The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-07-28
Horrible Accident.

Tragedy While ooldiers Are
Engaged at Target Practice
Eleven Killed and Half a
Dozen Injured by Blowout
of Breech-block of One Of
the Big Guns-Ohcers Are
Unable to Determine Di-
rect Cause Of Explosion
Rigid Investigation to be
Made.
Fortress Monroe, Va, July 21.-
Eleven men of the coast artillery are
dead tonight as the result of the
blowing out OF the breechlock in one
of the big guns while the fort was en-
gagged in target practice. A half
dozen others are in the post hospital
The exact cause of the explosion is
not yet definitely determined. al
though board OF inquiry was ap-
pointed Immediately after the disaster
by orders from the War Department
in Washington.
The list OF dead and wounded fol-
lows:
Sergeant Harry H. Ness, Charles
ton, ". Va; Corporal Charles o.
Adkins, Cincinnati, O.; Corporal AL
bert Bradford, Dorothy, W. Va; Pri-
vate Roy Duffey, Naugatuck. w. Va;
Private John W. Chadwick, Tazewell,
Tenn; Private Give W. King. Day
ton, O.; Private Alfred w. Smith.
New York. n Y; Private Andy J.
Sullivan, Perkins, KY. Private Judd
E. Hogan, Jeyer, O.; Private James
E. Turner, Ripley, Tenn; H. Adey.
Probably fatally injured : Private
Areley Adey, Brandonville, w. Va.
Slightly injured Lieutenant George
L. Van Deusen, Passaic, n j.; Pri-
vate Ellsworth W. Hoffman, Pitts
burg, Pa; Private Charles f. Parks,
Menominee, Mich; Private William
C. Sulzberger, Fort Monroe
The toll OF death, it is believed,
would have been larger had it not
been for the heroism displayed, both
by the officers and men in the battery
The wounded forgot their hurts and
aided the uninjured 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 Bat
terry DeRussey, No. l gun doing the
damage. The gun was in charge O.
\ Captain James Prentice, who hat
with him Lieutenants George p
: Hawes, ,Jr., and George l.. VanDeusen
: Lieutenant Hawes had gone forwart
from the breech to examine the rang'
when the charge was exploded. He
: was thrown down and momentaril,
stunned, but otherwise was unin
iured. In the thick heavy smoke tn
} scene was most indescribable one
Eight men were killed outright, thef
bodies lying scattered around the EN-
placement. Under the pail the wound
ed writhed and moaned. Captain
Q Prentice and Lieutenant Hawes fore
3 saw a further sacrifice of life IL tn
other charges caught from the
smoldering sparks and the two sen
. out call for surgeons while they at
| DdChcu LIIc WIUu bDtlI
Captain Prentice reached the EN-
> placement first and before lookin!
I into the extent of the damage, h
:, pushed his way through the smok
e and sparks and carried out bag O
r powder He then was Joined b,
e Hawes, and the two completed th
7 task OF averting a further explosion
: During this time Lieutenant Van
Duesen lay crumpled beneath the gu
his leg broken in two places. He wa
!. suffering agonies, but when his broth
er officers sought to remove him h
would not permit them to touch him
/ ''See to the men first, he ordered
n and propped against the gun cal
b riage, he aided in directing the wor
y of the rescue party and the surgeons
g Corporal Humphreys and Sergean
g Brinkley, gun pointer, also distir
q guished themselves. The former
n head, body and arms were filed wit
t ,pieces of flying concrete that ha
D been blown from the emplacemen
a when the explosion came In spit
@ OF his painful wounds, he rushed t.
Q his dead and wounded comrades, e,
}. tinguished their burning clothing an
d then hurried to the nearby encamI
q ment for water.
: Sergeant Brinkley was close to th
a breech when it blew out. He wa
n hurled over the sight standard ant
!, when he regained consciousness
found himself hanging by one arr
8 from the railing OF the sighting pIat
# form. Although severely bruised an
/ suffering from the shock, Brinkle
: declined to go to the hospital or pc
+ NIT the surgeons TO examine him III
4 til after he assisted in the work {
70 rescue.
Colonel c. p. Townsley, command
# ant OF the Fort, promptly ordered a
r investigation. Colonel Townsley al
< vanced this theory OF the disaster:
sit is evident" he said, "the g,
plosion occurred during the insertio
OF the breech block into the breech {
the gun and before it had been r.
tated and locked in place. The saf
" device on the guns are intended t
make a premature discharge impo
u sible. Just how they failed to operat
D, probably never will be known to
IT certainty. Every member OF the d.
It tachment who could explain it wa
Ie killed"
The inquiry. however, is to be tho
'e ough. Assisting in the investigate
e are some OF the leading officers oft
It army, who were present at the tim
} OF the explosion. Among them al
IS General Crozier, chief of ordnance {
!e the army; General Carter, assistaI
&c chief OF staff; General Murray, Chi
e of coast artillery, and General Baxb,
q chief of engineers.
e The fatal accident occurred durin
II target practice at floating targeti
which we're built to the proportion
;. OF battleships. The firing was pros