The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-06-06
BIRMINGHAM BOY IS ONE
AMONG THOSE KILLED
Explosion Comes When Steam Gauge
Registers 80 Pounds Less Than
Highest Point, and Is To Be
Fully investigated.

San Pedro June "a terrible accident
occurred on board the United States
armored cruiser Tennessee at II :OS o'clock
this morning while the ship was steaming
at 10 knots on a speed trial off Poink
Huenene, Cal, a steam pipe in the star
board engine room bursting under 235
pounds pressure. killing four and injuring
ten others, all the men in the compart-
ment at the time. Two of the injured are
expected to die.
The explosion, the cause of which is
unknown, occurred only a few minutes
after Admiral Uriel Sebree, captain of
the cruiser and Chief Engineer Robertson
had left the engine room on tour Of
inspection.
The dead George Wood, water tender,
Scranton, Penn; Earl C. Boggs, second
class fireman, Woodlawn, Ala; Adolph
Reingold, machinists mate. second class.
Germany; George w. Meek, first class
fireman, Skidmore, Kans.
Fatally injured: S. S. Tammitis first
class fireman. Norfolk. Va; F. S. Max
field, second class fireman. Toughkena,
Chester county, Penn.
There were fourteen men in the fire
"
in diameter and inclosed with water inside
the boiler blew out, driving torrent OF
scalding steam, coal dust cinders and hot
ashes through the ask pit and showered
the half naked men.
A blast of white steam from the venti-
lators told those on deck of the accident
and Lieutenant Commander S. S. Robin
son, the navigator instantly sounded Il
general alarm and dropped 20 lines of hose
ready for instant use in case of fire With
in the doomed fire room, No. 8. amid-ships
on the starboard side which is one of the
16 enclosed fire compartments. the survive
ing seamen were fighting for hfe. Rein
gold and Meeks were stricken dead at
their posts Boggs and Wood crawled into
the adjoining fire room, No II. and died
almost Immediately. The surviving sea-
men, all of whom suffered some injuries
acted with the greatest heroism in aiding
their unfortunate mates. Rear Admiral
Sebree himself escaped death or serious
injury in the Inflated firepit by a narrow
margin He had left the room where the
explosion occurred not so seconds before
the fatal blast. The admiral stood in
the engine room adjoining the fire room
with Chief Engineer Robertson and Cap
tain Howard.
His first intmation of the tragedy was
as he mounted the ladder a half
naked fireman leaped past him suffering
from severe sealds.
When the smoke came from the fire
room the fire call was sounded and all
the crew went to their stations in per-
feet order and in a few seconds is to 20
lines of hose were ready to turn on the
fire. Several of the crew behaved with
heroism.
The ship was undergoing inspection by
the commander of the second division and
had been underway for over two hours
obi
were working perfectly.
The flagship Tennessee of the second
division of the Pacific cruiser fleet, left
Santa Barbara at 10 o'clock this morning
with the cruisers Pennsylvania, Wash
lngton Colorado and West Virginia in
her wake on the semi-annual official speed
trial provided for by naval regulations.
Admiral Sebree had ordered the cruiser
TO full speed and the Tennessee had Just
completed a series of evolutions and
started straight away at a speed of be-
tween IS and 10 knots. The admiral in
the engine room had just taken note
that the dial recorded steam pressure
of 235 pounds when the explosion oc-
Cured. Less than 10 minutes earlier the
tubes had endured a pressure of 265
rounds.
An official investigation of the accident
has been ordered
The boiler was ST the standard tubular
klnd, the BaDcOcf x WILCOX make, used
ON many warshiss. 1t consists of large
cluster of four-inch tubes carrying water
into the main boiler. Only one tube, and
this one of the bottom tier, exploded.
The break was less than six inches N
F, length. There was no wreckage, but tho
explosion was described by the survivors
as frightful. So great was the blast of
cot and steam that every man in the
room was blackened from head to foot,
while those closest to the break were
cooked alive. There are 16 similar fire
rooms, but each is separated by steel
doors and the men in the adjoining COM
partments did not feel the explosion.
When the first outside rescuers entered
the fire room it was in utter darkness,
;he steam and SCOT covering the electric
lights and ceiling and walls with a thick
coat. The men in this firepit worked
naked except for short trousers and slip
pers, and the dead and injured were
blackened almost beyond recognition.
1T was a hell-hole,' said one of the
surviving seamen. Everything seemed
all right when without any warning the
shower of hot cinders, steam and ashes
burst out of the fire hole. The boys
dropped all over the room."