The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-26
EXPLOSION DELIBERATE
ACT OF An ENEMY
S1anderous Charge Against Secretary
Daniels Made BY Navy League En-
tirely without foundation - No
Clue to Perpetrators.

Washington. Aug. 25.-The powder
explosion at the Mare Island navy
yard was the work Of q spy designed
to cripple America in the war. That
is the decision OF the investigating
board. whose long awaited report
finally was made public today.
The explosion. tho board nnds, was
due to the deliberate act Of some per-
son or persons unknown Govern
ment agents are conducting spy
hunt to trace down vne culprits.
In making public its findings the
board takes occasion to clear Eecre-
tary Daniels Of the charges brought
by officials Of the Navy league. which
resulted bekween tho navy and that
organization that he had hampered
the Investigation
Accompanying It also h . tele-
gram from the ordnance inspector at
Mare Island, Commander Mark St C.
Ellis, exculpating labor men OF
charges that they tried to hinder the
probe.
Summary OF report
The report follows as summarized
,sNss11rSErs1x1Ex sce7z-Hs' r. 5uses.r
lu8tUhs OAoC&aA0 Va tA0 Oot 0eAS - - -
nance and navigation and the Judge
advocate general Of the navy:
IL. The navy department 10 in re-
ceipt OF the record of proceedings OF
q board Of Investigation convened at
the navy yard. Mare Island. Calitor-
mia, TO inquire into and report upon
the explosion Of black powder
magaxine at that station.
20. The record contains the testi-
nrony Of 70 witnesses and has At
tached to 1t twenty-sevon separate ex-
hibits submitted in connection with
the evidence adduoed by tho board
-. A careful reading OF tho or
ders creating this board and the re-
cord OF daily proceedings clearly IN
dicates tho absence of any hamper
ing instructions or restrictive direc-
ton as to the method OF investigA-
ton. The boards inquiry was con-
Quoted with the utmost latitude AND
thoroughness-
"4-The board found that the CD
plcsion Occurred at 1865 A. M, July
10, and was confined to building NO
40. known as tho black powder maya
zine. This building was modern
structure, built especially for black
powder storage. There were no cleo
trio lines into the building. no tele-
phones or telephone wires. windows o.
other opening, with the exception OF
the regulation magazine dcors. Under
| the existing rules and regulations, 40
cess to this building was restricted 70
comparatively few authorized persona
"5-The only person seen to enees
this building on tho morning o. the
| EXPLOSION was Ordnance Man Neil G
Damstedt. q trusted eEnplOye OF twen-
ty-one years continuous magazine Ser
vice. Damstedt was killed.
"6-The board, in its findings. seafes
that It Is OF the opinion thak Dam
stedt was in no way implicated In the
| explosion. and that the testimony and
attending circumstances do not In any
| way implicate any ammunition depot
employe or any member OF tho am
munition depot guard.
Further. the board states that
after having carefully considered al
testimony and attending circum-
stances, It II Of the unanimous. optn-
ion that the explosion was not an ac-
cident. but was due to the deliberate
act of some person or persons un-
known. The board. however. was nm.
able to fam an opinion AZ to the
exact method employed by the party
the magazine: such evidence, II any
existed. was destroyed in the explo-
sion.
"s-The department ana its experts
are engaged in q thorough review Of
all available evidence in this c9se.
"s-Every effort IN being made to
apprehend the guilty parties and to
definitely ascertain the exact manner
tn which this destructive explosion
was accomplished.
"KEARNY. Ordnance:
ELLIS Navigation;
WATTS. Judge Advocate General. =
Secretary Daniels declared the In
vestigation would know no rest until
trace vas found OF the persons impll-
Gated In the explosion.
Meridian Tied On.
Meridian, Miss, August 1S.-Not 3
wheel 10 turning tonight ~ the re.
suit OF walk out Of forty mortormsn
this afternoon Of the Meridian LighI
and Railway Company. nr,arntaA Nv thS