Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-18
1uout eco Pounds Of Powder IL.
llted in After Tuvrct CT
The Georgia.
EIGHT DEAD, 1o INJURED
'cvrrai of Them Burncd SO Bnaly
Whey VIII Die--'ihc ship Undam-
aged As Powder VAS Uncon-
Gncd--Two Theories about
Cause Of the Accident.

Boston. July IS Eight men dead and
2 injured OF whom two were critically
TO- at The United States naval hospital
nj Chelsea was the grim record at a
ate hour tonight of n powder explosion
N tho bottleship Georgia to-day off
Prov'ncetown. Six were dead when the
ea'tleship reached here, and two more
,nc Of them Lieutenant Casper Good
gich. OF BROOKLYN, y. Y, son OF Rear
Admiral Goodrich, died At the hospital
The hattleship Georgia steamed slowly
ny Boston harbor from the target prac-
lice grounds in Cape Cod Bay late to-
day and landed the dead and injured
at the Charlestown navy yard
pom the arrival of the Georgia
there became generally known tho Dc
tdiIs Of the most frightful naval catas-
iropho that has ever taken place along
the New England coast.
The accident occurred shortly before
noon to-day while the Georgia'7 crew
wore at target practice off Barnstable
~ cape Cod BY. In Some manner as
yet unexplained two bags Of powder
became ignit"d and in the terrific fash
That followed the entire turrct crew
consisting Of three officers ard Is men.
w"r" enveloped In fire and suffered
horrible injuries one officer ana five
men died before the ship reached port.
WHERE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
Tho explosion occurred in the after Sill
p'rimposed turret where the men. under
command Of Lieut.. Goodrich son Of
Read Ad niral Goodrich commandant Of
the New York navy yard and Midship-
mon Faulkner Goldthwate and John T.
cruise, were operating the oight-inch
runs.
The guns in the forward turrets had
finished eight rounds Of practice and the
guns Of the after turret had fired ono
round Two cases, as the big one humid
rcd pound bags of powder are called
had lust been sent mp through the am
muuition hoist and We're In the arms of
the loa Ter, whose name was withheld
by rho ships officers. The loader stood
Ut the hroech Of one Of the eight inch
guns, ALREADY to insert the charge. At
that instant the ttirret was seen to he
smoky and two mon who stood near the
loader saw black spot on the bag in
icating that the charge had tgnited and
vas smouldoring.
The loader discovered the spot in the
sumo minute and threw himself forward
IN his fare shouting warning to his
mates The other men VIII. had seen the
spot were Fich and Hansell and they
also threw themselves on the floor Of the
urrct
Before the other mon in the turret
'ouid understand why the loader
'Aoutcd there was a binding fash rs
he burning powder exploded. Flames,
smoke and gases filled the little super
structure in which more than score
e men were confined. Inasmuch rs
'ho powder was not confined there was
1odcafening report nor did the ves-
81 suffer any injury hut every nook of
he turret was filled with flame.
The loader was fearfully hurt as was
very other man In the 'urret except
Itch and Hansell who We're scorchcd.
SCENES OF GREAT SUFFERING.
Blinded by the smoke and fame,
hooked by the fumes and maddened
,'ith pain, the men screamed in agony
Some staggered blindly up the ladder
10 the hatchway in the top Of the tur-
ret while others crept along the tur-
ret floor begging piteously for as
yistanCe.
Lieutenant Goodrich and Seaman
Naloick became crazed, staggered up
HE ladder 10 the top of the turret and
brew themselves headlong into the
lca in a frenziod effort to drown.
The shpmates of the unfortunate men
.WShed to their assistance and tenderv
~arried them out Of the fire-backene1
tvrrot 10 the ships hospital where their
burns We're dressed by the surgeons.
In the meantime Lieut. Goodrich and
Ma'eck had been rescued by launch re
turning from an inspection Of the target.
The surgical staff Of the Georgia was
coon reinforced by the surgeons of the
other vessels In the feet who had been IN
formed of the accident by wireless tce-
craphy and other means,
wireless message about the accident
was sent to the government wireless sta -
ton on the Highlands Of Cape Cod and
thence to the navy department at Wash
ngton.
Another message was sent to- the
-harlestown navy ward telling OF the
disaster and requesting arrangements
FOR removing the wounded men TO the
naval hospital as soon as the Georgia
arrived Mt BOSTON, whittier she was
then steaming.
An examination Of the turret aftcr
the accident failed to show that any
serious damage resulted to the ship
INVESTIGATION ORDERED.
Immediately on learning Of the acct
lent Capt Henry McCrea. commander
Of the Georgia, notified Rear Admira
Charles NJ. Thomas, commander of the
scuadron, Of what had occurred Rear
Admiral Thomas ordered an investiga
ting board to still examine into the
causes of the accident
Meantime two theories are enter