The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-07-19
EIGHT MEN KILLED

IL Liz
hands OF a gunner in the after SUPER
imposed turret of the battleship Geor-
gla, in Massachusetts Bay today, six
men We're killed and fifteen injured.
NOT n Of the persons in the turret
escaped injury.
Two Of the injured, Lieutenant
Goodrich and Seaman Pair Walsh
were IN a very critical condition
when brought into the hospital and
1t was announced that their injuries
We're probably fatal. Lieutenant
Goodrich has undoubtedly lost the
sight OF both eyes and is terribly
burned.
Lieutenant Goodrich and Seaman
Mallick jumped overheard Immediate
ly after the explosion with the appar-
ent motive Of ending the terrible SUI
fering from their burns. Both of the
men were quickly rescued by unin-
jured comrades.
The accident happened while the bat
tleship was several miles off Province
: town and the men were engaged in
target practice together with other
vessels Of the battleship squadron Of
the Atlantic feet. The powder had
just been taken from the ammunition
hoist to load an eight inch gun. It
was seen to be burning and in an in
slant it exploded in the face Of the
loader of the gun. No damage was
done to the vessel as the powder was
not confined, and early this evening
under orders from Washington the
Georgia sailed back to the target
grounds Of PrOvincetowc. How the
powder became ignited is not vet
known, but the theory held at the
navy yard is that it was SCI off by a
spark from the smoke Stack of the
warship. Immediately after the ac-
cident the Georgia headed for the
Charlestown navy yard. There the
dead and injured were taken ashore,
the wounded men being conveyed to
the naval hospital at Chelsea.
The Georgia is one of the battle
ships of the second divisions Of the
Atlantic fleet which has been at target
~ CLISN III L u hC IdSI
two weeks. The Georgia IS one of
newest batleships in the navy, having
ing been in commission only about
ten months She is commanded by
). Richard McRea.
The explosion occurred in the after
superimposed turret. the guns in the
forward turrets had finished eight
rounds of practice and the guns Of
the after turrent had fired one round.
Two cases, as the big AGO pound bags
of powder are called, had just been
sent up through the ammunition hoist
and were in the arms of the loader.
The loader stood at the breech of one
of the 8-inch guns ready to insert
the charge. At this instant the tur-
ret was seen to be smoky and two
men who stood near the loader saw a
black spot on the bag, indicating that
the charge had ignited and was
s~mou1dering. The loader discovered
the spot at the same instant and
threw himself forward on his face, at
the same time shouting a warning to
his turret mates. The other men who
had seer the spot were Eich and
. Hansell and they also threw them
Selves on the floor of the turret.
Before the other men in the turret
could understand the leaders, Cry of
warning there was a binding flash as
the burning powder exploded. Flames,
smoke and nauseOus gases filled the
1Sf+1n ,NO,c+rJ1ot,r IN which nNTn
than a score Of men were confined.
AS the powder was not confined there
was no report nor did the vessel suf-
fer n injury, but every nook n
Granny of the turret was filled with
flame. The loader, VINO was Of course
nearest the powder, was terribly burn
ed, as was every other man in the
turret with the exception of Eich and
Hansell who, although scOrched, es-
capped with injuries much less severe
than the others.
Blinded by the smoke and fame,
choked by the gaseous fumes and
maddened with pain the men scream
ed in agony. Some staggered blindly
UP the ladder to the hatchway in the
top of the turret. while others crept
along the turet floor crying for as
sistance.
Lieutenant Goodrich and Seaman
Maleck became crazed, staggered UP
the iron ladder to the top of the tur-
ret and then threw themselves head .
'ong into the sea in a ~despairing eff
ort to choose a death by drowning
preference to the 1aath by slow
fl.
hen the smoke of the burning
power had cleared away the ship
mate of the unfortunate men rushed