Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-07-16
Eight Men Killed and Fourteen Injured BY an
Explosion of Powder
The List includes Lieutenant and Two Midshipmen.
The Disaster Occurred On the New Warship Geor-
gia Engaged I'm Target Practice.

confined As the pow der Was nos con
fined. there was no report. bat even
nook and corner Of the turret Nas nI-
ed with flames. The loader whr 49,
nearest the powder. was terrfbiy burn-
ed. as was every other man n ~
turret- with the exception % Ectch an-i
Hansell. who. although Scorch--i -
capped with injuries much less s~ver~
than tho others.
Blinded b. TIE smoke ana f1rns-
choked by the acrid. penetratins <as-
eus fumes. and maddenei by p4in. th~
men screamed in agony Scuse stag
gered blindly abous the ladder o. th-
hatchway in the top u the turrrt.
while others cre3t along the tarrrt
floor. begging piteOusly for aSsissanc-
When the smoke of the burnin< p-sa-
der cleared away the ShipmaS-s % ~
unfortunate men rushed te tseir a.
sistance and tenderiy the s1ff--tn<
sailors were lifted cut % the frs-
blackened turret and quickly cenxes-
ed to the ships hospital Whers th~ir
burns were dressed By surgeons
The surgical staff % the Gs.,rx1a
was soon reinforced BY the Surg~osss
of vessels in the fleet Who had o--en
informed of the accident and sslrnrnca-
ed to the scene. \ Nsreless mesSaxe.
telling the brief details of tn acci-
dent was sent the government Wirriss-
station on the highlands q CAPE ca
thence overland To the navy dcpSErt-
ment at Washington An examinatian
OF the turret after the accident fAli~si
TO show any serious damage haVin<
resulted to the ship.
Immediately upon learning the a.
tails Of the accident. Captain HenFN
McCrea. commander % the Gessrxlk.
notified Rear Admiral Charies n
Thomas. commander ~ tbs slIlalrgsl
Of what had occurred ThcuaAs ertk>-i
an investigation board TO examine Iato
the cause OF the accident CEtl the
board makes re-o-t the prtT.Ar1
cause Of the explosion win oe IN -11siht
and IL is uncertain even that the bsar,i
will be able TO determine defiuItsix
what isnited tke powder
Two theories are entertained Or
belief is that 4 spark frOm ths ais-
charge Of the guns noated hack int
the turrets through the gun p-,rt- ana
settled into the powder eas>s- Aansh-
er theory is that the spark came frusa
the smoke stacks OF the Shfp an
floated through the gun ports That q
floating spark caused the acctsent
seemed evident 10 several nesL Bat
whether from a gun OF funnel far
nished topic for discussion NJ
until half an hour after the Geor<ra
came up to the dock. was IL knoNn
that there had been any fatalities
on the way across NaS>aChuS-tts
Bay. Midshipmen GOldthUaite stlr-
cumbed To his tcrtureS and a nttte
later death relieved the sufferinss ef
Turret Captain Thatcher and Searnen
Burk. Thomas and Miller. Seaulan
Hamilton died while the ship ~1.s aP-
preaching the navy yard pier
When the Georgia arrived a great
crowd was awaiting her Several hun
dred wOrkmen from the machine shoFs
and other departments of thu yarSL
gathered. as well as a large corps =
newspapermen and three priests tn
latter believing they might ~ e@i,-si
on to administer the cousolztions ~
the Catholic church 10 DYING sufferers
/ of that faith
With the exception of the cffsc~rs
and the priests. no one was allowed
on the dock \ detachment % J,arinss
armed with fixed hayonets kept tn
crowd at a respectful distance and n
one was allowed In pass down the pier
/ As soon as the ship was made faSt T.
the dock. five ambulances drove ~
The Georgia Is one of the neW~sf
battleships OF the navy. having eeen Ia
| commission only ten months.