The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-06
-FOUR KILLED, TWO MORE
Dying, BY AN EXPLOSION

NSSI. tt..ucu from fNSl fdSe.l
head to foot, While those closest to the
break We're cooked alive. There are
sixteen similar fire rooms, but each is
separated by steel doors. and the men
in the adjoining compartments did not
feel the explosion.
When, the first outside rescuers en-
tered the fire room 1t was in utter
the electric lights and ceiling and
this fire pit were naked except 1or
their fire pit were naked except for
short trousers and slippers, and the
dead and injured were blackened al
most beyond recognition.
1T was II hell hole" said one OF the
surviving scamen. Everything seem
ed all right, when, without any warm
and ashes burst out of the fire hole.
The boys dropped all over the room,
1.-The boys dropped all over the room
and none OF us knew what had nap
pened Those OF us who We're able
to scramble to our feet opened the door
when the compartment cleared and we
began dragging the boys out"
Martyrs to Duty.
The impression among the officers
and crew is that Reinhold and Meek
were. martyrs to duty, for they were
found dead where others escaped and
stayed at their posts to the last. The
accident served to demonstrate the COM
plete efficiency of the naval fire drill.
There was no confusion.
DR.. w. a. Weldon, marine surgeon
at San Pedro, has been ordered to bring
eight of the most seriously wounded to
the Marine Hospital at the Los Ange-
les Hospital, leaving here at a. NJ. to-
morrow. The men will be carried each
lon a separate cot the Pacific Electric
Company furnishing baggage car for
the men.
At late hour tonight stematis and
IMaxfield were expected to die at any
time. The four dead sailors will be
buried with simple naval ceremonies at
Firmin, overlooking San Pedro mar
Dor, in cemetery where only sailor
dead are Inferred.
Whit the Officers Say.
! Rear Admiral Sebree, when seen on
board by a representative Of the Assoc
ciated Press, said:
The explosion way one of those &C,
cidents which cannot be provided
against I had just completed an in
spection of the engine--oom when a
coal passer. half-scalded, dashed past
me on his way to the deck. Lieuten-
ant Commander Robinson had already
given the orders used in an emergen-
cy. and the men hurried to their posts
with admirable dispatch"
Captain Howard gave out the fol-
on his arrival in San Pedro: :.
About II A. NJ. to-day during full
speed trial, a boiler tube burst In num-
Der tireroon aboard the vessel.
George Wood water tender: e. c.
Boggs, fireman, second class; A. Rein
hold, machinists mate, second class,
and George Meek. fireman. first class,
were killed almost instantly. The Sc
verely injured are S. S. Stematis. fire
man, first class; e. j. Burns. coal pass
err w. S. Burns. coal passer f. 5.
Maxfeld fireman. second class, and
| j. p. Acarroll, fireman. second class.
Was Flagship OF Admiral.
The armored cruiser Tennessee is com
| manded by Captain Thomas 3: Howard
and was launched December 8, 1904
at the yards of the Cramp Shipbuill-
| ing Company, in Philadelphia. in the
presence of Governor Frazier, of
Tennessee, and his staff, and large
number of distinguished guests The
vessel was christened by the sixteen
year-old daughter of the Governor
Miss Annie Keith Frazier. The Ten
nessee, with the Washington. preceded
Admiral Evans's battleship fleet to the
Pacific, sailing from Hampton Roads
october 18th of las. year. On tina,
voyage She was the flagship Of Rear
Admiral uriel Sebree.
| The Tennessee arrived and anchored
inside the breakwater about two
miles from the waterfront shortly af.
ter o'clock Tonight The injured vii
not be brought ashore until tomorrow