The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-10
GAVE THEIR LIVES
'T0SAvE COMRADES
Three Coal Passers Probably
Drowned When Vessel
Was Flooded.
PROMPT ACTION SAVES SHIP
Fire Was in Compartment Be-
meath a Powder Maga-
zine.
PROMPT ACTION SAVES SHIP

Newport News. Va, September a.
Belief prevails here to-day among the
crews of the battleships that Joseph
S. S. Schmidt. Robert Gilmore and Jo-
seph STREET. the three coal passers who
died yesterday aboard the North Da-
aota, gave up their lives in order that
the ship and the lives of their officers
and comrades might be spared.
The fire was beneath magazine
stored with powerful explosives. and
they were In the compartment with
the flames. Flooding Of that compart-
ment at once was necessary TO the
saving of the ship. Possibly they were
unconscious or already dead; probably
their rescue would have been lmpos-
sible In any event. But 1t was one OF
those great emergencies the navy ex-
poets and Is trained to meet. 1t was
met by the turning on of the water.
Died Without II Chance.
II Schmidt and Gilmore and STREET
were conscious when the flood rushed
in upon them they died without
chance to know that their lives pur-
chased immunity from death for sew
eral hundred other men and saved from
destruction the gallant ship they
served so proudly. 1t probably never
will be established whether they were
conscious at the moment of sacrifice.
but the fact that water was found in
their lungs indicates that life was not
extinct.
Boilers Seriously Damaged.
Although no official information has
been given out, 1t is understood that
the board OF inquiry has discovered
that the four boilers located in the
fireroom of the battleship were seri-
ously damaged. The ship probably will
be detached from the fleet and ordered
to the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs,
The Investigating board. composed
of Captain Cove, of the Delaware; Lieu
tenant Commander Price, of the Della
ware, and Lieutenant Commander Proc
tor, of the Connecticut, assembled on
board the North Dakota this morning
at 10 o'clock and began work. At 4
o'clock the members OF the board re-
turned to the Connecticut, Rear-Admi-
raj Schroeder's flagship ready to for
mulate their report, it is said
The bodies OF the three dead mef1
were taken to the Portsmouth Navy
Yard to-day. All of the injured are
doing nicely and will recover. Ma
chinist Andrews Is the most seriously
hurt.
The first and second squadrons or
the battleshlp fleet will leave Sunday
to join the third and fourth squadrons
on the Southern drill grounds. 1t is not
believed that the North Dakota will go.
Officers Are Rcticent.
officers of the North Dakota and OF
the fleet generally are exceedingly re-
ticent about the accident. and Admiral
Schroeder will not talk In advance of
the investigation; but it is the belief
of the men on the ships tha. the
three men who are dead were drowned
In the flooding of the fireroom, 1t is
thought that they We're helpless, per-
haps unconscious from their burns.
before the nrushing water drowceu
them.
Flooding the Only Course.
There seems no doubt that the Inn
mediate flooding of the tireroom was
the only means of avertng the total
destruction of the great ship and tho
annihilation of Its hundreds OF men,.
The proximity of the fire to /, magazine
stored with powerful explosives made
Imperative the instantaneous cNtln-
guishment of the DANES,
That the fatalities We're so faW Is
due to the herolsm of many of the
crew, who. 1t is said, fought their way
into the DANES to drag out their In
jured shipmates.
4 Capt Gleaves. commander Of tho
North Dakota, and other otilcers
gency orders for the saving OF the
ship, but confusion aboard was nat
urally great and discipline was not
what 1t might have been had the crew
or the North Dakota been composed
OF seasoned seamen. Most of the men
(contlnaad on Second Page3
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