Evening star., 1954-05-28
Admiral Carney Sees
Carrier Fire Damage;
Death Toll Hits 81
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

QUONSET POINT, r. l., May
2S.-Chief of Naval Operations
Admiral Robert B. Carney says
he found "freakish and unique"
effects from the blasts and fire
that claimed the lives of 81 men
of the big aircraft carrier Ben
nington.
The Navy's highest ranking
officer few in last night from
New York, donned overalls and
spent an hour checking the
lblistered and blackened COM
partments of the 32,O0O-ton YES
sel-victim of a series of explo-
sions as she cruised in the calm
Atlantic last Wednesday morn
ing.
Admiral Carney said that
characteristics of the blasts were
"freakish and very unique from
anything I have seen" but add
ed that there is mo basis" for
assuming they may have been
caused by sabotage. e5
Pressed for details on the ~un-
usua' effects left by the blasts,
he said he saw fabrics and
structural objects near one an
other, some showing effects oD
heat and others no heat at ALL"
In other places. he said. there
was evidence of tremendous
spreSSures and other signs of COM
plete vacuums."
The admiral said the Benning-
ton explosions were 'the worst
4 have seen in all my naval
service"
Admiral Carney declined to
speculate on the cause of the
tragedy, which ranks as one of
the Navy's worst peacetime dis
aSters, explaining that a host OF
technical experts from the Bu-
reau of Ships is combing the ship
for clues. !.
Other Victims Die.
Even as the Navy court Of in-
uuiry announced it will open its
investigation at 9 am. (EDT)
tomorrow, four of the 201 in
jured men died at Newport Ma
val Hospital. Nearly 100 in
jured are hospitalized-about 40
of them in critical condition.
Many Of these will require plastic
surgery more than a year from
now because of severe burns.
Added to the grim toll last
night and early today were the
names of 1t. q. g.} Paul S.
Ton6o, New Britain, Conn: Chief
Pay Clerk Stanley Capistrand,
Burlington, Va; Raymond C.
Demers. radio-electrician, Nor
folk, Va, and Jesse H. Ramey,
electricians mate &c. Caillicothe.
Ohio.
IA Goth man died this morning.
Authorities withheld the name
Of the latest victim until next
OF kin had been notified.
e" Admiral Carney promised in
visits to the injured at two hos
pitals that IF those fellows need
anything, we'll gct.the funds If
we have to steal them"
Praises youngsters"
Admiral Carney praised what
he called my youngsters" the
young sailors who took hold to
accomplish heroic rescue work
despite the fact that many Of
the ships officers, warrant of1i-
GERS and senior enlisted personnel
were killed in the blasts.
He also said:
m. He had no idea where the
explosions started except that it
was in the vicinity of the ward
room on the third deck.
2 2. No special orders have been
issued to other Navy carriers be-
cause of the Bennington tragedy.
Any such orders must await find
ings of the investigators.
8. The Bennington had been
due to undergo a fitting with a
canted deck-the new-type air
craft carrier deck which permits
speedier handling of planes py
allowing planes to take off with
out interfering with craft parked
on the deck.
A. Damage to the big carrier
will run into many hundreds Of
thousands of dollars.
Catapult Study Reported.
. It was reported without con-
flrmation that high Navy Off
cials are considering a restudy
Of the catapult launching appa-
ratuS aboard all carriers. 1t
was a fuel oil lead in the cata-
pult launching equipment of the