The Grenada sentinel., 1907-03-16
AWFUL CATASTROPHE
IN THE NAVY.
BIG BAITlEsAIP BLOWS UP
In Some Mysterious Manner a Tor.
pedo Exp plodes, Firing the Mag
aznes and an Appalling
Scene Follows.


oor,n,ol lder of the battleship; Capt.
Var+;sJ 1 chief of staff of the Medlter-
r.rea, lsQuadron, and from 70 to 81
t,,,o :, Ikets are dead. while Rear Ad-
miral anceron and hundreds OF 9TH
or ~ are suffering from injuries.
Nro,,o1 Nrcles are aghaSt, and the pub
rc e lunned by the appalling catas-
t,.orba coming so soon after the loss
ae +ho French submarine boat Lut1n
Tho entire after part OF the lena
was b4wn to pieces. The bodies OF
.t,o Eims were hurled through the
n succession of explosions, and
Iricken workmen at the arsenal
aod ~ their lives from the vicinity
- ~ brydock. Scores on board the
Io,a .,rhped overheard onto the stone
- Ind sustained serious injuries.
IT,, Urinary cause of the ACCIDENT
explosion of a torpedo. What
o,,,oc ,he explosion is not known.
Vessel Practically Destroyed.
tn, ,owder magazines Of the lena
20. on fire, and the resulting ex-
,>,o.ioL, practically destroyed what
;idered one of the best vessels
in the rielon n"'s !14:a 80
just untersohe H1"i mo-
bor b,11 and machinery, the latter hav-
i,a 4oal completely Overhauled pre-
-oY,4,,,, 10 Joining the squadron. The
p,a1r, AS in its full strength, being
oo. Il of the rear admiral, "a other
ofsoorEand 630 mon The magazines
ta replenished recently and con-
.ai-s Hany tons Of powder, as we'll
lber of charges for ,U-rndoes.
aa d 10 had finished their midday
Ane a short time before the eX-
l,ea, ~ oN Ind had dispersed to various
piosio the vessel. Most of the men
part VI aged in work connected with
meie baching departure of the war
'ne "pp .iouite large party had been
snip: oS lo attend the lecture that was
hoipq givkn forward.
The First Shock.
r,,o erclt shock of the explosion was
..,,a1vl violent and shook the YES
.ud aft. 1t was followed In
.I,, hJ other shocks. The ere"
rs ,,,;ldly about the deck. Ihe
forward who had been attending
49, ,oo+,re clambered over the Dull
or,-s and jumped down, some OF tnen
.o Tho deck, and then onto the stone
o,,o,, many being fatally hurt. Inc
hundreds Of men below deck ~eie en
sbroudeh in smoke, and while tney
eroped Itheir way toward exits tnes @
Iooarooi tile prey of the suffocatlns
fumes khieh caused many OF theh -
fall UNCONSCIOUS. , l.
choI1l . nd charges Of explosives II
.Lo rnogaz zines continued to explode
80 n,ocsas of metal were hurled lnt(
the air and fell about the COCKS an,
ono1 These flying missiles demon
;ahod tho torpedo shed, the engine
,1,o,.l,o ond the pumphouse nearby an'
constituted a most serious menace u
a. lives ~ those who made their wa.
ta,.d +bf battleship to begin worl
of rescue.
The snip Aflame, Is Flooded.
The lena was afame from Ours'ih
,roiocfiIas and the fire prevented az
5,,oacb II is declared that for 81 mir
utes xthe authorities were unaDie I
discovlr the keys with which to ope
the lodks to food the drydock an
submedEge the ship, but when they Oil
finally Iopeu the locks, the water rushe
IN onrf, the lena and the explosion
came 10 an end. Then amidst masse
of deHse smoke, the search for IN
dead brd wounded was commenced.
The lower decks Of the lena were IL
tered with the fragments of shattere
and torn bodies, while the surroun
ing water was dotted with human ira
ments. Many were completely blow
m nieces while others were inciners
ed
MANY Of the injured became tel
norarIlv insane, rushed frant1cal
around until they fell exhausted.
survivors Tell Experiences.
ouartermaster gave an account
his ekperlences. His face was blao
ened his hair and beard had De
tourntf off, his uniform was in rags a
he had sustained a number OF min
injuries.
81 was on the bridge, and just abe
to call the afternoon roll" he sa
"when the explosion occurred. l b
no IDEA what had happened. l I
myself harled into the air, and a
seconds Ater found myself lying
.he ouav / managed to rise and r
Ibad no idea where I was going"
An orderly OF Rear oa Aam,ral na Nh M
,~~-cerf, VIII! 2, was cut soron,;ng y. u M rectal
stained, 9aYe .n
his experie ,,s orort
nIa 0hou the magazine I was in
sie s,e,ap auo bonn when the first hes
uInlne 1urred. The quarters were
ehoN en1d with fumes apd chok
ono. -" I| rushed to- the rear oftthe
..sa,,r oalbin. saw he was woun(
=, buted to him to run. Al
90 aeln't know what happened
10, 1senses. and did not reg
a,o,,saess until the rescuers TO
me-" "
u-tu;orl Jennings Bryan addres
~o,d roo1s meeting in Pittsburg.