Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-16

threw himself forward on his face. at |
the same time shouting a warning to |
his turret mates. The other men who |
had seen the spot were Eich and |
Hansell, and they also threw them
selves on the floor Of the turret Be-
fore the other men in the turret could /
understand what caused the leaders,
cry Of warning, there was a binding |
flash as the burning powder exploded. |
FLAMES, smoke and gases filled the lit
tie superstructure. in which more
than a score of men were confined.
AS the powder was not nonfiped there
was no report, nor did the vessel suf-
fer any injury, but every nook ana
granny Of the turret was fixed with
flames. The loader, who was of
course nearest the powder, was terri
bly, burned. as was every other man
in the tufret. with the exception Of
Eich and Hansell. who, although
scorched, escaped with injuries much
less severe than the others.
Blinded by the smoke and flames,
choked by the acid, penetrating gase-
Gus fumes and maddened with pain,
the men screamed In agony. Some
staggered blindly up the ladder to the
hatchway In the top of the turret
floor, begging piteously for assistance.
Lieutenant Goodrich and Seaman Ma
leck became crazed, staggered up the
iron ladder to the top Of the turret
and then threw themselves headlong
into the sea, in a despairing effort to
choose death by drowning in prefer
ence to death by slow fire.
When the smoke of the burning
powder had cleared away the ship
mates of the injured men rushed to
their assistance and tenderly the suf-
ferlng sailors were lifted out of the
turret and quickly conveyed to the
ships hospital, whore their burns were
dressed by the surgeons.
In the meantime Lieutenant Good
rich and Seaman Maleek had been
/ rescued by a launch that was return
| ing from an inspection of the target.
/ The surgical staff of the Georgia
| was soon reinforced by the surgeons
Of the other vessels in the fleet, who
had been informed Of the accident
and summoned to the scene.
A wireless message telling the brief
details of the accident was sent to the
government wireless station on the
highlands of Cape Cod and thence
overland to the navy department at
Washington
An examination Of the turret failed
to show that any serious damage had
resulted to the ship.
| Immediately upon learning yhe de-
\ tails of the accident, Captain MeCrea
notified Rear Admiral Thomas, com
mander of the squadron, of what had
occurred Admiral Thomas ordered
an examining board to examine into
the accident. Until this board makes
its report the immediate cause of the
explosion will be In doubt.
Two theories are entertained. One
: belief is that a spark from the dis
charge of the guns floated back into
, the turret through a gun port and
settled onto the powder cases. An
other theory is that the spark thai
, caused the trouble came from the
I smokestacks of the ship and floated
through the gun ports.
That a floating spark caused thu
accident seemed evident to severa
/ men. but whether from a gun or
: funnel furnished a topic for discus
3 sion.
T Not until a half hour before th'
/ = Georgia came up to her dock was !
2 known that there had been any IA
: talities. on her way across Massa
r chusetts bay Midshipman Golthwait'
2 succumbed to his tortures, and a littl'
t later death ended the sufferings o
: Turret Captain Thatcher and Searnei
q Burke, Thomas and Miller. Seaman
= Hamilton died while the ship was ap
4 preaching the navy yard pier. Whel
p the Georgia arrived at the navy yar'
= kdock about 4:45 o'clock a great crow'
was awaiting her.
With the exception OF the officer
/, and the priests. however, no one wa
allowed to pass down the pier. a
!, soon as the ship was made fast Z
the dock five ambulances drove up 1
4 receive the injured men.
Tenderly the sufferers were born
l. down the gang plank on stretcher
. and placed In the ambulances, whic
i carried them to the naval hospitai.
:. A message from Rear Admira
l. Goodrich In, the afternoon requeste
hourly bulletins on the condition Q
[, his son. and they were sent to variou
polnts along the railroad line to b
delivered to him on the train, as h
hurried toward Boston, where he wa
= due at 10 o'clock tonight.
y AS soon as the men had bee
made as comfortable as possible thos
q. who were able to talk told somethin
~ Of the terrible experience they ma
been through.
e. Injured Horribly Mutllated.
Is Both the living and the dead wei
found to be terribly burned Thr'
n men were burned beyond recognition
,e Ewes were burned out and race
bodles, arms and legs blackened.
n. soon after the men had been place
In their cots in the ward II was see
N. that Lieutenant Goodrich. Pal
81 walsh and Thomas had but sho
time TO live. Six doctors and atteni
N, ants watched constantly at the be-
ds side OF Lieutenant Goodrich, who w
barely alive, and at $3.50 o'clock
a. was thought half hour would y
OF him beyond suffering. Then he "a
lied enough to give the surgeons hol
n, that his father would be In time to =
az him alive. Thomas was al this TN
suffering untold agonies, begging PIT
n, ously that he might live, but the do
ce tors did not believe he would Ia
through the night.
N, The rows Of cots In the wards, wi
,st their suffering, bandaged Durdei
bore silent testimony to the brave
ry Of the men who, In almost every cas-
&c though conscious, uttered not
laound. Heads were bandaged
a. twice their normal size. and all stat
-, ed vivid yellow by the soothing
that saturated them TO assuage !
n palm. Arms. hands, legs and bod
en- were similarly bandagcd. and Z
lp worst cases seemed to be all ba
dages
.er several Incidents we're told Of I
m. GOODNESS and herolsm Of some Of !
ler men Just after the explosion. cha