The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-06
TOPEKA, KANSAS

III email iCdpcd past nm, S0iANA AAAo
from severe ScaldS
When the smoke came from the fire
room, the fire call was sounded and
all the crew went to the fire stations
in perfect order and in a few seconds
fifteen to twenty lines of hose were
ready to turn on the fire. Several of
the crew behaved with heroism and
will be reported to the department Ia
ter when full particulars are known.
The ship was undergoing inspection
by the commander of the second d.
vision and had been under way for
over two hours the engines, boilers
and all machinery working perfectly,
fully equal to the acceptance trial.
The Tennessee, flagship of the Sec
ond division of the Pacific cruiser
fleet left Santa Barbara at 10 o'clock
with the cruisers Pennsylvania, Wash
her wake, on the semi-annual official
speed trial provided for by naval
regulation. Admiral Sebree had or
dered the cruisers to full speed and
the Tennessee had just concluded
series of evolutions and started
straight away at a speed Of between
IS and 10 knots. The admiral in the
engine room had just taken note that
the dial recorded a steam pressure of
| 235 pounds, when the explosion oc-
| Cured. Less than fifteen minutes ear
lier the tubes had endured a pressure
An official investigation of the acct
| dent has been ordered.
| The boiler was of the standard
| tubular kind, the Babcock and Wilcox
make, used in many over-the-way
TT was a hell hole said one of the
surviving seamen. Everything SEEM
| ed all right, when without any warn
! ing the shower of hot cinders, steam
and ashes burst out of the fire hole.
drnnnpd all the
and none of US knew what had hap
pened. Those of us who were able to
scra mble to our feet opened the door
when the compartment cleared and we
began dragging the boys OUT
and crew is that Reinho1d and Meek
and crew is taht Reinhold and Meek
were martyrs to duty for they were
found dead where others escap ped and
stayed at their posts to the last. The
accident served to demonstrate the
| complete efficiency of the naval fire
drill There was no confusion.
The four dead sailors were buried
| with simple naval ceremony at 2
| o'clock this afternoon on Point Fir
min, overlooking San Pedro harbor. in
| a cemetery where only sailors dead
! are inferred.
The severely injured were sent to
| hospitals.
Caused by Bursting Pipe.
Washington, June 6.-The cause of
the accident on the armored cruiser
| Tennessee in which four men were kill
| ed and number injured, caused by the
bursting of steam pipe while the ves-
| sci was off the California coast, Will
| be thoroughly examined into by a
board of investigation appointed by
| Admiral Sebree.
Admiral Sebree has telegraphed a re-
| port containing practically the same
information as the news dispatches.
The four inch boiler tube burst, he
says, at ! a. M, While the vessel was
| under full power. The injured men
were to be removed to the hospital at
Los Angeles this morning. Following
| the accident the admiral communicate
| ed with the first division of the Pacific
| fleet to obtain additional dressings for
| the wounded men and then proceeded
| to San Pedro. The admirafs report
| gives the list of dead and injured prac-
tically as given in the press dispatches.
| Several months ago there was an ac-
cident to the boiler machinery on the
cruiser ST. Louis, while off the Pacific
coast, caused by the unwelding of a
| water leg. This, however, was not as
severe as the accident on the Tonnes
see, five men being scalded, but recov-
ering after about ten days treatment
in one of the hospitals on the coast.
There have been a number of serious
| accidents to naval vessels in recent
years but the officials claim that the
| uuIlDST Is SlIldlltT anu TeSultS less ser
ious than in foreign navies.
A statement prepared by the navy
! department regarding the four men
who lost their lives give the following
| informa ton.
George Wood. water tender, enlist
ed at Philadelphia, home address
Scranton, Pa, next of kin, William H
Brown, brother, Scranton, Pa
Earl C. Boggs, fireman second class
enlisted at Birmingham. Ala, home
address North Avondale. Ala. next OF
; kin. B. F. Boggs, father, Woodland
Ala ALBANIA.
Adolph Reinhold machinist mate
| second class, enlisted at Saginaw
Mich, next of kin Robert Reinhold
| father, Una, Germany
George w. Meek, fireman, first class
enlisted at ST. Louis, home address
Meek, father. Skidmore, Kan