Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-18
PROBABLY NOT A FLARE BACK
LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT THE EX-
PLoSIoN ON THE YASHIMA.
Japanese Naval Authorities Believe in
Maintaining Secrecy Regard
to Such Accidents.

Official confirmation of the unfortunate
accident on the japanese hattleshin k,sh-
ma reached the State Department today In
the shape OF "a cahlcgram from Mr. Dodge.
me American charge Of embassy AT Tokio
IN which he said that the japanese govern.
ment had Officially announced that thr,u,b
an explosion of shells on the Japanes, hat.
teship kaShtma thirty-onn persons hay,
Deem killed and eleven wounded No de-
taliS beyond those above mentioned ar. fur
uished
Acting upon instructions from the DEPART
ment. Mr.. Dodge has conveyed Ia the Jana
nese foreign office an expression of SINGER.
regret at the unfortunate accident The
Navy Department here has also cabled
capt bougherty, the nava attache OF .hs
American embassy at Toxic to address i'm
inedlate'y TO the japanese navy department
the condolences of the American DEPART
mrnt
Because of the great interest in tho gem
eral subject of turret explosions as A re-
sun OF the unfortunate accident on the
georgia recently the naval officers here
immediately demanded Information as to
me causes OF this japanese explosion. but
they were not able to obtain any details
japanese Believe in Secrecy.
some OF them also believe that the
truth Will never be known about this acct
dent, because the Japanese military and
naval men believe in the most absolute Sc
crecy in regard to accidents aboard shin
such as are matters of common news In all
other navies
The reason for this reticence Is found in
the reluctance OF the japanese to expose to
the world any OF the weaknesses OF their
military or naval establishments, especially
II there Is any possibility OF foreigners prof
lting by the information gained from nj Of
fetal report OF an accident to the extent of
changing the mechanism Of their own ships
1t Is recalled In this connection that a great
Japanese battleship lay for a year at the
bottom of the sea. and indeed until II was
successfully hoated and again in commits
sion, before the news OF that accident was
allowed to transpire. or course. IL this
kashima explosion was one OF the ordinary
sort. or mere flare back" that fact may
be officially announced. but II the accident
had any peculiar features and revealed
grave faults In design in the turret mech
aniSm and ammunition hoists or magazines
such as would require considerable altera-
tons In the interest Of safety, probably the
details Will be suppressed for the present at
least
Not bareback
The fact that Mr. Dodge's statement re-
fers to an exposition Of shells" would
tend to show that this not a case OF
bareback" but rather an accident in the
magazine or handling rooms The Japanese
shells charged with that remarkably
high explosive known shimose, which Is
akin to the English lyddite. and naval off,
GERS here say that this is a more less
unstable compound, and apt to deteriorate
In time to become self-explosive This
theory would account for the accident on
the kashima If there was explosion be-
low the turret.
The following is Secretary Metcalf's
cablegram sent to the naval attache at
Toxic
Convey to ministry of marine the EXPIRES
sion of the United States navy's deep SYM
pathy for the loss of life in the Kashima
accident"