Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-30
CRUISER BLOWN Up;
200 SAILORS DEAD
Japanese Ship Sunk by a
Bursting ProjectiIe.
EXPLOSION IS PREMATURE
Matsushima, Once Ito's Flagship,
Founders Of Pescadores.
CAPTAIN IS, PROBABLY LOST
Accident Occurred in japanese
waters-Defective Wiring or
Deterioration Of Powder
Blamed.
EXPLOSION IS PREMATURE
Matsushima, Once 1to's Flagship,
Founders Of Pescadores.
CAPTAIN Is. PROBABLY LOST

Special Cablegram to The Star.
TOXIC. April 3O.-The cruiser Matsu-
shima Of the japanese training squadron
daylight today by the premature explo-
sion Of a proiectile. The cruisers Itsu-
Rushima and Hashidate rescued thirty of
the Matsushima's men. but it is feared
that 20O including Capt. Yashire, have
perished.
The Matsushima was a steel ship, 295
feet in length and with beam Of so
feet inches. Her tonnage was 4.2I5 and
she had speed Of 1877 knots. She was
armed with one 12.6-inch gun and ten
41-inch guns and others Of smaller caliber
and four torpedo tubes. Her complement
was $50 men. She was launched In jan
uary. 1889. She took an active part in the
Russo-Japanese war, participating in the
hockades Of Port Arthur. and sank a
4kussian torpedo boat that tried to escape
from the harbor In November. 1904. Aft
er the war she. with two other japanese
w4rships. paid visit to Honolulu and San
Francisco.
Takahira Deeply Gr1eved.
Baron Takahira, the japanese ambassa-
dor. was just about to leave for the State
Dppartment today when he was shown
the dispatch from Toxic telling Of the
loss Of lite by the explosion on the cruiser
Matsushima. Il was the first news the
ambassadr had received Of the tragedy,
aud he expressed deep regret over the
A dispa&ch to the naval attache OF the
japanese. ombaay from TOXIC says that
those saved include three odieers. twenty
four cadets. seven non-commissioned ON
Gers and III Of the crew.
With their usual caution and conservat-
Ism the naval ofIicials at TOXIC evidently
are obtaining 40 the information poosible
before giving Out any full report Of the
disaster. No report Of the explosion
morning from the American naval attache
at Toxic. y
Naval officers who at once looked up the
record OF the cruiser drew the conclusion
Japanese navy. She was Of less than
5000 tons displacement. and Of type
which has not been followed since her
construction. The popularity OF the Mat
sisted OF one 1o3x-inch gun mounted on
her poop deck. In addition she carried
twelve finch guns and a battery Of
smaller caliber and four above-water
designed and constructed at La Seyne,
France.
Cruisers War Record.
Her. principal historic record consists Of
her part In the war between Japan and
China. when she was the flagship of Ad-
miral Ito in the battle Of the Yalu river
She also participated in the battle of the
Sea Of Japan. Two sister ships were built
the Itsukushima in 1899 and the Nashi-
date in 1891.
The cruiser had no armor. She is class
ed as protected cruiser. having a pro-
tected deck one and half inches thick
Her speed was 1877 knots. It is under
stood here that the cruiser was In use az
q school ship.
From the first advices naval experts
inferred that the explosion was caused by
fuse or deterioration In the stock OF
smokeless powder affected by heat. The
deterioration Of powder. causing Il to fx-
mite and explode. Is one Of the constant
dangers aboard war vessels. Strict reEu-
!afions for inspection are rigidly enforced
In all navies. These include q daily in
spection as to the temperature of the
magazine: a bi-monthly inspection as to
the condition of the powder, and a month.
ly inspection which Is still more thor
oush.
Explosion Internal.
each package Of powder aboard is kept
in glass bottles. and constant obsery-
ance had as to it's tendency to change.
Added to all these precautions every
navy except the United States has in
stalled cooling machines in the maya
zines or their recent type ships for the
purpose OF maintaining an even temper
ature. This innovation has been demon
strafed to be beneficial not only as a
measure Of safety. but also as a means
or insurinG greater efficiency in the mat
ter OF gun fire 1t IL not regarded as
probable that the Matsushima had such
apparatus installed. as she was cons;d.
cred as out OF date as a fighting shin.
and doubtless> had been assigned perma,
nentiy to the training squadron.
That the explosion could have been
caused from without the ship Is given
not the slightest credence here. In this
connection. however. II was commented
have been even more grave had the
cruiser been In any but Japanese waters.
Chain Of Accidents.
Since the sinking of the British, sec
ond-class cruiser Gladiator by the
American liner st. Paul last Saturday
there has been an almost constant sue
cession OF accidents in the various navies
OF the world powers. Great Britain has
suffered most from accidents to ner sea
fikhting force. The worst was the sink
ing of the Gladiator by the st. Paul.
Saturday In 4 heavy storm of snow
and sieet the Gladiator and the Ameri-
can steamship tried to pass each other
in the S0lent There was a confusion
OF passing signals. according to the
testimony at the inquest. As the Cladi-
ator lay directly across the st. Paufs
bow, and although the American boat
was going at reduced speed because OF
the thick weather. and reversed her en-
gines the moment she saw the cruiser
in front OF her. the liner struck the
cruiser amidships and tore big hole
in her side, from which she iu.medi-
ately sank. Twenty-three of TIE Brit
isher's crew were drowned.
The second accident to the British navy
occurred Tuesday. In maneuvers of
Kent the British cruiser Attentive ranmed
the torpedo boat destroyer Gala and
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