The Washington herald., 1916-01-16
ELEVEN BADLY INJURED
Explosion Follows Complaint
of Commander About Fault
In Submarine.
BOARD OF INQUIRY APPOINTED
Secretary of Navy Promises Full
Probe After Preliminary lnvesti-
CATION Is Made.

New York. Jan. 15.-Four men were
killed and at least eleven others injured
today in an explosion in the submarine
E-2. in drydock at the Brooklyn navy
yard.
The dead:
r. B. sEABERT. third-class ELECTRICIAN.
E-2
JOHN II. PECK. civilian workman.
JOSEPH LOGAN. civilian workman.
JOHN SCHULTZ. civilian workman. -
The cause of the explosion has not yet
been officially determined After. hasty
survey. naval Officers tonight stated un-
officially that the destruction was prob
ably caused by hydrogen gas
The E-gs commander had previously
reported that the new Edison batteries
were developing too much hydrogen gas
while being charged. It was to remedy
this that yard worlmen were installing
a new ventilating system at the time of
the accident.
Thirty-two men, under the direction OF
Lieut.. c. NJ. Cooke. in charge of the E-2.
were in the vessels hull at the time of
the accident. They were engaged in over
hauling her and in discharging her bat
teries.
Admiral Usher. commandant at the
navy yard. declared tonight the new
Edison batteries could not have been re-
sponsfbIe for the egs-osion.
The accident occurred at lis D. M, Just
after all hands had turned TO for the
afternoons shift. The E-2 had been
brought into the drydock on December 30
Three other submarines, undergoing over
hauling, were lying in the dock.
Explosion shakes BuiIdIngs.
There was a tremendous explosion,
shaking buildings and vessels il dock
Spectators saw a cloud of black smoke
belched from the open hatchway of the
E-2 as from the muzzIe of a giant can
non.
rectly beneath there rose the arm and
leg OF a man. One man had been work
Ing on the deck of the submarine. He
was lifted into the air by the force Of
the explosion, was pitched up at least
twenty feet, and landed back on the
deck, unconscious and crippled.
Panic spread throughout the yard. The
terrific report had brought every one in
the neighborhood to drydock No. . The
fire bell changed hoarsely and the yards
private fire engine hurried to the scene
Admiral Usher reached the dock soon
he a-I .zf
the rescue work
Within a quarter of an hour after the
accident an order was sent out closing
all gates of the yards. Men inside were
not allowed to leave, and both sailors
and visitors seeking admission were
barred.
Gas Prevalent.
Immediately after the explosion the
odor of escaping gas became prevalent.
Oxygen helmets were brought to aid res
cuers In descending into the submarine,
but they were found useless.
Then an attempt to blow the gas from
the hull failed. Finally divers outfits
were brought. Clad in these, the rescuers
were lowered into the boat and COM
menced bringing out the dead and IN
jured.
Fire had followed the explosion. en-
dansering the dock and greatly ham,
pering the work of rescuers. Admiral
Usher ordered steam drills attached to
the sides of the submarine, so that the
arrnor plate might be torn off and other
entrances effected.
The exterior Of the E-2's hull was not
dana ged. But the interior was complete
" wrecked. naval officers admitted.
Three hours had elapsed before the last
body had been taken from the vessel.
John III. Peck, a civilian plumber. and
Joseph Logan, his helper. had been work
ing beneath the battery deck when the
explosion occurred Both were pinned
beneath the mass Of iron and steel debris.
Their bodies were not reached until after
O'Clock.
Admiral Usher. before the hot iron of
the damaged submarine had grown cold.
appointed board of inquiry to make a
preliminary examination into the causes
Of the accident. This board consists of
Leut-com. Pope Washington. Lieut. L.
NJ Stewart and Lieut.. Rush Fay. It
win make public the result of its find
ings early next week.
A permanent board Of inquiry. :, to be
composed of three officers and aAjudge
advocate. will continue to examine into
the causes Of the disaster, after the
work Of the special board has ceased.