The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-16
THREE MORE
OF GEORGIA'S
MEN MAY DIE

her crew who had died from their burns
on the way from the target grounds to
the hospital, and last night two more
succumbed to their injuries. One of
those who died last night was Lieuten-
ant Casper Goodrich, a son of Rear
Admiral Goodrich, in command of the
Brooklyn navy yard. Admiral Goodrich
arrived at the hospital with his wife
last night just before his son died, after
a hurried trip from Brooklyn.
The cause of the accident was the
falling of a spark, which probably had
blown from one of the Georgia's smoke
stacks, on a box of powder which a
loader was carrying to a gun in the
after superimposed turret. The powder
burst into flames and enveloped the
twenty-one men who were penned in
the steel cage. The battleship suffered
comparatively little damage from the
explosion and resumed target practise,
under orders of the Navy Department.
From his cot in the Naval Hospital
at Chelsea, Acting Gunners' Captain
Charles H. Hansel today was able to
tell the story of the accident. Mr.. Han
sci said:
None of us knew much about it
till 1t was all over, 1t was so quick.
When l saw that first flash instinct told
me what was up and I kept presence
of mind enough to dodge back from
the sheet of flames that began to envel-
ope the turret. l got down to the floor,
crawled under the gun n out of the
port hole as far as 1 could get. Here
l could get some air and l was so low
down that the fumes did not hurt me
,Nut1,.-l.r KtRoAaII . xrrffh mo md
he did not get a burn. My hand was
burned where 1 held an iron rod, and
l got burned around the head, but
guess it is not very bad.
1.-THE instant the flash came Lieuten-
ant Goodrich, who was in charge of the
work in our turret, rushed to the
hatchway On top of the %turret, think
ing to get out before the turret filled
with smoke and gas, but h powder
was too quick for him and he was
horribly burned before he could get to
the air and safety Seaman Maleck
was sitting on top of the turret where
he was stationed to take messages,
with his legs hanging down the
hatchway. Influenced probably by
Lieutenant Goodrich who. maddened
by his sufferings, plunged into the sea,
he threw himself overheard too.
1.-THE first flash was followed quickly
by a second from the other bag of pow
der, each containing about 100 pounds
of smokeless powder. That was a mo-
ment. of terror to all who were still
conscious, but they were few. Men
were lying in heaps, grooming, dying,
unconscious. baking and suffering,
1.-THE next minute seemed eternity.
rlelp l'oip ou'siuc am -
the men were lifted out ana taken
away to be cared for. But living men
-, =. oa+a, +ha t,,rret until the
could not enter ehe euiiet 80 ~ ~
heat had been by pouring III
watar which also settled the smoke and
.--,4 49, oaees ~ son,a extent
drove Out lhe soSSS "
Those poor fellows We're terribly purneu
some so as to be unrecognizable. Eyes
~eie 1870,
blackened, ana e were7no ieatuie'
left on some of the charred faces.
af;dnh,aroa Cr,,sa wa nointine III,
49, h,
gun Wnen the ndsn cams anu "es "
his side. He did not move away IRON
tho sbeet of flame as quickly as 1 die
and was 1earfully purneu. we "ei'
took oreat nride in the worl
na.,.aa -, 70 an.
n had all n men worhe w " ~
thusiasm. We had fired nine shots ano
wade nine hits. and still had enough tc
e. 49, 80 noaLa two more hits
fire twice more ana make two hlore niv w,
with the n we were shooting ana SUI
hn xrtfhfn fxKyn minl1faG'