Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-19
NAVAL GUN BURSTS,
-FOUR RLNESLOST
Lieut.. A. C. Caffee and Three
Civilian Employees Victims
of Tragedy.
PREMATURE EXPLOSION:
BREECH PLUG BLOWN OUT
Five-Inch Gun From Navy Yard
Was Being Tested at Indian Head.
LIKE FORT MONROE ACCIDENT
Board Ordered by Ordnance Bureau
to Investigate the Lament
able Affair-Two
Witnesses.
LIKE FORT MONROE ACCIDENT
VICTIMS OF EXPLOSION.
Lieut. A. G. Cafree, U. 8. N.
}. l.. Brown, battery foreman.
Nelson jackson, colored.
}. J. Leary, ordnance man.

Four men were killed today by the pre-
mature explosion of a ive-inch, fifty
one-caliber gun at the Indian Head prov.
ing grounds Of the navy. The breech
clock of the gun which was being tested
blew backward into the crew which was
ing the gun. Liept Arthur G. canee,
who was In charge OF the gun. was one
Of the men killed
1t appears from an Official re port re-
ceived at the Navy DepaI tment that
while closing the b. eech curing the proof
of five-inch h.ty-one calloer mark VII
gun No. o96. on the third proof round, a
"a en.ature expiosion tooA p.a.e. bivWing
me bleech plug TO the rear. with the toll
lowing .esuits:
Lieut.. A u. Caffee, U. 8. N, was fatally
injured, and oIed at l2:44 p. m.: J. l.
Drown. battery foreman. was Instantly
AIiied; Ne.Son jackson. colore0, nattsTy
al.enoant. IaIaiiy injured, SINCE died; J.
!. Leary, oruuance man. iaIs.iy injured.
u.eo Al li:oo; oyoney Tyson. coioreo, segi-
ousiy injured.
Like Fort Monroe Accident
The gun. which was q new one from
the asninston navy yaTu anu DeanG
.ested tor tue nrst tln4e. nai ALI eaay been
nred twice. ana 1t was uuIlng the third
.ound and JusS as the breeca Vas oaang
closed that the expios4on LOOK place.
lne accident - not w.tnout precedent,
ana inoeed II was just such an explo-
SION JnaI caused the 0eati Of about tan
soiaiers An the pit of one Of the disaD-
pearlng guns at Fort Monroe Last SUM
mer.
In that case, for some unknown rea-
SON, the firing pin, which was supposed
20 be safely iockea unln the oreecn VAS
completely closed. was driven against the
primer In ciosine the oreecn oiVck, ex-
laoa,ng the charge, hur.ins the ba0ck to
me rear ana AAInng the battery men In
| lne rear by a Diast from about 100
POUNDS OF smokeiess powder.
Board Of Inquiry Ordered.
The o1unance b.r.au has ordered \
BOARD OF Inquest 70 liop the ueIails
u the acciuent the Oily Witnesses to
| "nich, SO Aar as can De aeai..eu. arc
.vnn g. CoieI.iAa AID sidney ~ sv.l, both
~oiofeu ana taAe ia.ter sS.lo.s4s L.,.ured.
insSslieat ON wuicn .een Or
dered by the ordnance D.i ie.Au Is eApsc1ed
~ .v... ......e .,vAat ~ "ust-Aer
.nore was any .iAi-.s wrous absu. NE
| .ocA.ng appa. aCus t..e .l.l..s p.4A vn the
..se-.a .u.A wni~n eAYAoQo. .~~Ay.
II misnt De pv4n.ea oul LilsLl .ue very
Op,ecl VI suDuAiIL.ne a gun 80 d proving
.est Is Lo any LaLi.s IA Lne
u.ecnanislu OK Aietal oeIore ~ ~ placed
ou si.ipuvaId, ana LsuaAiy the sun crews
d. ii.lAa,n LAeau. hiio ..is lAcy lest
.ns guns or uAihnv~n QuaiAIy, JaAe every
y. .e.auIion to avoid lalai aCciuent by
seeking the protection oI lle UoIuo proofs
unui Lne SAFETY OK the sun nas been
demonstrated.
LleuL ArLnur Gill Caffee was born In
.dissuuri, ana Wds aILacned TO The bat
..esnip Connecticut oeIore ne Was as
a.sneu to auLy al Inoian head an in
spector OF ordnance. he entered tho
laval Academy An 1917. Tne ASSISTANTS
VINO We're kIiIed ana injured were all
civilians. ana aved IN tiIe neighporhood
u the proving srounos, forty miies beiow
w asnlnston.
-rown Former Navy Yard Employe.
James L. Brown, one OF the men Killed
n the eXpiosIon, nad Iwo brothers in this
LILY, ALouids ano -AuoTew =. ofo"ns euc
.orMe. be.ns IA empioye OF The Star.
The v4clm WAS uorn IN Prince george
coLnty, Md =, in June, lssl, anu served as
an appreuuce IN the navy from loo6 to
.oo1. ne Vas employed at the washing
ION navy yard several years and
W. as transferred to the proving grounds
at lnaian heaa in iavJ. he resiued at
luat pace wan MS wlie and family.
InoniAs b.Uwu, on rece.p. a tele-
pnone message IRON lnoldn Head, lett
40 the uroylns grounds at O'c.ock thus