrying TO gun
in the turret. The powder burst into
flames and enveloped 81 men who
were penned In the steel cage The
battleship suffered little damage from
the explosion and resumed target
practice under orders from the navy
department.
Confer at Navy Department..
Washington, July 17.-Admiral
Brownson, chief OF the bureau Of nav
igation, conferred with Acting Score
tary Newberry at the Navy Depart
ment Tuesday regarding the accident
on the battle-ship Georgia, In which
eight men lost their lives and nun
Der Of others we're injured. The ad.
mfra had with him all the dispatches
received overnight from the com
mandant Of the Boston navy yard and
from other sources.
The report Of the board of investi-
cation which will look into the cause
Of the accident is anxiously awaited
by the naval officers. 1t is expected
to come by wireless telegraph from
Admiral Thomas, commanding the
second division of the battle-ship
heet, as soon as the boards work is
completed.
Explains Return ito Practice.
Some comment may be caused BY
the action OF the department in order.
Ing the Georgia to return to the range
and resume target practice as soon as
the victims Of the accident had been
removed from the ship at the Bos-
ton navy yard. The explanation is
found in the fact that there is danger
OF general Decentralization of the crew
OF ship which has sustained sucf, an
accident If permitted to brood over ii
before undertaking again to handle
the big guns. The almost Inevitable
result is a loss Of nerve" such as aero
bats suffer when they have sustained
fall, the only means of avoiding
which Is to renew Immediately the at.
tempt to accomplish the feat OF
strength or agility which led to the
accident
So in the case of the Georgia, 1t was
considered absolutely necessary toget
Al a ~ 4a
the men into the turrets again and al
their work OF handling the guns, treat.
ing the disaster as an Incident which
might occur in the heat Of action with
foe.
The bodies OF the dead Will be sent
home for burial at government ex.
pense where this is requested by their
relatives or friends; in case the
bodies are not claimed they will be in
tered in the naval cemetery at Bos
Z ton. q
The navigation bureau has been In
formed that the board OF examination
to inquire into the cause OF the acct
dent began Its examination at ten
o'clock Tuesday morning
---------------- "
OIL Tank lgnited.
Lima, Ohio. July 17.-Lightnine
Tuesday fired one Of the huge tanks
OF the Standard Oil company here and
quarter of million barrels Of oil
were ignited and the city is envel
oped in q cloud Of darkness that is
almost sitting. Cannon have been
brought into play to prevent the
spread Of the flames to other tanks
near by.
VIII BE Gotham Postmaster.
Washington, July 17.-Postmaster
General Meyer Tuesday forwarded to
President Roosevelt his racn,nnnanda.