The sun., 1908-06-06
SIX KILLEDON The TENNESSEE
COLLAPSE or BOILER TUBE on
CRUISER SCALDS TEN OTHERS.
Turning Steam Pours Out Into Boiler and
Engine Rooms, Pennins In the Victims
others OF Crew Quickly to the Rescue
Cruiser Puts In at San Pedro.

Of the collapse OF boiler tube on the ar
rnored cruiser Tennessee, of the coast, at
!, o'clock this morning six men are dead
and ten or dozen injured 80 severely that
rome OF them may die.
The dead are George Wood, water tender.
Scranton, Pa; 4. c. Boggs. fireman. Wood
lawn, Ala: s. S. Temates. fireman, Norfolk,
Va, f. s. Maxfield, fireman. Toughkena.
Pa; A. Reinhold, machinist, Germany;
q. A. Meek, fireman, Skidmore. Kan.
The injured are E. j. Burns, coal passer.
New York; W. S. Burns coal passer, Brook
lyn; j. P. Carroll, fireman, Hartford. Conn;
G. H. earns, fireman, 1ronton. Ohio; A.
HAYES Brooklyn, n. Y; H. Fitzpatrick.
Brooklyn. n. Y; R, NJ. Watson. fireman,
Fast st. Louis r. r. Rutledge, coal passer,
Athens Pa.
The big cruiser left Santa Barbara at
10 o'clock this morning in company with
the Maryland, Washington, California.
Colorado, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The Pacific fleet was on voyage down the
coas.
soon after leaving port Admiral Sebree.
who commands the squadron. ordered the
regular semi-annual speed trial and the
vessel was seen ohurning through the water
at the rate of eighteen knots. Steadily IN
creasng the speed as the boiler pressure
increased, the cruiser seemed likely to
exceed nineteen knots The engines were
working perfectly.
Admiral Sebree, Capt Howard and Chief
Engineer Robertson visited the engine
room or tour rofinspection, and the Admiral
noted that the steam gauge showed pres
sure of 2SO pounds.
Just after the officers left the starboard
en- gne room the explosion came. There
was muff1ed roar and cloud OF steam and
hot sinders filed the fireroom where four
teen half naked men were at work
Meek and Renhold we're in range Of the
blast and neither lived to leave his post
Roggs and Wood were desperately hurt,
but aided by their less injured comrades,
who heroically stood by them, they man
aged to crawl from the furnace of death
to the adjoining flreroom. OF the fourteen
men in the fire room, not one escaped in
jury.
Those on deck were told Of the disaster
by a cloud Of steam and smoke that burst
from below. The fire alarm was sounded
and the crew rushed to stations. In
few seconds twenty lines Of hose were laid,
but there was no need for precautions.
The engine room crew rushed into the
scalding steam and cinders to aid their in
jured comrades. Meek and Reinhold were
found dead at their posts. while Boggs and
Wood, who we're practically cooked alive,
died in few minutes after being taken out.
Temateo and Maxfeld lived until the cruiser
arrived in the harbor and then succumbed
It is thought that all the others will recover.
The cause of the explosion remains a
mystery. The boiler tubes had frequently
been subjected to higher pressure than
TINT which caused the disaster.
The California, Washington. Colorado,
Vest Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
which accompanied the Tennessee, have ar
rived at Santa Monica.
The Tennessee arrived at San Pedro
shortly after tonight and dropped anchor,
two miles from shore. The injured men will
not be landed until tomorrow.
WASHINGTON. June 5.-A boiler tube on
the armored cruiser Tennessee, flagship
Of the second division Of the Pacific feet.
blew out this afternoon while that vessel
was cruising off Santa Barbara. Cal.
The accident was reported to the Navy
Department tonight by Rear Admiral
James n. Dayton, commander of the
Pacific feet, in a wireless despatch relayed
TO Washington by way Of Santa Barbara.
Admiral Dayton's despatch gave no
further details of the accident 1t was
rad at the Navy Department that list
Of the killed and injured was not expected
Until tomorrow morning. as the Depart
nent was unable to get into communication
with the Pacific feet tonight.
The Tennessee is one Of the new armored
cruisers. She was laid down at the yards
Of William Cramp & Son at Philadelphia
in 1908 and was launched on March IL.
1904 She was formerly attached to the
Atlantic feet. The Tennessee and Wash
ington were organized into special ser
vice squadron last October in command of
Rear Admiral Uriel sebree. and they left
Hampton Roads about October is for the
Pacific Coast, arriving there the middle Of
January. They were assigned to the second
division of the Pacific fleet.
The Tennessee is the flagship OF Ad-
mral Sebree, the division commander,
She is So2 feet long 10 feet 1oH inches beam
snG rs feet draught. She carries four ten
inch guns in fore and after turrets. She
is commanded by Capt, Thomas e. Howard.