The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-16
STATEMENT is ISSUED
BY NAVY DEPARTM ENT

ydIu Will IL IUbS VI llle anu bOIiuu"
damage 10 the vessel, probably will
not be known definitely until the
special board of naval officers APP
pointed tonight to Investigate has
completed its inquiry. From first re-
ports, saying that the new Edison
storage batteries In the E-2 were
being recharged at the time OF the ac-
cident, II was concluded by navy de-
partment officials that hydrogen gas
had been ignlted, but later official In
formation that the batteries were
being discharged instead,
Upset That Theory.
A comparatively small quantity OF
hydrogen gas Is generated by stor-
age battery In process OF discharge.
The following statement issued by
the United States navy department
contained all that was known here
officially:
IAN explosion occurred on the E-2
in dry dock this afternoon at 1:1o
o'clock apparently under the battery
deck, which tore up the battery floor
under the forward hatch. The Edi-
son storage battery was being dis
charged through a rheostat at the
time at slow rate.
Roy B. Seaber, electrician third
class, enlisted at Cleveland, o., and
whose next of kin, William II. Sea-
Der, lives at 1888 East Forty-ninth
street, Cleveland, O.. was killed.
Lac. l.. Miles, chief electrician,
enlisted at Newport whose wife.
Sofia Miles, lives at Newport. r. l.;
Guy Hamilton Clark. Jr., machinist
mate, second class. enlisted at But.
falo. and whose next Of kin, Guy
Hamilton Clark, lives at Frankfort.
N. Y: John Holsey, gunners' mate,
third class, enlisted at Puget Sound,
and whose next of kin, Henry 7.
Holsey, lives at Avery, Ia; Raymond
Otto, electrician, second class, enist-
ed at New York, and whose next OF
kin, John T. Otto, (father) lives at
Middleburg, Nd, were severely in
jured and were taken to the naval
hospital.
"In addition, J. II. Peck, plumber
employed at the New York navy
yard; - Logan, also plumber in
the navy yard; John schults, navy
yard workman, were killed, and the
following navy yard employees were
taken to the Cumberland street hos
pital, suffering severe Injuries:
James Lyons, general helper; Henry
Zoll, plumber; Otto Hasert, plumber;
Richard Heyne, plumber; Michael
Heyser, plumber, and August Kapin,
workman.
Brief Verbal Report.
80 far only brief verbal report
has been made by Lieutenant (J. g.
Charles Cooke, commander Of the
E-2. A board Of investigation, in
accordance with navy regulations, has
been appointed by the commandant
consisting Of:
Lieutenant Commander Pope,
Washington, senior member.
Lieutenant L. NJ. Stewart, U. S. s.
Mccall.
Lieutenant u. G.) Rush S. Fay.
recorder.
Experts Puzzled.
1.-THE department experts on sub
marine construction said they knew
OF only two possible causes of ex-
plosion, aside from the possible ingl-
ton of hydrogen gas. While highly
improbable, they said, 1t was possible
that there had been an explosion OF
the oil used to drive the surface en-
gines. There never has been an ac-
cident of that character. even with
boats operated by gasoline, a far
more explosive liquid than the heavy
oil used to run the E-2's engines.
"The second possibility, they said,
was that an air flask had exploded.
Flasks which furnish the motive
power of a torpedo carry pressure
of zoo pounds to the square inch.
while the TASKS used to store air
for the boat while submerged carry
much less pressure. The fact that
the victims OF the explosion were
Badly Burned
appear to dismiss that possibility. II
also was pointed out that the eXplo-
sion OF an air flask probably would
drive pieces of metal through the top
or sides of the boat, which was not
the case with the En-. There has
never been such an accident in the
navy.
1T is too early" said acting Secre-
tary Roosevelt, celebrating on the
departments statement, to state de-
flnitely the cause of the explosion al
though of course the fact that it oc-
Cured under the battery deck, which
means in the compartment in which
the batteries were stored, would
seem to indicate an
Explosion of Hydrogen Gas.
Some experiments made by the
bureau of steam engineering with
the Edison batteries led the depart
ment to take unusual steps to as
certain whether or not hydrogen gas
in any considerable quantities was
given off by the Edison battery while
1t was being discharged, which, Of
course, Is their condition when used
to run the boat during submergence,
and Mr.. A. z. Davidson, an expert
analyst OF air, made elaborate tests
during q special six hours submerg-
ed run OF this boat. He reported
that the hydrogen gas given off
while the batteries were being dis
charged was infnitesimal In view
of this 1t is difficult to see how a
gas explosion could have been the
cause and we must wait further in
vestigation,
Other Explosions.
There have been half dozen
hydrogen explosions On navy sub
marines in the last three years, all
OF a minor character, Some years
ago an Italian submarine was de-