The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-07-30
ELEVEN KILLED IN
WAR GAME BLAST
ArtIIIary Was In Practice Smelling
q Dummy Invading Fleet.

battery at Fort Monroe, Va, blew out
during battle target practice. killing
three non-commissioned officers and
eight privates of the Sixty-Ninth COM
pany of the coast artillery. One other
enlisted men received injuries which
probably will be fatal and several
others were slightly injured The ac-
cident was the worst In the history OF
the coast artillery corps. Second
Lieut. George L. Van Dusen OF the
Sixty-Ninth company. was the only
commissioned officer injured. His leg
was broken.
Lieut.. Col. Clarence p. Townsley.
commanding officer OF Fort Monroe. Of
ficiaily reported the accident 10 the
war department The accident, he
said. was probably due 70 the prema-
ture ignition of the powder charge be-
fore the breech block was securely
locked in it's place.
Here are the names OF nine OF the
dead as reported to the war depart.
ment:
HARRY C. HESS. sergeant. Charles
ton. w. Va.
CHARLES o. ADKINS. corporal.
Cincinnati, o.
ALBERT BRADFORD. corporal.
Dorothy. w. Va.
ROY DUFFY, private. Naugatuck.
w. Va.
JOHN W. CHADWICK. private.
Tazeweil, Tenn.
OLIVE w. KING, private. Dayton.
Ohio.
ALFRED w. SMITH. private. New
York city.
ANDY ]. SULLIVAN, private. Per
kins. Ky.
JAMES H. TURNER. private. Rip
ley, Tenn.
ARLIE ADEY. private. Brandonv.5e.
w. Va
The man probably fatally injured
was Private Judd f. Hogan. Geyer, o.
The following we're slightly injured:
Private Orville T. Rainey, Findlay. o.;
Private Ellsworth w Hoffman. Pitts.
burg, Pa. Private Charles +. Parks,
Menominee. Mich: Private William c,
Sulzberger. Fort Monroe.
DdliGIl 10 lbNuANu dbohA
the middle OF Fort Monroe II con.
tains three 12.inch disappearing guns
which command the channel 10 Hamp-
ton Roads. A large party OF high
ranking officers OF the army went 20
Fort Monroe from Washington to wit.
ness the annual battle practice which
was held as a part of the commence
ment exercises OF the officers school
at the fort II was to simulate actual
battle conditions as far as possible by
firing all the big guns OF the fort at
an imaginary enemy represented by
a moving target supposed 10 be enter.
ing Chesapeake bay II was during
this practice that the accident oc-
Cured.
The first report received by Acting
Secretary OF War oliver was from
Mai Gen. William H. Carter, assistant
chief OF staff. who was a member OF
/ the party that had gone from Wash
ington TO witness the firing Here is
the message.
Regret 10 report accident AT com
mencement OF student officers battle
practice to a l2.inch gun from prob.
able premature explosion resulting In
death OF eight men; two others fatally
injured. Lieut. Van Dusen had his leg
broken and three additional men
slightly injured. Investigation being
made and report will be submitted
through regular channels"
Lieut.. Col Townsley later sent n
more complete report giving the
names Of the dead and injured The
accident. he added. was probably due
20 the premature ignition Of the pow.
der charge before the breech block
was securely locked After placing IN
the gun a projectile weighing 1.046
pounds and a powder charge OF 270
i pounds the breech block is closed and
locked before the gun Is fired. In
the present instance. so ordnance ex.
/ perts here think, a spark from the
| previous charge must have ignited the
1 powder before the gun crew could lock
| the breech black. In battle practice
! such as was being held. tho gupners
FIRE as rapidly as possible. This. II is
/ said here, resulted In the Introduction
/ OF the charge into the breech before
sparks OF the previous firing had been
extinguished. The gun was a model
J OF 1896 and had seen considerable
4 service. II was regarded as amply
/ strong and perfectly safe.