Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-20
LIEUTENANT CAFfEEIS
AMONG NUMBER SLAIN
Officer in Charge and Three Others Of
Crew Are Killed When 5reech
Block, Being Tested, Blows Back
ward Into the Men--one Seriously
Injured.
fBy Associa,s6 Press.,

" Aofii1<0icAN, ~. ", NV. Ivy
the premature explosion of five
inch. tifty-one cslibre gun at the In
dian Head. Md. proving grounds OF
the navy, four men are dead. includ-
Ing Lieutenant Arthur c. Caffee, who
was in charge of the gun. and one
man. negro. seriously injured. The
breech block of the gun, which was
being tested. blew backward into the
crew which was firing the gun.
The explosion probably was due to
a ben: or fouied firing pin. which pro-
jected beyond the face OF he breech
plug Of the gun.
The dead. in addition to Ii utenant
Caffee, are:
]. L. BROWN. battery foreman, in
stantly killed.
NELSON JACKSON, colored. tat-
terry attendant fatally injured aad
died shortly afterwards.
J. J. LEARY. ordnance man. fatal
iy injured, died at 1895 a. m.
SIDNEY DYSON. colored. a men,
Der Of the gun crew, was seriously
injured
investigation Ordered.
The ordnance bureau has ordered
board OF inquiry to develop details OF
the accident, the only witness TO
which. so fer as can be learned. were
John G. Coleman and sydney Dyson,
both cslored- -
The gun. which wasya new one from
the navy yard gun factory. and be-
ing tested for the first time. had al
ready been fired twice. The accident
occurred lust as the breech was be-
ing closed.
Lieutenant Arthur Caffee was born
in Missouri and was attached TO the
stan OF Rear Admiral Schroeder on
the Atlantic feet battIeshiD Connect
cut, before he was assigned to duty
al the Indian Head grounds as inspec-
tor of ordnance. He entered the ma
val academy In 1900. The assistants
Who were killed and injured were ali
civilians and lived in the neighbor-
hood II the proving grounds, forty
niles below Washington.
Lieutenant Caffee had been on duty
If the proving grounds since last
APRIL He resided on the reservation
with his wife and one child. His body
probably will be inferred in the Ar
lington National Cemetery.
Accident Probable at Any Time
The naval ordnance bureau has
been trying for a long time to ma
some safety device applicable to guns
| OF this cai3bre. but so far without sue
cess and II the gun CAPTAIN fails TO
obey the rule to pass his hand over
the face OF the breech lock before u
| is closed 20 determine any improper
projection Of the firing pin. then such
an accident as occurred today may
happen any tine, It - said.
Every precaution ordinarily is TAX
| en- to protect the firing crews from
7! the failure Of . new gun under test.
II is required that after loading the
l gun the crew shall retire to q bomb
| proof in ITS rear and discharge the
| niece by electricity. The trouble In
l this case lay in the fact that the
gun was discharged before the crew
| had finished loading IT, The brass
1 she'll contained the powder and the
| projectfle had been inserted in the
|: piece and the breech box hsd swung
4 20 On its hinges. But before the
\ heavy screw threads had interiocked
/ the projecting firing p:n struck the
! primer On the head CT the shell asa
/ exploded the charge which blew back
wards. tearing OF the breech block
and killing or fatally voundirg the
I crew.
TIE employee liability act viii
| come into play in this case and the
families or dependent parents Of the
victims Of the explosion viii receive
the equivalent OF one years pay