The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-16
t.y ASSOCIATED Press,

NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-Four men
we're killed andt en- others injured, five
of them dangerously, in an explosion
which occurred this afternoon on the
submarine E-2, while the craft was
undergoing repairs in dry dock at the
New York navy yard One of the men
killed was an enlisted electrician ana
the other three civilian workers. At
least three of the ten now in hospitals
are not expected to live.
The Dead. A
ROY e. SEABER, electrician, second
class, Cleveland. esill. s4..e,4 -
JAMES H. PECK, civilian, general
helper, Brooklyn.
I P. SCHULTZ, civilian, machinist,
Brooklyn.
JOSEPH LOGAN, civilian, general
helper, Brooklyn.
The Injured.
L. L. MILES, chief electrician.
RAYMOND OTTO, electrician, Mid
deburg, Nd.
GUY H. CLARK, JR., Frankfort, KY.
JOHN HOI.SEY. Baltimore, Md.
JAMES LYONS, civilian.
tlENRY ZOLL, civilian.
OTTO HASE2T, civilian.
RICHARD HEYNL, civilian.
MICHAEL FEYSER, civilian.
AUGUST KAPrN, civilian.
Although the detonation was terrific,
the submarine itself from the outside
shows none of the effects OF the ex-
plosion. the second fatal accident OF
its kind in the history Of United States
navy. The interior apparatus was
badly shattered, but so light was the
vessels shell that there was no means
of escape for gas which accumulated
and 1t was more than an hour after
the blast before the work OF recovering
the bodies could be completed, A lad
der was blown up through the con-
ming tower and fell $50 feet away. The
injured men and one body were re-
moved soon after the accident but
Three Bodies Far Down
in the draft could not be reached I'M
til the gas had been blown out by
compressed air. Soon after the ex-
plosion several naval officers led a
rescue party into the dry dock, but
were partly overcome by gas fumes
when they attempted to descend into
the vessel. 1t was then that COM
pressed air pipes wer run into the
she'll and the gas forced out.
The number of men inside the sub
marine at the time OF the explosion is
not definitely known. About twenty
were working on the craft but all OF
them were not on the underwater boat
at the same time. 1t Is not thought
possible that anyone who was inside
could have escaped injury. What
caused the explosion has not been
definitely decided. Rear Admiral Ma
thaniel r. Usher; commandant OF the
navy yard, after an examination Of the
craft and questioning workmen who
had been nearby, declined to express
an opinion. He said:
No Gas Generated.
"The men were at work in the bat
terry compartment Of the E-2 discharg-
ing the new Edison batteries through a
rheostat to measure the voltage and
the explosion occurred in that COM
partment while they were working
there. The battery will generate no
kind Of gas and there was no gasoline
on board. The engine was OF the oil
burning diesel type"
Pending the appointment OF an offic-
al board Of inquiry by thenayy depart
ment, Rear Admiral Usher named a
temporary investigating committee as
follows:
Lieutenant Commander Pope, Wash
ington. commander Of the receiving
shin Maine: Lieutenant L. M. Stewart,
Of The torpedo boat DESTROYER Mccall,
and Lieutenant Rush H. Fay, COM
mander Of the submarine division to
which the E-2 was attached. This
committee began to take the testimony
Of men working around the E-2 when
the explosion occurred.
Frequent Explosions.
The opinion was expressed that the
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