Evening star., 1949-07-12
Says Refue|ing
WASH 'tNeeded
FutuI BIust Came
After Gas Was Put
In Nearly Full Tank

~ '>~'J S' WIN
The full irony of the cabin
cruiser explosion that killed the
Army's public relations chief and
former Navy commodore came
to light today when the crafts
owner revealed the boats tarks
had been filled almost to the top
and there was no need for the
refueling that brought disaster
1T must have heen the refuc.-
ing that caused the gas fumes to
gather" the ships owner, Attor-
ney Boiling Powell, jr.. said to-
day. If there had been any leak
in the gas supply or the blowers
hadn't been working properly, the
explosion would have occurred at
the slip where they first started
the motor before they went to the
fueling dock
The fire marshals office in
it's preliminary investigation has
taken the view the bilge filled
with gasoline vapors which were
then lgnlted by a spark.
Exploded Sunday.
The 38-foot Halcyon exploded
at the fueling pier of the Corin-
THAN Yacht Club. Second and v
streets S.W.. Sunday. Killed in
the blast were Maj. Gen. Vernon
E. Prlchard, chief of Army public
relations and one of the football
greats of West Point, and former
Commodore Wilfred L. Painter.
Two others were injured critically
and one seriously.
/ AS the Fire Marshal's Office
made plans ~ question passengers
and crewmen today, the Coast
Guard opened it's investigation
with a three-man board.
Mr.. Powell, a lawyer in the
firm of Paul v. McNutt. former
Indiana Governor, returned from
a trip to Bermuda yesterday. He
had loaned his cabin cruiser to
another lawyer in the firm, Hen
ry A. Dudley, who had planned q
Sunday luncheon party on the
Potomac for eight guests, includ-
ing former Ambassador and Mrs.
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle.
Three Blowers Operating.
Mr.. Powell said the boat had
been inspected and approved less
than a month ago by the Coast
Guard. He said he had three
blowers operating continuously in
the engine room. The blowers, ho
said, were equipped with specially
approved spark proof motors and
were located just ahead of the
engine, just aft of the engine and
aft of the gasoline tanks on the
rear transom.
The boat owner said from what
Mr.. Dudley told him the starter
had never been pressed, so the
spark that ignited the gas fumes
could not have come from the
engine.~ Acting Fire Marshal r. A.
Warfield said he understood from
witnesses on the pier that at
tempts had been made to start |
the engine.
Mr.. Powell said Johannes Jo-
hannesen, steward of the yacht
club, who was critically burned in
the explosion, had opened the
hatch and gone into the engine
room.
TarII uoro Cyo,al1oI
1T seems to me that he could
have smelled the fumes if they
were present to the extent they
must have been," Mr.. Powell OBJ
served. From what I've been
able to gather, Mr.. Johannesens
job during the war was captain
of a ship hauling high-test gaso-
line and that he was super-cau-
tious around gasoline"
He kept getting back to the
point that if they had not decided
to get gas. the explosion would not
have happened. He said he had
filed the two tanks-carrying IS
gallons apiece-almost to the top.
He has been told only 9 gallons
were put into the ship. Mr.. Dud-
ley, he said, told him he wanted
to start with the tanks full.
The vessel, built in 1880 by the
Wheeler Shipyards, was equipped
with a flying bridge, sleeping quar-
ters for six and a six-cylinder, 95-
horsepower Gray Marine engine.
Mr.. Powell said. He said 1t was
worth more than $4,000 and was
insured
Mr.. Powell said he bought the
boat year and half ago and
had recently redecorated it. Dur
ing the war, the vessel was on
Coast Guard patrol duty in the
Potomac and Chesapeake Bay.
Condition Is Serious.
Mr.. Warfield said he wanted to
question Thomas L. Miller, %.
skipper for the cruise, to find out ,
whether the starter was pressed. |
Mr.. Miller, who suffered face
burns, is in Casualty Hospital. His
condition was said to be good yes
terday, but today the hospital
changed it's report to Serious"
Another of the injured, Capt.
Sergius N. Ferris Lubochez, U. s.
N. was reported improved" but !
still in critical condition at Be-
thesda Naval Hospital.
Coroner A. Magruder MacDon-
aid, meanwhile. issued temporary
certificates of death by injury to
permit burial of Gen. Prichard
and Mr.. Painter. The coroner said
Gen. Prichard died of a broken
back, crushed chest, ruptured vis-
cera, hemorrhage and shock. Mr..
Painter. he reorted, died of q
crushed abdomen and chest, rup-
tured spleen and lung hemorrhage.
Miss q Thinq