Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-01
EXPLOSION ON
DESTROYER Wake
Lieut.. Morrison Killed and
Lieut.. Montgomery and Six
Men Are ScaIded.
STEAM CHEST BURSTS
DURING HER TRIALS
Accident Occurs Off Brentons Reef
Lightship.
MAKES PORT BY HERSELF
officer Killed Was Recently Com
mended for Bravery, and Class
mate of Men Now at Navy
Department.
Accident Occurs Off Brentons Reef
Lightship.
MAKES PORT BY HERSELF

NEWPORT, r. l.. October l.
Lieut.. Donald p. Morrison was
killed and eight others, one of
them an officer. injured today bv
the explosion of the steam chest
on the torpedo boat DESTROYER
Wake.
The accident occurred off Bren-
tons reef lightship, while the
Wake was preparing for her Sec
ond quarterly trial.
Lieut.. Morrison was instantly
killed. He was the chief engineer
officer on board the vessel.
officer and Seven Men Injured.
The seriously injured. all of whom
We're badly scalded, were:
| Lieut. Robert l.. Montgomery of the
destroyer Tanning.
E. b. Crawford. gunner's mate of the
destroyer Patterson.
Lieut. Montgomery and Gunner's Mate
Crawford were the observers named to
watch the tests.
/ The following were members or the
Wakes crew:
]. W. Rumps. machinists mate, first
class.
H. L. Wilder, machinist's mate. first
| class.
D. S. Kelly, chief machinist's mate.
| T Delaney, first class fireman
w. f. Kraus. oiler
F. B. Conway, oiler.
! The Wake was in company with sew
eral other destroyers when the steam
| chest and the forward end OF the port
| turbine were blown of.
Signa1ed Tor Assistance.
Signals were at Cnce hoisted for as
sistance. and a wireless dispatch was
sent to Rear Admiral Osterhaus on board
the flagship Connecticut. at anchor of
jamestown.
The destroyers Perkins. Sterrett and
Mayrant Immediately went to the assist
| ance of the Wake. A heavy southerly
gale was blowing, but efforts We're MADE
| to send a line on board the damaged
craft.
| 1t was then discovered that her star
| board engine was in commission. The
Wake steamed back into the harbor and
ran alongside the hospital ship Solace. on
board of which had assembled the greater
part of the medical staff of the fleet.
Wounded Transferred.
| The wounded were transferred and the
| Wake was sent to the torpedo station for
repairs.
The torpedo boat destroyer Wake was
launched at the yard of the Fore River
Shipbuilding Company, at Quincy. Mass.
11,a, tS ClC 40
of the destroyers Perkins and Sterrett.
and has displacement of 742 tons. Her
complete crew is eighty-nine men.
Inquiry Started Here.
Naval officials were shocked at the
news of the casualty on the torpedo
boat Wake. and at once instituted in
uuirieS as to the cause and extent or
the accident. kilograms were sent to
the officials at Newport and Narragan-
sett. asking for details. in order that arr
rangements might be made at once for
the treatment of the injured.
Rear Admiral Andrews got into tele-
phonic communication with the COM
mandant of the Newport training sta
tion and was Informed that steam
chest had exploded on the Wake. and
that eight men were scalded, that the
Wake had proceeded to Newport and
tied up alongside the hospital ship So
lace, and that all the injured had been
transferred to that vessel. That was all
that was known at the shore station at
the time, 2 o'clock.
Classmate of Officers Here.
Lieut.. Morrison was a classmate of sew
eral young officers on duty at the Navy
Department all of whom paid high tribute
to his character and expressed deep re-
gret at his untimely death. Lieut.. Nor
rison was near the top Of the list of lieu-
,,v;<, 1n md
have been promoted to the full grade OF
lieutenant in short time. He was mar
ried about year ago.
He as born in Piedmont, Mo-, February
IL 1887 He is a graduate of the Wash
ington high schools and his mother is
resident OF this city. His father was the
late Maj Jasper Morrison Of the judge
advocate generals department and was
stationed in Washington for many years.
His Mother Visiting in South.
His mother is visiting friends in the
south.
He entered the naval service as a mid
shipman, from the state of Missouri. Au-
gust % 1902. After completion of the
four-year course at the Naval Academy
he served as midshipman at sea, on
board of the u. S. s. Colorado, March.
ensign February IL. 1908. subsequently
serving in that grade on board of the
L. S. S. Wisconsin, April. 1908, to June.
1905: T. S. S. West Virginia. June. 1%S. to
January, 1869: u. S. s. Yorktown, Janu-
ary, 1909 to April 1910: u. s. s. Kansas.
June 1910, to September. 1911 He was
promoted to lieutenant Gunior grade).
February 13, 1911. From September H.
1911. to May "a. 1912. he was in command
of the u. S. S. Stringham. He reported
for duty on board the U. 8. s. Wake June
Il, 1912
Commended for His Bravery.
A letter of commentator was addressed
by the acting Secretary of the Navy to
Lieut. Morrison October 1, 1872 relative
to his courageous action in jumping over
board from the United States steamer
Wake the night of September 80. 1872
and rescuing from drowning an enlisted
man of the navy. His conduct on that
occasion was highly commended by his
immediate commanding Officer the COM
mander of the Atlantic torpe4p flotilla
and the commander In chief Of the United
Stastes Atlantic feet.