The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-07-27

w. Va.
Corpl Charles o. Adkins, Cincin-
natl, Ohio.
Corpl Albert Bradford. Dorothy, w.
Va.
Private Roy Duffey. Naugatack, w.
Va.
Private John w. Chadwick, Taze-
we'll, Tenn.
Private Give w. King, Dayton,
Ohio.
Private Alfred w. Smith, New York
city.
Private Andy ]. Sullivan, Perins,
KY.
Private Judd E. Hogan, Geyer,
Ohio.
Private James H. Turner, Ripley,
Tenn.
HI. Adey.
This latter name does not appear
on the muster roll of the 69th COM
pany, coast artillery, for May or June,
1910, nor has any record been found
in the war department Of enlistment
in the army within the last three
years of any man in the army under
that name.
Probably fatally injured:
Private Arley Dey; Brandonvile,
w. Va.
Slightly injured:
Lieut.. George l.. Van Deusen Pas
sale, N. j.
Private Orville. T. Rainey. Findlay,
Ohio.
Private Ellsworth w. Huffman,
Pittsburg, Pa.
Private Charles e. Parks, Menoni-
NEE, Mich.
Private William c. Sulzberger, Fort
Monroe, Va.
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 bat
terry. The wounded forgot their hurts
and aided the uninjured in stamping
out the burning powder that threat
ened the sacks in which the charge
for a second shot had been brought
up.
The explosion took place in Bat
terry DeRussey, No. gun doing the
damage. The gun was in charge of
Capt. James Prentice, who had with
him Lieuts. George P. Howles, Jr.,
and George Van Deusen. Lieut..
Hawles had gone forward from the
breech to examine the range when
the charge was exploded. He was
thrown down and momentarily stun
ned, but otherwise was uninjured.
In the thick, heavy smoke, the
scene was almost indescribable. Eight
men were killed outright, their bodies
lying scattered around the emplace-
ment. Under the pail the wounded
writhed and moaned. Capt. Prem
tice and Lieut. Hawles foresaw a fur
ther sacrifice Of life if the other
charges caught from the smoudering
sparks, and the two sent out a call
for surgeons, while they attacked the
flames with their bare hands.
Capt Prentice reached the en-
placement first, and before looking in
to the extent of the damage, he push
ed his way through the smoke and
sparks and carried out a bag Of pow
der. He then was joined by Hawes
and the two completed the task of
averting a further explosion.
During this time Lieut. Van Deu-
sen lay crumpled beneath the gun. his
leg broken in two places. He was
suffering agonies, but when the Off
GERS tried to remove him he would
not hear to it.
See to the men first" he ordered
and propped himself against the gun
carriage and aided in directing the
work of the rescue parties and the
surgeons.
Corpl Humphreys and Sergt Brink
ley, a gun pointer, also distinguished
themselves. The formers hand, body
and arms were filed with pieces of
flying concrete that had been blown
from the cmplaCcmcnt when the cX-
plosion came. In spite Of his painful
! wounds he rushed to his dead and
wounded comrades. cNtiuguishing
their burning clothing ana then hur~
ricd t. the nearby Cncampmcnt for
water
Scrrt Hrinklcy was close to the
breach whom it blew up. He was
hurled over the sight standard, and,
when he rcgained consciousness,
found himself hanging by one arm
from the railing Of the sighting plat