Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 September 1907 — BLAST ON JAPANESE SHIP. [ARTICLE]

BLAST ON JAPANESE SHIP.

Twenty-Seven Hen Killed t>y Explosion on the Kmsfclraa. Twenty-seven of the crew were killed and many were injured on the Japanese battleship Kashima by the explosion of powder after target practice near Kure. Tbe Kashima, under command of Captain Koizumi, went to Kure, where the wounded were placed In the hospital. The dead included a lieutenant, two cadets and one staff officer. Details regarding the effects of tbe explosion are lacking, but it was terrific and tbe ship was severely damaged The blast followed an attempt to remove an unexploded shell from tbe gun. A majority of the bystanders' were fearfully mutilated The explosion is under investigation. It occurred inside of tbe shield of tbs starboard after ten-inch gun. It was not the shell which exploded, bat powder, which evidently caught fire from tbe gas emitted from the breech when spaaed ts reload the gnn. The hall of tbs Kashima is not damsMul