Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-22
EXPLOSION OF BIC
COAST GUN KILLS
ELEVEN SOLDIERS
ArtiIIerymen Meet Death While
Firing Rapidly at Tar
get Practice
HIGH OFFICIALS PRESENT
Injured Men Do Heroic Work to
Prevent Greater Dis
aSter from Powder
HIGH OFFICIALS PRESENT
ASSOCIATED Press1

FORTRESS MONROE, Va, July 81.
Eleven men of the coast artillery are
dead tonight as the result of the blow
ing out of a breech block in one of
the big guns while the fort was en-
gagged in target upractice this morning.
half dozen others are in the post
hospital, one of whom may die.
The cause of the explosion is not yet
definitely determined although a board
of inquiry was appointed Immediately
after the disaster by order Of the war
department in Washington.
The toll of death, it is believed, would
have been larger had it not been for
the heroism displayed by the officers
and men in the battery. The wounded
forgot their hurts and aided the unin-
jured in stamping out the burning
powder that threatened the charge for
a second shot.
THE DEAD
SERGT. HARRY G. HESS of Phoen-
ibus, Va, gun commander.
CORPORAL CHARLES C. ADKINS,
address unknown.
CORPORAL ALBERT BRADFORD,
Dorothy w. Va.
PRIVATES A. J. SULLIVAN of Per-
kins, KY; ROY DUFFY, Kenova, w.
Va; H. A. ADEY, Brandonville, w.
v; c. w. KING, Dayton, o.; JOHN
w. CHADWICK, Tazewell, Tenn; AL
BERT w. SMITH, New York; JUDD
e. HOGAN, Meyer, o., and JAMES H.
TURNER, Ripley, Tenn.
The explosion occurred in Battery De
Russy, No. 1 gun doing the damage.
The gun was in charge of Capt. James
Prentice, who had with him Lieuts.
George P. Hawes, jr., and George L.
Van Deusen. Lieut.. Hawes had gone
forward from the breech to examine
the range wheel when the charge was
exploded. He was thrown down and
| momentarily stunned, but otherwise
uninjured.
Eight men were killed outright, their
bodies lying scattered around the en-
placement.
! Capt. Prentice and Lieut.. Halves
| foresaw a further sacrifice Of life if the
other charges caught from the smol-
dering sparks, and the two sent out
call for surgeons while they attacked
the flames with their bare hands
Capt Prentice reached the emplace-
ment first, and pushing his way through
the smoke and sparks he carried out a
bag of powder. He then was Joined
by Hawes, and the two completed the
task of avoiding a further explosion.
Meanwhile Lieut.. Van Deusen lay
beneath the gun, his leg broken in two
places. He was in great agony, but
when his brother officers sought to re-
move him he would not permit them to
touch him.
SHOWS COURAGE
"See to the men first" he said, and,
propped against the gun carriage, he
aided in directing the work. Corporal
gun pointer also distinguished them
selves. The formers head, body and
arms were filed with pieces of flying
concrete that had been blown from
the emplacement. In spite of his pain
full wounds, he rushed to his dead and
wounded comrades, eXtinguishing their
burning clothes and then hurrying to
the nearby emplacement for water.
Sergeant Brinkley was close to the
breech when it blew out. He was
hurled over the right standard, and
when he regained consciousness he
found himself hanging by one arm
from the railing of the sighting plat
form Although severely bruised and
suffering from the shock, Brinl1ley de-
clined to go to the hospital or permit
surgeons to examine him until they
had assisted his comrades.
Col. c. P. Townsley, commandant of
the fort, promptly ordered an investi-
cation.
at is evident" he said, "that the
explosion occurred during the insertion
of the breech block into the breech of
and locked in place. The safety de-
vices on the gun are intended to make
a premature discharge impossible.
Just how they failed to operate prob
ably never will be known. Every
member of the detachment who could
have explained it was killed"
The inquiry, however, is to be thor
ough. Assisting in the investigation
are some Of the leading officers of the
army who were present at the time of
the explosion. Among them are General
Crozer chief of ordnance of the army:
General Carter assistant chief of staff;
General Murray, chief of coast artil-
lery, and General Bixby, chief of engi-
neers.
The fatal accident occurred while
practice at floating targets, which were
built to the proportions of battleships.
was going on. The firing was con-
Quoted as nearly as possible under
battle conditions, and was on a more
pretentious scale than ever has been
attaD1Dtad a hafOra