New-York tribune., 1908-06-06

-. Tennessee at II .oS o'clock this morning
-A1e the ship was steaning at 10 knots on a
,5 trial of Point Hueneme, California. a
..,-, nine in the starboard engine room burst
.,r under 235 pounds pressure, killing four men
,nip-irg ten others, all the men in the COM
nsrtunent at the time
~, exnIosion. the cause of which is unknown.
.6 only a few minutes after Admiral Uriel
s,b-ee Captain F. b Howard and Chief Engi-
,- Rohertson had left the engine room on a
.,,,- of inspection. Four of the men were killed
.,s.ont1v and two more were so badly injured
that they viii Gle
THE DEAD.
,o,.s r second class fireman. v-oodlavn. Ale.
w.xF1ED 2. E. second class fireman. Toushkena-
mon penn
- c.o-.s x 1-st class fireman skidunore Kan
rrTITzorD A u4sohinist's mate. second class. Ger
HanS' SERIOUSLY INJURED
s7ExArIs s s. first class fireman. Norfolk. Va. WILL
--non George vst-r tender Scranton Penn will die,
rrRSs ? J. coal pssser New York.
prRSs Walter s. coal pssser. Brooklyn
CARROLL ! P second class fireman. Hartford. Conn
SLIGHTLY INJURED
cosys G NJ second class fireman. Ironton Ohio.
FITZPATRICK. H first class fireman. Brooklyn.
z.yFs A tender. Brooklyn
RITZ EDGE z E. coal passer. Athens Perr.
WATSON F W second class fireman East St Louis
There were fourteen men in the fireroom when
the tube which is four inches in diameter and
incosed with water inside the boiler, blew out
driving torrent Of scaldng steam. coal dust.
cindsrs and hot ashes through the ash pit and
shcze-ed the half naked men,
4 blast Of white steam from the ventilators
tod those on deck Of the accident. and Lieuten-
ent Commander 6. S. Robinson. the navigator.
instzntly sounded . general alarm and dropped
twenty lines Of hose ready for instant in
case Of fire. Within the doomed freroom, No. 3.
smiiships on the starbosrd side, which is one
Of the sixteen inclosed fire compartments, the
surviving sean1en were fighting for life Rein
hold and Meek were stricken dead at their posts.
Bosgs and Wood crawled into the adjoining fire
room No i, and died almost Immediately. The
other searen. all of whom suffered some in
1uriss. acted with the greatest heroism in aiding
their unfortunate mates.
Rear Admiral Sebree himself escaped death OF
serious injury by a narrow margin. He had left
the room where the explosion occurred not fifty
seconds before the fatal blast. The admiral
stood in tire engine room adjoining the freroom
with Chief Engineer Robertson and Captain
Howard. His first intimation Of the tragedy was
ss he mounted the ladder and a half naked fire.
man leaned past him suffering with severe
scslds
When the smoke came from the freroom the
fire call was sounded and all the crew went TO
their stations in perfect order, and in few
seconds fifteen to twenty lines Of hose were
ready 10 turn on the fire. Several of the crew
behaved with heroism, and will be reported 10
the Navy Department later when full particu-
lars are known.
The ship was undergoing inspection by the
commander OF the second division and had been
under way for more than two hours, the engines
boilers and all machinery working perfectly and
fully equal 10 the acceptance trial
The Tennessee. flagship of the second division
Of The Pacific cruiser feet, left Santa Barbara
at 10 o'clock this morning with the cruisers
Pennsylvania Washington. Colorado and West
Virginia in her wake the semi annual speed
trial provided by naval regulations Admiral
sebree had ordered the cruisers TO full speed,
and the Tennessee had just finished ser1es or
eVolutions and started straight away at a speed
Of between eighteen and nineteen knots. The
admiral in the engine room had just taken note
hat the dial recorded q steam pressure OF 235
pounds, when the explosion occurred Fifteen
ture Of 265 pounds.
An official investigation Of the accident has
been ordered
Ihe boiler was Of the standard tubular KIND.
De Babcock d Wilcox make, used on many war
e1ps. II consists OF a large cluster OF 4-lnch
tunes carrying water into the main boiler. Only
ohe tube, and this one Of the bottom tier, ex-
piooed The break was less than six inches In
'ength There was no wreckage, but the ex-
isoslon was described by the survivors as frlsht-
4u- So great was the blast Of SCOT and steam
eHat every man IL the room was blackened from
"eeo 10 foot while those closest TO the preah
were cooked alive There sixteen similar
Ire rooms but they are separated by steel doors.
sao The men IN adjoining compartments did NOT
-'e' the explosion. When the first OUTSIDE res
N0els entered the fire room IL was in utter oarh-
eSs' lhe steam and soot covering the electiic
gus and ceiling and walls with thick coat
Ae inen In this fire pit work naked, except Ior
'rl trousers and slippers, and the oeao anu
8ureo were blackene6 almost beyond recoghl-
ton
Ii was he'll hole" said one OF the surViv-
seafnen. Everything seemed all right' anu
H' without any warning, the shower OF ho'
Wits Steam and ashes burst out or the hie-
The boys dropped all over the room
Ne impression among the officers and crew
a1 heinhold and Meek were martyrs 10 ou'g'
oey were found dead where others escaped
Continued third page.