The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-07-18
EXPLOSION ON
BATTLESHIP KILLS
8, BURNED IS
fwo Bags Of Powder Become
Ignited While Georgia Is at
Target Practice.
ACCIDENT is A MYSTERY
dwo Theories Are Advanced as to the
Cause, but It Is Believed a Float
ing Spark Isnited the
Powder.

Boston, July 17.-With eight of her
Others suffering from terrible burns
received in an explosion of powder in
the after superimposed turret, the
battleship Georgia steamed slowly up
tice grounds in Cape Cod bay late
Monday afternoon and landed the dead
and injured men at the Charleston
navy yard.
there became known the details Of
the most terrible laval catastrophe
that has ever taken place along the
coast Of New England.
The accident occurred shortly be-
fore noon, while the Georgia's crew
were at target practice off Barnstatole,
in Cape Cod bay; In some manner
as yet unexplained, two bags of pow
der became ignited, and in the terrible
flash that followed the entire turret
crew, consisting OF three officers and
eighteen men, were enVeloped IN flre
and received horrible burns, II off,
~ ~ ai1o v illSli uyA LIE '|NAOAS 49, NNAN1
reached port.
The Dead:
The victims Of the accident are:
GOODRICH, CASPER, lieutenant,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
GOLDTHWA1TE, FAULKNER, mid
shipman, Kentucky.
THATCHER, w. NJ. j., chief turret
eaptain, Wilmington, Del.
BURKE, WILLIAM JOSEPH, sea-
a Quincy, Mass.
HAMILTON, GEORGE G., ordinary
seaman, South birmingham, Mass.
MILLER, GEoRGE,E., ordinary sea-
man, Brooklyn, N. Y.
THOMAS, WILLIAM M, seaman,
Newport, r. l
FAIR, WILLIAM F., ordinary sea-
man, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Seriously injured:
Cruise, James T., midshipman, Ne
braska, hands and face burned very Sc
riously.
schiapp, Frank, boatswain's mate,
second class, New York: face and
hands burned.
Hansell, Charles, g%unner's mate, first
class, New York; face and hands
Taslund, orly, chief yeoman, Rich
ford, Mimi; arms, back and face
burned
Walsh, Edward j., seaman, Lynn,
Mass; chest and face burned fatally.
Bush, John A., ordinary canaan New
York; face. arms and chest burned,
probably fatal.
Eich, Charles, ordinary seaman,
Frankfort, Ind; face, arms and hands
Fone, John A.. ordinary eaman
Southwick. Mass; two-thirds Of body
burned.
Gilbert, Harold L., ordinary
Southwick, Mass; two-thirds of body
burned.
Maleck, John c., ordinary
Cleveland, O.; arms and face burned.
Meese, Louis O., ordinary
Berea, O.; arms and face burned.
R~osenberger, Samuel L., ordinary sea-
man, Philadelphia; arms and face
burned.
Thomas, James p. ordinary ama
Brooklyn, N. Y; face, arms, chest and
back burned fatally.
Four other men received minor in
juries. Their names were not given
out, and they were not taken off the
ship.
Powder Smoking When Hoisted.
The explosion occurred in the after
superimposed turret, whre the men UNI
der command Of Lieutenant Casper
Goodrich, son Of Rear Admiral Good
rich. c~ommandant of the New York
navy yard, and Midshipman Faulkner
Goldthwaite and James T. Cruise were
operating the S-inch ss.ns
The guns in the orwar turret had
nn1shed 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, We're
just sent up through the ammunition
hoist and were in the arms of the load
&er, whose name was withheld by the
ships officers. The loader stood at the
sbreech of one of the S-inch guns all
ready to insert the charge. At this in
slant the turret was seen to be smoky.
and two men who stood near the loader
saw a black spot on the bag, indicat-
ing that the charge had ignited. and
was smouidering. The loader discoy-
cred 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 seen the spot We're Eich and Han
sell. and they also threw themselves on
III floor of the turret. Before the 9th
er men in the turret could understan d
what caused the leaders cry of warn
ing there was a binding flash as the
burning powder exploded. Flames
smoke and nauseous gases filled the lit
tie superstructure in which more than
q score of men were confined. AS the
powder was not confined there was No
report, nor did the vessel suffer any
injury, but every nook and GRANNY of
the turret was filled with flames.
Cause of Accident Unknown.
Immediately on learning the details or
h accident Captain Henry McCrea
commander of the Georgia, notified
Rear Admire Charles NJ. Thomas. COM
imander of the squadron. of what bad
occurred. Hear Admiral Thomas or
dered an investigating board to exam.
inc into the cause of the accident. I'm
til this board makes its report the pri-
mary cause of the explosion will he in
doubt, and 1t is uncertain even that the