The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-26
SIX SAILORS
ANH Ann AAA i
ARE SLAIN BY
: BOILER BLAST
Explosion Aboard U. S. Naval
Tender Causes Deaths.
Four Dreadnoughts Safely
Through Canal Locks.

ON BOARD THE U. S, S. NEW
MEXICO, July g. (By wireless via
Colon.l-StH men were killed today in
boitsF explosion on the U. S. s, Mel
Vile, a naval tender attached to the
Pacific fleet, Capt. Tkining, the chief
of staff, has been advised
Four dreadnoughts OF the Pacific
fleet, the New Mexico, Arkansas, Texas
and New York. were lifted successfully
through the Gatun locks yesterday This
was the first attempt to negotiate the
waterway with fleet Of dreadnoughts
and last night the warships lay an
ohored in the fresh water of Gatun
lake, S5 feet above sea level. The
dreadnoughts resumed their trip to-
ward the Pacific ocean today, at which
time the Mississippi and Wyoming. after
coaling and oiling at Colon, commenced
the passage of the canal.
Admiral Hugh Rodman, commanding
the fleet, was pleased with the success
OF the first stage of the canal trip. He
''The flagship was lifted out of the
three locks of Gatun dam in one hour
and IL minutes. Now let us go tarpon
fishing near the dam-putting dread
noughts through the canal is too easy"
!, The old battleships Georgia and YER
mont Joined the fleet at Colon yester-
day. After the New Mexico had oiled
at Colon she swung lazily into Limon
bay, whence she took the two ships
part of the way to the dam, creeping
slowly through the first cuttings of the
waterway amid dense jungle growth
like some weird amphibian in pre-
), historic swamp.
Nearing the locks, the crew flung
landing lines out t-board which quickly
drew inboard steel cables that led to
the electric mules running on tracks
on each side of the locks. The whole
operation seemed to function automati-
cally for not an order was heard as
the dreadnoughts slid into the lower
locks as easily as a shuttle into sew
ing machine.
The steel crates astern the flagship
then closed like great jaws and churn-
ing water rose up from viaducts in the
bottom of the lock, while the New Mex
leo was lifted as easily and rapidly as
rowboat The flagship was then
lifted out Of the next two locks in the
same fashion while crowds standing on
top of the concrete lock walls threw
bananas and cocoanuts at the ships
crew. Va
Twenty destroyers went through the
aanal Thursday, passing through the
locks ID groups of Gen, Capt, Twining,
chief of staff, said that the canal had
proved its naval value beyond doubt
as dreadnoughts may be easily moved
from the Atlantic to the Pacific with
celerity and without trouble, as shown
fleet win leave Panama for San Diego,
Cal, Sunday night.
~ -
The Melville, the first ship especially
designed as a destroyer tender and
completed in 1915, was the first large
American naval vessel to cross the
ocean after ,the United States entered
the war, arVepipg at Queenstown, lie-
land, May %, 1917, soon after the first
Patrol of destroyers. She immediately
became the flagship or Admiral Sims,
commanding the American naval forces
in European waters and flew his flag
until she started back home in January,
1919.
The ship carries a regular personnel
of 500 officers and men, more than one-
half of whom We're skilled mechanics
Commander John F. irwin is the Mel
ville's commanding officer.