New-York tribune., 1910-07-22
Breech Block Blows Out in ArtI-
Iery Target Practice at
Fortress Monroe.
HEROISM OF THE WOUNDED
One Officer Among the Six
Injured, One of Whom May
Die-Rigid Inquiry
Ordered.

while the fort was engaged IN ldIses
practice this morning Six others are
in the post hospital
The exact cause of the explosion IS not
vet definitely determined. although a.
board Of inquiry was appointed imme-
dfately after the accident by orders from
the War Department
The dead
Sergeant HARRY G. HESS. of Phcebus. Va. gun
commander.
CorporaI CHARLES O. ADKINS. address un-
Corporal ALBERT BRADFORD. Dorothy. " Va
Private A J. SULLIVAN. Perkins Ky
Private ROY DUFFY. Kenova, " Va
Private H ADEY. Brandouvine. ". Va
Private c. " KING. Dayton Ohio
Private JOHN W CHADWICK. Tazswell. Ter1-
Private ALFRED W SMITH. New York
Private JUDD e HOGAN Geyer Ohio
Private JAMES H TURNER Ripley. Tenn.
Probably fatally injured:
Private ARLIE ADEY.
Slightly injured:
Second Lieutenant GEORGE L VAN DEUsESt
Private ORvILLE T. RAINET-
Private ELLSWORTH HOFFMAN.
Private CHARLES z PARKS
Private WILLIAM c. SULzBERGER
The toll of death, it is believed. would
have been larger had it not been for
the heroism displayed. both by the Off
GERS and men in the battery. The
wounded forgot their hurts and aided the
unintured in stamping out the burning
powder that threatened the sacks in
which the charge for a second shot had
been brought up
The explosion took place in Battery
De Russy. No I gun doing the damage
The gun was in charge Of Captain
James Prentice. who had with him Lieu
tenants George P Hawes, IT., and
George L Van Deusen- Lieutenant
Eawes had gone forward from the breech
to examine the range wheel when the
charge was exploded He was thrown
down and momentariIy stunned. but was
otherwise uninjured.
Fought Fire with Bare Hands
In the thick. heavy smoke the scene
was almost indescribable Eight man
were killed outright. their bodies lying
scattered around the emplacement IN
der the pail the wounded wrtthed and
moaned. Captain Prentice and Lieuten-
ant Hawes fOresaw a further sacrifice
Of life if the other charges caught from
the snoldering sparks, and the two sent
out a call for surgeons. while they at
tackled the fire with their bare hands
Captain Prentice reached the empIace-
ment first, and before looking into the
extent OF the damage he pushed his way
through the smoke and sparks and car
H.ocr - IL rbav7
joined by Hawes. and the two completed
the task OF averting a further explosion
During this time Lieutenant Van
Deusen lay crumpled beneath the gun.
his leg broken in two places He was
suffering intensely. but when his brother
officers sought 10 remove him he would
not permit them to touch him
See TO the men first" he ordered and.
propped against the gun carriage. he
aided in directing the work OF the res
cue party and the surgeons
Bravery OF Enlisted Men.
Corporal Humphreys and Sergeant
B-inkley. a gun pointer. also distin-
guished themselves The formers head
body and arms were filed with pieces OF
from the emplacement when the ex-
plosion took place In spite OF his pain
full wounds he rushed 20 his dead and
comrades. exringutshed their
burning clothing and then hurried 10 the
nearby encampment for water
Sergeant Brinkley was close 10 the
breech when it blew out He was -1rled
over the right standa l. and when he
consciousness he found him
self hanging by one arm from the rail-
ing OF the sighting platform Although
severely bruised and suffering from the
shock. Brinkley declined 70 so TO the
hospital or permit the surgeons TO ex-
anime him until after they mad assisted
IN the work OF rescue
Colonel c. P. Townsley. Commandant
2c the fort. promptly ordered an investi-
CATION While no decision had been
reached. Colonel Townsiey advanced his
theory of the explosion
How Explosion Occurred.
1T is evident he said. that the ex-
olosion occurred during the insertion OF
he breech block into the breech of the
yun. and before II had been rotated and
ocked in place The safety devices on
he gun are intended 70 made a pre-
nature discharge impossible. Just how
hey failed 10 operate probably never
will be known To certainty. Every
member OF the detachment who could
Explain il was killed"
The inquiry. however. is TO be thor
,ugh Assisting in the investigation are
1ome Of the leading officers OF the army.
Who were present at the time Of the ex-
,losion. Among them are General Gro
Tier. chief OF ordnance OF the army; Gen.
,raI Carter assistant chief OF star:
General Murray. chief OF Coast Artil-
cry. and General Bixby. chief of en-
sineers-
The fatal accident occurred during
Target practice at floating targets. which
we're built 70 the proportions OF battle
ships The firing was prosecuted as
nearly as possible under battle ccndi-
tions and the shooting was on a more
o-etentious scale than ever has been at
before
The moving targets were being towed
up Hampton Roads about four miles out.
and We're supposed to represent a hostile
saar oafYf0u M, fha PnfOF,4ase