Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-06

more. Kan: S. Stemattis. first-class Are
man. Norfolk, Va: f. 8. Maxfield. second
class fireman. Toughkena. Chester county.
Pa. and r. J. Burns. coal passer. New
York. died of injuries.
Seriously injured: Walter $. Burns. coal
passer. Brooklyn. y. Y: j. +. A. Carroll,
second class fireman. Hartford, Conn.
Slightly injured: r. W. Watson. fire.
man. second class. East ST. Louis. Ill: r..
+. Rutledge. water tender. Athens. ia. ::
J. \. Corns. fireman, second class; Iron
ton. Ohio \. Hayes, water tender. Brook
lyn. \. T.: II. Fitzpatrick. fireman, first
class. Brooklyn.
Torrent Of Scalding Steam.
There were fourteen men in the fire
room when the tube. which is four inches
in diameter and inclosed with water in
side the boiler. blew out. driving torrent
of scalding steam. coal dust, cinders and
hot ashes through the ash pit and shower
ed the half-naked men.
blast of white steam from the VEN
tilatOrs told those on deck of the accident
and Lieut. Comma nder s. S. Robinson. the
navigator. instantly sounded general
alarm and dropped twenty lines OF hose.
ready for instant use in case of fire. With
in the doomed firerOOm. number T. amid
ships, on the starboard side, which is one
of the sixteen inclOsed fire compartments.
the surviving seamen We're fighting for
life. Reinhold and Meek were stricken
dead at their posts. BogGs and Wood
! crawled into the adjoining fireroom. NO.
II. and died almost Immediately. The sur
viving seamen. all of whom suffered some
injuries. acted with the greatest heroism
in aiding their unfortunate mates.
Admiral's Close Call.
Rear Admiral Sebree himself escaped
death or serious injury in the fated fire pit
by narrow margin. He had left the
room where the explosion occurred not
fifty seconds before the fatal blast The
admiral stood in the engine room a1join-
ing the fireroom with Chief Engineer
Robertson and Capt. Howard.
His first intimatiOn of the tragedy was
as he mounted the ladder and half-nak-
ed fireman leaped past him suffering from
severe Scalds
| When the smoke came from the fire.
room. the fire call was sounded. and all
the crew went to their stations i'm perfec,
order and in few seconds fifteen To
on the fire. Several of the crew be
haved with heroism and will be reported
| to the department later. when full par
ticulars are known.
The ship was undergoing inspection by
| the commander of the second div sion anC
had been under way for over two hours
| the engines. boilers and all machinery
working perfectly and fully equal TO the
acceptance trial.
The Tennessee flagship of the second
division of the Pacific cruiser fleet, left
Santa Barbara at 10 o'clock. yesterday
morning with the cruisers pennsylvania
Washington. Colorado and West Virginia
in her wake. on the semi-annual official
speed trial provided for by naval regula-
tons. Admiral Sebree had ordered the
cruisers to full speed, and the Tennessee
had just included a series of evolutOns
and started straight away at 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
30 pounds when the explosion occurred
Less than fifteen minutes earlier the
tubes had endured pressure of 265 pounds
Investigation Ordered.
An official investigation of the accident
has been ordered.
The boiler was of the standard. tubular
kind the Babcock 4 Wilcox make. used
on many warShips 1t consists of a 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 IN
length There was no wreckage. but the
explosion was described by the survivors
as frightful. So great was the blast of
SCOT 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 sixteen similar
firerooms 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 fireroom ii was In utter darkness.
the steam and SCOT covering the electric
lights and ceiling and walls with thick
coat. The men in this flre pit work