Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-23
Six DEAD IN BLAST
ON j. 8. CRUISER;
SCORE ARE INJURED

NORFOLK, Va. oct. @1.-SiN
men. one a commissioned officer,
are dead, five are in a dangerous con
dition and not expected to live, anC
10 more are seriously injured as the
result of an explosion aboard the
u. S. s. Trenton, about 40 miles east
of Cape Henry late yesterday.
The explosion occurred in the
ships forward turret and was OF
such great force that the rear stee
door was forced open and five mer
were blown overheard, of which one
was drowned. The ship was engaged
in target practice at the time of the
accident.
The dead are:
Ensign Henry Clay DreXler, Beth
Roland Philips Hanson, Soldier
Iowa, Seasn1an.
VIM. Alfred Walker, Mayo, S. {.
seaman, drowned.
Bernard Byan, Bristol, Conn, sea
man.
George r. Cholister, Merchant
vile, n j., boatswain's mate.
Bennett Williams, South Boston
Mass, seaman. second class.
The five men in a dangerous con
dition are:
John Uzzil:nio, seaman, Newark
N. j.; Edgar j. Ivey, seaman, Hunts
Vile, Ala; John Arthur SedgWick
lieutenant junior grade, New York
City; Joseph Leo White, turret cap
tain, Vincennes, Ind; Richard u
Denker, seaman.
Seriously Injured
The seriously injured are: Frank
lin B. Jeffrey, seaman, first class
Lynn, Mass; MerVin Franklin Sea
mon, seaman second class, Brooklyn
George Dewitt Llcker. seaman, first
class. Bedford, n. j.; George Joseph
Gaffney, seaman, second class, New
York City; Arthur James Mccormick
seaman, first class, Charleston
Mass; Richard Ellsworth, Denver
seaman. second class, Staten Island
N. Y.
Slightly injured: Thorlas How.
ard Bailey, seaman, second class,
Erie, Pa Calmon Colby White, sea
man, second class. Jonesboro, Me.
William Douglas Sterling, seaman,
second class. Port Chester, n. I.
Immediately after the accident
the Trenton headed full speed for
Hampton Roads where arrange
ments had been made to remove the
injured to the naval hospital at
Portsmouth.
Several men who were not seri-
ously injured were treated on board
ship.
Most OF the men were burned
about the face and body. In some
instances the dead were SO badly
burned that recognition was almost
impossible.
There was no definite statement
from the navy department as to the
exact cause of the accident but it
is not thought that the explosion
was caused by electrical trouble.
Were Loading Shells
The men in the Inflated turret
were hosting and loading shells in
the guns when the explosion oc-
Cured 1t is believed that the pow
der became ignited in some manner
before the breach of the sun was
closed. There was no powder out
side the magazine except that which
was being used to load the rifles.
Captain Kalbbus, commanding the
Trenton. informed the navy depart
ment today.
The Trenton was engaged in tar
get practice at sea about 40 niles
east of Cape Henry.
Ensign DreXler's was the outstand-
ing name in the stories of herOism
told by some of the men taken to
the Portsmouth hospital. He was
near the turret when the eXposion
rocked the ship, throwing men 20
the deck fore and aft. Rushing into
the blaze, he dragged three men TO
safety. His face a mass of burns
and his clothing IN flames, he was
turning back into the fiery turret
when he dropped dead.
Lieutenant SedgWick, others relat-
ed, was hurled overheard by the
blast. His right arm was broken,
but with his left he saved two 9TH
ers from drowning and was trying to
keep Walkers head above water
when a heavy wave broke his hold.
The Trenton was commissioned
about six months ago, shortly before
the turret explosion aboard the bat
lleSIlIp MISSISSlppl, OIL the cantor
MIA coast, which caused more than
40 fatalities. She had just completed
a shake-dOwn cruise around Africa
by bringing home the body of Robert
w. Imbrie. American vice consul,
who was killed at Teheran by a mob
Of Persian religious fanatics. She
is commanded by Capt +. c. Kalb-
fus, and is designed to carry a crew
of about 400.