Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1894 — THIRTY-NINE KILLED. [ARTICLE]

THIRTY-NINE KILLED.

Bursting of a Steam Pipe on the German Ship Brandenburg. Thirty-nine men were killed and a score of others badly injured by the ' explosion of a steam pipe on board the I German man-of-war Brandenburg at ' the entrance to Kiel Bay. The accident occurred while the wa ship was I undergoing a forced draught trial near the Government drydecks. The ex- | plosion occurred without warning, and I officers, marines and sailors' were ! among the victims. Kiel is the headquarters of the Government Baltic fleet, and the Government works are quite extensive. All the vessels of the Baltic fleet put in here for coaling and repairs, and recently the Brandenburg has been undergoirg a number of trials to increase her speed. Friday morning these experiments were in full operation. None of the crew had sh< re leave, and many of them were on deck. Suddenly, while the vessel was forging ahead at a rapid speed, there was a loud explosion, the waist of the ship seemed to tise up as though lifted by a giant hand, and the next instant the air was filled with intermingled debris and humanity. A large number of the victims, torn and mangled,w re thrown into the water and drowned before assistance could reach them. Others were thrown into the air and fell on the deck-, where they lay dead or dying in the midst of a mass of wreckage. The elects of the explosion were only lelt within a limited aiea, although the big war vessel quivered, under the sh< ck, and"those in the bow and stern quickly lushed to the assistance of the injured. Owing to the force of the explosion the dead outnumbered the injured, and the scene was sickening in the extreme. The vessel presented the appearance of a warship after a sanguinary battle, and dead and woundsd had their clothing nearly torn from their bodies. As quickly as possible the shore was communicated with, and several vessels were dispatched to the scene with medical supplies and surgeons. The accident occurred near the place made memorable last year by the disaster on board the German man-of-war Baden, in which two lieutenants and seven marines wei e killed by the premature explosion of a gun during target practice.