The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-07-16
NO DAMAGE TO BIG VESSEL.
Spark From Smokestack Responsible for
Accident. t...HospitaIs are Filled.

1 off by spark from the smoke stack
OF the warship. Immediately arrer
the accident the Georgia headed for
the Charleston navy yaru. There
the dead and injured were taken
ashore, the wounded men being con
veyed to the naval hospital at Chelsea.
/ The Georgia was one of the battle
ships from the second division of the
Second Atlantic fleet, which has been
at target practice off Provincetown for
the last three weeks.
The Georgia is one Of the newest
battleships of the navy, having been
in commission only about 10 months.
She is commanded by Henry M. Crea.
| The explosion occurred in the after
superimposed turret, where the men,
under command of Lieutenant Casper
Goodrich, son Of Rear Admiral Good
rich, commandant Of the New York
navy yard, and Midshipman Faulkner
Goldthwaite and John T. Cruise were
operating the 8-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, the big 100-pound
bags of powder are called, had just
been sent up through the ammunition
hoists and were in the arms of the
loader. whose name was withheld by
the ships officers. The loader stood
at the breech of one of the S-inch
guns, ready to insert the charge.
At this instant the turret was seen
to be smoking and two men who stood
near the loader saw black spots on
the sack. indicating that the charge
had ignited and was smouldering. The
loaded discovered the spot at the in
stant and threw himself forward on
his face, at the same time shouting a
warning to the turret men. The other
men who had seen the spot were Eich
and Hansell, and they also threw
themselves on the floor of the turret
Before 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 little superstructure, in
which more than a 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 corner of the turret
was filed with flames. The loader,
who was OF course nearest the powder.
was terribly burned, as was every
other man in the turret with the ex-
ception of Eich and Hansell, who all
though scorched, escaped with inju-
ries much less severe than the 9th
ers.
Blinded by the smoke and flames,
choked by the gas, then men screamed
in agony. 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 Maleck became crazed, stag
gered up the iron ladder to the top;
Of the turret and then threw them
selves headlong into the sea, in a de-
spairing effort to choose a death by
drowning in preference to death by
slow fire.
When the smoke of the burning pow
der had cleared away, the shipmates
of the unfortunate man-of-War rushed
to their assistance and tenderly the
suffering sailors were lifted out Of
the fire-blacqened turret and quickly
conveyed to the ships quarters, where
their burns were dressed by the sur
geons.
In the meantime Lieutenant Good
rich and Seaman Maleck 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 vessels in the feet who had
been informed OF the accident AMI
summoned to the scene.
q wireless message telling brief
details OF the accident was sent to
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