Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
ELEVEN Die IN
BLAST Of BIG GUN
Several Others Injured In Fort
ress Monroe Disaster
FAMILIES SEE MEN SLAIN
Breech Block of TWelVe-lnch Coast
Defense Rifle Blown Out by
"FIare Back" at De
Bussey Battery.

Fortress Monroe, Va. Eleven
men of the coast artillery are dead
as the result of the blowing out
of a breech block in one of the big
guns while the fort was engaged in
target practise. Z half-dozen other
are in the post hospital, one of whom
may die.
Whether the accident was due to
faulty mechanism in the gun, or negli-
gence upon the part of the men who
were hurled into eternity is to be de-
termined by board of inquiry which
is still investigating the dreadful af-
fair.
The killed:
First Sergeant Harry G. Hess.
Corporal Charles c. Atkins.
Corporal Albert Bradford.
Private Roy Duffey.
Private Cleve n. King.
Private Alfred w. Smith.
Private James H. Turner
Private Arlie Adey.
Private Andrew ]. Sullivan.
Private ]. E. Hogan.
The only man seriously wounded
was Second Lieut.. George l.. Van
Dusen, U. S. A, who had a leg broken
and sustained painful burns and
bruises.
Five men were slightly though very
painfully hurt.
Target practise had been in progress
,1tyo fGy
happened. Naval tugs, towing targets
which represented a hostile" feet
trying to pass Fort Monroe to reach
Washington, had just appeared in
sight and all of the batteries had
opened fire.
The fire was very effective during
the few minutes and the targets were
badly battered, but when the explosion
occurred interest in the mimic battle
was lost.
Colonel Townsley, commandant of
the fort, said that he did not know
whether the mechanism of the gun
was at fault or whether the accident
was due to the carelessness of the
men around the gun
Il am inclined to think" said
Colonel Townsley, that it was an &C
cident pure and simple. 1t may have
been caused by one of the men, which
one l don't know, but 1t was one of
the poor fellows who were killed, get
ting the lanyard caught in the breech
before it could be locked.
81 think he must have pulled the
lanyard to fire the gun, and the cord
and prevented it from locking Sc
curely."
Colonel Townsley stated that the
she'll is still in the gun and that only
one breach was blown away. The
whole breach block was blown away
and was carried some distance by the
force of the explosion of the 300
pounds of high explosive The
projectile was left in the gun and ex-
cepting the breech block the gun was
not damaged. The men and the gun
were in a concrete pit about fifty by
fifty feet and the whole effect of the
giant charge took effect in that small
lHClOSuIS he men were torn TO
pieces, arms, legs and heads being
scattered in all directions, some of
them going into the waters of the
Roads and other parts of the land
side. All the men close to the
breech end of the gun were either
killed or wounded. The powder which
forms the charges for the 12-inch
guns is made up into pyramids with
holes pierced through them. Severai
Of these pyramids were scattered
around in the pit unconsumed and the
holes were filed with blood.
Many of the dead we're so burned
and mangled that they had to be iden-
tilted by the shreds of bloody clothing
that were left on the pieces of bodies.
The wives and children of several
Of the men killed were present and
saw them meet a terrible death.