The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-16

nation regarding the disaster on the
Georgia was received at the Navy Depart
ment in a despatch from Rear Admiral
Thomas, commanding the second division.
in which he gave a brief account of the
accident and said that seventeen men we're
injured, eight Of them seriously. and gave
the names OF the officers as Lieut.. Casper
Goodrich, Jr.. who il a son of Rear Admiral
Goodrich, commandment OF the New York
Navy Yard, and Midshipmen John L. Cruise
ana Faulkner Goldthwaite.
Later a despatch was received from Rear
Anmira Snow, commandant of the Boston
Navy Yard, saying that Midshipman Gold
thwaite and five of the injured men we're
dead. The lst of in iured was also increased
by four. making a total OF twenty-one dead
and wounded.
Admiral Thomas's despatch was sent by
wireless from the ship and was picked mp
AZ the navy yard IN Boston aud forwarded
to Washington.
The Georgia was ordered TO proceed AT
once 10 Boston. where the injured we're
placed in the Naval Hospital at Chelsea.
II was there that Midshipman Goldthwaite
anu the five enlisted men died late this
afternoon,
DEPARTMENT SHOCKED.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Newberry
upon receiving the first despatch wired the
Admiral as follows:
"Your telegram received. Department
shocked at news Of accident on board the
Georgia. Telegraph details as soon as
practicable. Do everything possible for
injured and keep Department fully advised
a. to their condition
MIR Newberry also sent he following tele.
gram TO the superintendent OF the Chelsea
Hospital:
Make preparations to give injured every
care and attention Immediately upon arrival
of Georgia. Keep Department fully in
formed as to their condition
Rear Admiral Brownson. chief OF the
Bureau Of Navigation, took steps 10 notify
Rear Admiral Goodrich in New York re-
garding the accident to his son. who. accord
ing 10 reports from the Chelsea Hospital.
ia likely TO lose the sight of one eye, although
his recovery il expected.
Nidshipman Goldthwaite, the dead officer.
is the son OF Mrs. George Goldthwalte OF
Hopkinsville, XIV. He entered the Naval
Academy on June =, 1908, and was graduated
in the second class Of last year. His first
assignment was to the Georgia.
A aboard of investigation has been ordered
! to inquire into the cause of the accident,
and until il has completed its work the
cause will not he known h powder
might nave been ignited by a bareback
! or from "A short circuit.
Usually the crew of zach gun consists
Of eight officers and men, besides the CUR
umpire and the turret captain, which would
make eighteen men on duty in the turret.
For this reason the Department is unable
10 understand whv twenty-one men we're
injured. The charges for these gum con-
tain about 100 pounds Of smokeless powder.
in two sections. 1t does not explode in the
open as does ordinary powder, but when
ignited gives of a dense and poisonous
gas. which eXplodes with great violence.
SHUTTER WORKED.
The fact that the reports do not indicate
that anv damage was done to the lower
turret. where the IL inch guns are located,
indicates to ordnance officers here that the
-whsoh aaVNa fna thn ma
| from the lower turret in the hoist. where
the charges are raised from the magazine,
worked all right. The automatic shutter
is a comparatively new device which was
installed on the big ships after the explosion
of the kearsArge several years ago when a
spark descended into the magazine.
The Georgia is one Of the newest
battleships in the navy. She was built at
the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me-, and was
placed in commission on September q.
1908. Her displacement ia practically
l4,5O0 tons md her speed ~ knots. She
was finally accepted by the navy only last
week.
A silver. service was presented to the
vessel by tie State of Georgia JUNE II
Last az the jamestown exposition, when
President Roosevelt was present 70 par
ticipate in the celebration Of Georgia day.
Her first commander was Capt. Richard
@. Davenport, who was placed upon the
retired list on July 1. Her present COM
mander ia Capt. Henry NcCrea, who joined
the ship only a week ago.
SIMILAR
Four somewhat similar accidents have
| occurred on the big battleships of the
American navy within the last three Of our
wears and nave been ttende with fatalities.
On January ~, 1903, q charge OF powder
in an 3 inch gun on board the Massachusetts
was ignited prematurely, causing an ex-
| plosion which killed nine enlisted men.
| The accident occurred az San Juan, p. X.
On'April Q Of the same year a II inch gun
on board the Iowa exploded while the ship
was al target practice. killing three enlisted
men and wounding -four others.
On April IL, 1901, an explosion occurred
on board the Missouri of Pensacola while
the ship was in command Of Capt. Cowles,
the Presidents brother-in-law, resulting
in the killing OF twentv-one officers and
men outright and wounding two others 40
badly that they died shorty afterward.
Exactly two years from that date, on
April 10, 1905. a similar accident occurred
on the Kearsarge of guantanamo Az
that time two officers and five enlisted men
we're killed. Eight enlisted men were
wounded, three of them 40 badly that they
died subsequently as a result Of their
injuries.