The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-22
MIMIC WARP ARE
KILLS ELEVEN
Breech of Big Gun at Fort Mon
roe Blows Out During Fir
ing Practive.
MEN BEHIND THE GUN
ARE HURLED TO DEATH
Official Investigation of the Dis
aster Will Be Promptly
Made.

FORTRESS MONROE. Va, July al
Eleven men of the Coast artillery are
dead tonight as the result of the blow
ing out OF a breech block in one of the
big guns while the fortress was engaged
in target practice this morning. A half
= dozen others are In the post hospital,
one OF whom may die.
The cause of the explosion is not yet
definitely determined, although a board
Of, inquiry was appointed Immediately
after the disaster by orders from the war
department in Washington.
The Known Dead.
s, SERGEANT HARRY G.. HESS OF
Phoenibus. Va, gun commander.
CORPORAL CHARLES Q. ADKINS,
address unknown.
CORPORAL ALBERT BRADFORD.
PRIVATE a. j. SULLIVAN of Perkins.
PRIVATE ROY DUFFY, Kenova. w.
Va.
PRIVATE II. ADEY of Brandonvllle.
". Va.
PRIVATE c. w. KING of Dayton. o,
PRIVATE JOHN w. CHADWICK of
PRIVATE ALFRED W. SMITH of New
York
PRIVATE JUDD E.. HOGAN of Gey-
PRIVATE JAMES H. TURNER OF
Ripley. Tenn.
One private was blown into Chesapeake
bay with the brecch lock.
Lieutenant Van Deusen suffered a
broken leg and Lieutenant Hawes was
injured about the face,
The toll OF death, 1t Is believed, would
have been larger had it not been for the
heroism displayed by the officers and men
in the battery. The wounded forgot
their hurts and aided the Aninjured in
,;y,rr tI,or
threatened the charge for d second shot
The explosion occurred in Battery De
Russy No. l gun doing the damage. The
gun was in charge of Captain James
Prentice. who had with him Lieutenants
George P, Hawes. Jr, and George l..
Van Deusen. Lieutenant Hawes had
gone forward from the breech TO eX-
anime the range wheel. when the charge
was exploded. He was thrown down and
momentarily stunned. but otherwise un-
injured
Heroic Work Done.
Eight men were killed outright, their
bodies lying scattered around the en-
placement. Captain Prentice and Lieu
tenant Hawes foresaw further sacri-
flee of life If the other charges caught
from the smoldcring sparks, and the two
attacked the flames with their bare
hands.
Captain Prentice reached the emplace-
ment first and. pushing his way through
the smoke and sparks, he carried out
bag OF powder, He then was Joined by
Halves and the two completed the task
OF averting a further explosion.
Meanwhile Lieutenant Van Deusen lay
crumpled beneath the gun. his leg broken
in two places. He was suffering agonies.
but when his brother officers sought 10
remove him he would not permit them
10 touch him.
"See TO the men first" he said, and
propped up agninst the gun carriage, he
aided in directing the work.
Active, Though Wounded.
Corporal Humphreys and Sergeant
Brinkley, gun pointer, also distin-
guished themselves. The formers head.
of flying concrete that had been blown
from the emplacemcnt. In spite OF his
painful wounds he rushed to his dead and
wounded comrades, extinguishing their
nearby encampmcnt for water, Sergeant
. Brlnkley was close to the breech when
II blew out. He was hurled over the
consciousness ne found himself hanging
by one arm from the railing Of the sight
ing, platform although severely bruised
declined TO go 10 the hospital or per-
nit the surgeons TO examine him until
they had assisted his comrades.
Col. c. p, Townsley, commandant of
the fortress, promptly ordered an in
vestigation.
ut is evident" he said. THAT the ex-
DlOSlOn occurred during 1ne Insertion OF
the breech block into the breech OF the
gun and before 1t had been rotated ana
locked In place The safety devices on
the gun are Intended TO make prema
ture discharge impossible. Just how they
failed 10 operate probably never will be
known. Every member Of the detach-
ment who could have explained 1t was
KILLED.
The inquiry, however, is to be thor
ough. Assisting in the investigation are
some Of the leading officers of the army.
,i,r he ttv,n. ,,t Ia.
plosiou- Among them are General
Crozier. chief OF ordnance OF the army;
General Garter, assistant chief OF staff;
General Murray, chief OF Coast artillery
and General BjXby, chief of engineers,
The fatal accident occurred while tar
get practice at floating targets. which
ships, was going on. The firing was
conducted as nearly as possible under
battle conditions and WAS more
pretentious scale than ever has been at
tor fll IEfnrn