The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-10
All of Victims Members
of Battleship Wyo-
ming's Crew.
ACCIDENT OCCURS
IN HAMPTON ROADS
Scene Is Near Very Spot Where
Young Midshipmen Went Down
in 1907 on Returning to
the Minnesota in Storm.
Three Bodies Not
Recovered.

Norfolk, Va, January 9.-The cap
sizing in Hampton Roads to-day of n
motor cutter from the battleship
Wyoming, flagship of the Atlantic fleet
which sails tomorrow for Guantanamo,
Cuba, resulted in the loss OF the lives
of four seamen of the Wyoming's crew.
The accident occurred near the very
spot where launch from the battle
ship Minnesota went down In 1907 with
the loss of eleven lives, mostly young
midshipmen, returning to the Minne-
sofa in a storm after midnight follow
ing 81 social function at the jamestown
Exposition grounds.
Another coincidence was that the
Wyoming was to-day lying at anchor
in the same place that the Minnesota
was lying on the fateful night, six and
a half years ago.
List of Victims.
The following were the casualties
from to days accident:
Olaf X. Olsen, boatswain OF the first
class. address 537 Jefferson Street,
Portsmouth, Va.
George j. Hugg, ordinary seaman. 23
Thames Street, Newport. r. 1.
Ernest y. Roth seaman. address 502
Cherry Street. Seattle. Wash.
Theodore Baulduf. ordinary seaman.
address 263 St. Nicholas Avenue, Brook
lyn. y. Y.
The Wyoming's boat was carrying
wheelbarrows from the flagship to the
navy collier Proteus, with sixteen
sailors aboard. Olsen was in command.
All of the men were thrown into the
sea. and. the weight of the steel wheel-
barrows carried the cutter under. leav-
ing nothing for the imperiled men to
cling to.
Small boats were sent out, and a
passing tug gave assistance in the
work of rescue. Thirteen of the men
We're gotten out, including Olsen,
Some were unconscious, and Olsen died
after being taken from the water.
None of the other bodies has been re-
covered. though small boats from the
Wyoming and other battleships were
engaged the remainder Of the day in
dragging the roadstead for them.
Olsen's body was late to-day taken to
The Naval Hospital at Portsmouth. OIL
sen had wife and two children in
Portsmouth. He was born in Norway
hfty-th three years ago, and was nat
uraliZed American citizen.
Remarkable Escape.
One of the most remarkable escapes
was that of L. II. Quinn, one of the
seamen cast into the water, a strong
tide carried Quinn seaward. 4 mile
or more away from the scene of the
accident Quinn grabbed buoy. and
was clinging to this when picked up
nearly exhausted and rushed to the
wyoming.
The accident occurred about 1890
\. NJ. Captain James Giennan com
mands the Wyoming. There was to-
night great sorrow among the officers
and crew over the distressing acci-
dent.
Fifteen Men Rescued
Launches from the battleship South
Carolina and collier Proteus and the
tug Hercules rescued fifteen OF the
men
William l. Penn, coal passer, who
was acting engineer on the launch,
made heroic effort to save Olsen's
life. Penn grabbed n life preserver
when the launch turned over and strap
ped IL around his waist When he
came to the surface of the water he
saw Olsen struggling q few feet away
The latter told him he could not
swim. and Penn took the life pre-
server from his own waist and strap
ped 1T around his helpless shipma te
Olsen was big man Weighing over 200
pounds. Penn was unable TO hold him.
and he was so heavy the life preserver
could not float him.
Penn. when nearly exhausted swan
to the launch, which was floating bot
tom up a hundred yards away. He
tried to drag Olsen with him, but the
latter could not help himself and both
were in danger of being drowned.
When Penn was rescued he was cling
ing to the bottom of the launch only
partly conscious.