Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-09-10
NO OFFICIAL NEWS
CONCERNING INQUIRY
officers Spend Day on Orcadnaught
Examining Fire Room in Which
Fatal Accident Occurred and Hear
ing Wffnesses-One Man Probably
Drowned In Compartment.
(By staff correspondent.

9.-Accordng to a report from re
liable source the board of inquiry,
consisting of Capt c. A. Core, senior
officer; Lieutenant Commander c. V
Price and Lieutenant Commander A.
NJ Proctor, which today began
searching inquiry into the full OIL
blaze on the battleship North Dako-
ia. found hal he flooding of the fire
icom had put out of commission four
of the big boilers on the battleship and
that the vessel will have to undergo
extensive repairs. The board had
nothing to give out for publication
and the officers of the feet declined
to discuss The probable outcome of
the inquiry, claiming that no one can
anticipate the findings of the board.
and that the real cause OF the acct
dent is yet unknown.
The inquiry was started early today
and, il is said. that several Witnesses
were heard on the North Dakota. AS
the work..Gf cleaning up the ships was
in progress and the board of inquiry
was sitting on the North Dakota no
one was permitted to go on board the
ship. Pumps were working all day
pumping the water from the engine
room and. 1t is said that the room was
cleared sufficiently to satisfy the
board that the boilers are seriously
damaged.
Only One Drowned.
Another fact, according to reliable
reports, brought out is that only one
coal passer, Joseph STREET, lost his life
by drowning in the engine room and
it is declared that the unfortunate
seaman was dying before the water
was pumped in. It is further asserted
that Seamen Schmidt and Gilmore
had been taken from the blazing fire
room before the water was turned in
and that there is no truth in the re-
ports sen; out from Norfolk 10 the
effect that all three of the dead sailors
sacrificed their lives in order to pre-
vent an explosion. The men were
pulled from the engine room in dy-
ing condition.
May Make Report Today.
TIE work of the board of inquiry
probably will be forwarded to wash
ington either today or tomorrow.
The battieships are expected to re-
turn 10 the Southern Drill Grounds
SUNDAY and it may be that the board
win not file its findings with the sec
rctarv of the navy for several days
yet. The investigation was COM
menced this morning and it was re-
ported at 4 O'Clock that The officers
comprising. the board had left the
North Dakota for the Connecticut to
confer with Admiyal Schroeder.
A was also given out that the
bodies Of the three dead seamen had
been sent to the morguc in the Ports
mouth navy yard. and that they VIII
today he forwarded to the homes OF
the dead sailors for burial.
Wounded Fsring We'll
II was said that the wounded sailors
are getting along nicely and that all
Will recover. AusfI IA mus -
Andrews is the most seriously injured.
bit he was said to be rcstiy nicely
end there Is reason to believe he will
socn recover.
Target practice will begin among
the ships Of the feet on the Southern
Drill Crowds Monday morning ana
will I7st for ten days The war DC
par,mcni has detailed large number
Of officers 70 ccEc to the grounds on
Monday to witness the target practice.
The following officers arc des's'
mated IN witness the target practice'
Lieut. Col. Edwin y. rabbit. ordnance
deaastmcni: Ile-;tlCol. Charles J.
bailey. coast artillery corps; MAJ.
Iob, I. Hayden. coast artillery corps.
can't Charles ". Mcneil. coast ar'i'-
trrv corps: Capt Joseph ?. Tfacey'
General stan: capt johnson Haerod'
General sfaH~Capi. william y. H1sc.
~oast artillery corps. Capt John W.
cglieS. coast artillery corps Each %
me Officers named viii proceed ~
ro4t Monroe. September ~.
Restoring order.
Everything was working smoothly