The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1907-07-17

tastrophe that has ever taken place
along the New England coast.
The accident occurred shortly be-
fore noon while the Georgias crew
we're at target practice off Barnstable
in Cape Cod bay. In some manner as
yet unexplained two bags of powder
became ignited and in the terrific
flash that followed the entire turret
crew, consisting of three officers and
Is men, were enveloped in fire and
suffered horrible injuries. One Off
Ger and five men died before the ship
reached port. The dead:
Lieutenant Casper Goodrich, Brook
klyn, N. Y.
Goldthwaite, Faulkner; midship-
man, Kentucky.
Thatcher. William j., chief turret
captain. Wilmington, Del.
Burke, William Joseph, seaman,
Quincy, Mass.
Hamilton, George G., ordinary sea-
man, South birmingham, Mass.
Miller, George E., ordinary seaman,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Thomas, William NJ, seaman, New
port, r. |.
Injured: Cruz, John T., midship-
man, seriously; Schlapp, Frank, boat
swain's mate, second class, North
Adams, Mass. Hansell, Charles, gun
ner's mate, first class, New York;
Taglund, Orly, chief yeoman, Rich
ford, Mimi; Pair, William. seaman,
Brooklyn. fatally; Walsh, Edward j.,
seaman. Lynn, Mass, fatally; Bush,
John A., ordinary seaman, New York,
probably fatally: Eich, Charles L., or
binary seaman, Frankfort, Ind; Fone,
John A., ordinary seaman, Trenton
N. j.; Gilbert, Harold L., ordinary
seaman, Southwick, Mass; Maleck,
John c., ordinary seaman, Cleveland,
o.; Meez, Louis o., ordinary seaman,
Berea, o.; Rosenberger, Samuel L.,
ordinary seaman, Philadelphia;
Thomas. James p, ordinary seaman,
Brooklyn, fatally.
Four other men received minor in
juries but their names were not given
and they were not taken off the ship
The explosion occurred in the after
superimposed turret where the men,
under command of Lieutenant Good
rich, son of Rear Admiral Goodrich,
commandant of the New York navy
yard. and Mdshipmen Faulkner
Goldthwaite and John T. Cruz, were
operating the S-inch guns.
The guns in the forward turret had
finished eight rounds of practice and
the guns of the after turret had fired
one round Two cases, as the big
100-pound bags of powder are called,
had Just been sent up through the am
munition hoist and were in the arms
of the loader, whose name was with
held by the ships officers.
The loader stood at the breach of
one of the S-inch guns, all ready to in
sert the charge At that instant the
turret 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
smouldering.
The loader discovered the spot in
the same minute and threw himself
forward on his face shouting a warn
ing to his mates. The other men who
had seen the spot were Eich and Han
sell. and they also threw themselves
on the floor of the turret.
Before the other men in the turret
could understand why the loader
shouted there was a blinding flash as
the burning powder exploded. Flames,
smoke and gases filed the little SUI
perstructure in which more than a
score of men we're confined 1nas-
much as the powder was not con-
fined there was no deafening report
nor did the vessel suffer any injury
but every nook of the turret was fill
ed with flame.
The loader was fearfully hurt, as
was every other man in the turret ex-
cept Eich and Hansell, who were
scorched.
Blinded by the smoke and flame,
choked by the fumes and maddened
with pain, the men screamed in ag-
ony Some staggered blindly up the
ladder to the hatchway in the top of
the turret, while others crept along
the turret floor begging piteously for
assistance.
Lieutenant Goodrich and Seaman
Malecll became crazed, staggered up
the ladder to the top Of the turret and
threw themselves headlong into the
sea. in a frenzied effort to drown.
The shipmates of the unfortunate
men rushed to their assistance and
tenderly carried them out of the fire.
blackened turret to the ships hospit-
al, where their burns were dressed by
the surgeons.
In the meantime Lieutenant Good
rich and Malecll had been rescued by
a launch returning from an inspection
of the target.