The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-28
SHIP EXPLOSION;
EIGHT men DEAD
Breech Plug of 3 Inch Gun
Blows Out on Cruiser
Charleston
s1
COURT OF INQUIRY
WILL INVESTIGATE
Believed that Carelessness Caused
Horrible Fatality on Vessel OF
Ill-Fated Name--Other
death Vessels

WASHINGTON. d. c.. March Is
Eight men were killed on the cruiser
Charleston yesterday at Olongaro. p.
l.. by the blowing out OF the breech
plug of the three-inch guns, accord
ting to report received from = CONF
mander in chief of the Asiatic feet.
Those killed in the accident were:
PHILIP JOHN MCKEE, master-at-
arms.
WALTER AMSTEDT. seaman.
HENRY A. HEATER. seaman.
LEO RENAfELE. ordinary seaman.
HARRY REAvEs GTsADEN, or
binary seaman.
RALPH BERKMAN. ordinary sea-
man.
MAMIE BARNARD. ordinary sea-
man.
EDWARD ALBERT MoLIN, pri-
yate Marine Corps.
A court of inquiry has been APP
pointed by the commander in chief
to investigate the accident The men
will be buried at Cayite, r. j.
Rear Admiral Hubbard. command
or in chief of the station. expressed
the opinion in his dispatch that the
accident was due To the Apresnature
discharge. This might have happen
ed. according to ordnance experts,
through the tanning OF the firing
pin. which explodes the cartridge.
The superstition IL that the psn. for
some reason or other. was not drawn
back when the breech plug was with
drawn. Firing hastily. as would be
the case in target practice, the breech
plug, after the fresh cartridge had
been inserted. proba bly, was thrown
| into place with considerable force.
the firing pin discharging the shell
before the screwblocks were In place.
AS a natural consequence the expio-
sion shot the plug backward out OF
the hreech of the gun.
After bringing tlst dead to Gayite.
the Charleston returned to tho tar
get range TO continue her gun prac-
ttce. which had been interrupted by
the explosion.
Name In-F'ased.
The Charleston Was named after
the vessel of the same name. which
went aground and sank. total loss,
OF the northern eaast-af -L.uzon-a
number OF years ago. She is q pro-
tected cruiser of $500 tens and was
launched at Newport News on jan
uary ~. 1904. She carried $40 Of
ficers and men. and II commanded
by Commander John Fl. Gibbons The
vessel had been the flagship Of Rear
Admiral John Hubbard, commander
In chief of the Asiatic feet for num-
| Der OF months.
During the last ten years there
have been a number OF fatalities in
the navy, due to explosions aboard
ship--the two most tragic being the
explosion on April 9, 1898, of a IL
inch gun on the battleship Iowa OF
Pensacola. killing thre men and In
juring FIVE others. and the terrible
explosion of powder on the battie-
ship Georgia on July IS. 1907. while
off Massachusetts, bay. A lieutenant
and seven enlisted men we're killed
In this accident. white thirteen others
suffered various injuries.
On April IS, 1904. on the battle
ship Missouri. a 1e0-pound case OF
powder exploded In one of the for
ward turrets. Will the ship was al
target practice of Guantanamo,
Cuba Four officers and fourteen Of
the crew were killed
During the speed trial of the bat
tieshfp Tennessee. on June 6, 1908.
bursting OF boiler caused the death
of four men and MANNED eight others.
The accident occurred of the Cali
fornia coast.