Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1904 — AWFUL HAVOC ON THE MISSOURI [ARTICLE]

AWFUL HAVOC ON THE MISSOURI

Twelve Inch Gun Deal* Death to Thirty-One Officers and Blue Jackets. HONE IN THE TTJBBET ESCAPES Twenty-Nine, Including Five Officers, Instantly Killed. Two Others are Mortally Wounded— Charge Blows Out at the Breech While it is Being Hammed Home. Washington, April 14.—A full report »f a disaster on the battleship Missouri has reached the navy department from Admiral Barker. It says that twenty four men and five officers were killed outright by the explosion of the 12Inch gun In the after turret, and that two more men probably will die. It Is believed that the explosion was due to a back-fire, six charges of powder exploded and caused the fatalities. Killed Kyery One In the Turret. Admiral Barker’s dispatch reads as follows: “Secretary Navy, Washington —Five officers and twenty-four men are dead, and two more cannot live as the result of an explosion on the Missouri. Three rounds had been fired from the after 12-inch gun. and a shell had been seated and two sections of powder rammed home when the explosion occurred, killing exery officer and man in the turret, and all but three in the handling room. The commanding officer has informed the relatives. DETAILS OF THE DISASTER Two Thousand Pounds of Powder Explodes—Worse Havoc Averted. Pensacola, Fla., April 14.—The explosion on the Missouri was caused by the explosion of 2,000 pounds of powder in the after 12-inch turret and the handling room of the battleship, Captain William S. Cowles comS. Cowles. The Missouri was on the target range with the Texas and Brooklyn at practice about noon, when a charge of powder in the 12-inch lefthand gun ignited from gases and dropping below ignited four charges of powder in the handling room, and all exploded. Only one man of the entire turret and handling crew survives. But for the prompt-and effilcent action of Captain Cowles in flooding the handling room and magazine with water one of the magazines would have exploded,and the ship would have been destroyed. Captain Cowles, completely overcome by thq disaster, referred all newspapermen to Lieutenant Hammer, the ordnance officer. The latter gave out <a statement of the explosion and its probable cause. According to him, about noon, after the first pointer of the after 12-inch piece had fired his string, and the second pointer had fired the third shot of his string, the charge ignited. “The fourth shot was being loaded, and from all Indications the first half of the charge had been rammed home and the second section was being rammed hoihe when gases from the shot previously fired, or portions of the cloth cover, ignited the powder. The breech was open, and a dull thnd gave notice of something unsual. No loud report was made, but flames were seen to leap from every portion of the turret. A few seconds later another explosion, somewhat more fierce, occurred. This was in the handling room below, where 1,600 pounds of powder, or four charges ready to be hoisted above, had ignited. Fire quarters were sounded, and every man es the ship responded, and the magazine and handling rooms were flooded with water. In less than five seconds after the first explosion two streams of water were being played into the rooms. The second explosion occurred near one of the magazines, and so hot was the fire that the brasswork of the magazines was melted. Smoke and the fumes of the burned powder made It almost impossible to enter either the turret or handling room, but officers and men with handkerchiefs over their faces made efforts to rescue the men Inside.