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| USS Iowa (BB-4). |
Cortland Semi-Weekly Standard, Tuesday, April 14, 1903.
A 12-INCH GUN BURST.
Disastrous Explosion on the Battleship Iowa.
TONS OF METAL THROWN ON MEN.
Three Sailors Killed and Five Injured. Shell Exploded Midway In the Gun and Pieces of Gun and Shell Were Thrown Broadcast— Dead Taken to Pensacola, Fla.
Pensacola, Florida, April 10.—A disastrous explosion occurred on the battleship Iowa yesterday while the vessel was at target practice in the Gulf. The forward port 12-inch gun burst from the premature explosion of a shell, 12 feet of the piece outside the turret being demolished. Three men were killed and five injured, two seriously.
The killed are:
First Class Seaman Kiele.
Ordinary Seaman Percell.
Gunner’s Mate Berry.
The injured are: First Class Seaman Gaught, Ordinary Seamen Thursdale, Brown, Mansdale and Purucker.
The men killed and injured were on the second or gun deck at mess. Three pieces of the exploded gun, each weighing over a ton, passed downward through the spar deck, falling upon the men, instantly killing the three named. All of the men were horribly mutilated.
The heavy missiles after passing through the gun deck continued down to the third deck, where they came in contact with the armored deck, the heavy steel bringing them to the stop, thus saving the engineers and firemen who were at work below.
Although the upper decks were covered with men no one there was seriously injured.
The explosion occurred just as the mess call had been sounded. Firing was to have ceased after the shot for the dinner hour. The range had been set and the Iowa was steaming along at a speed of 12 knots an hour when Lieutenant Reed, in charge of the forward 12-inch turret, gave orders to load and fire.
The time fuse was cut for the range, the piece charged, breech closed and the word given to fire. Following the report of the gun there was a smothered noise as the shell exploded midway in the gun and pieces of the gun and shell were scattered broadcast. Three great holes were torn through the deck.
Those who were below began coming on deck, some bloody and mutilated, while lying on the floor, crushed almost beyond recognition, were the three unfortunate men.
The Massachusetts, six miles distant, was signaled for aid and one of the cutters put off with surgeon and assistants. The wounded men were taken to the hospital and their injuries dressed. The dead were brought to Pensacola.
THREE DECKS RUINED.
Damage to the Battleship Iowa Very Serious.
ORDERED OUT OF COMMISSION.
Steel Supports Under 12-Inch Port Turret Sprung—Big Gun a Hopeless Wreck—Services Over Graves of the Three Men Killed—Fleet in Mourning For a Week.
Pensacola, Fla., April 11.—The damage to the battleship Iowa caused by the premature explosion of a shell in the forward port 12-inch gun has developed to be more serious than was thought when the first examination was made and as a consequence the big ship has been ordered to the New York navy yard to go out of commission.
She steamed down to the Pensacola navy yard, where she is fitting out with supplies and coal preparatory to sailing as soon as possible for the north.
It is known that three decks, including the upper deck in the forward part of the ship, will have to be entirely removed and rebuilt. It is feared that the steel supports under the 12-inch port turret are sprung to such an extent that they will have to be removed.
The gun itself is a hopeless wreck.
The services over the graves of the three men killed by the explosion of the gun were conducted by the fleet chaplain, assisted by the chaplain of the Iowa, and were concluded by a naval salute over the graves and “taps.”
Admirals Higginson and Wise with their respective staffs were present.
Floral tributes from the citizens of Pensacola and the officers of the fleet were unusually beautiful. The entire fleet will go into mooring in one week. Various entertainments planned for next week have been postponed.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Encouraging State Universities.
At the recent alumni dinner of the University of Michigan Dr. Hutchins, dean of the faculty, expressed the interesting opinion that state universities are to be the greatest institutions of learning in the country in the future. He said that it has taken legislators a long time to awake to the necessity of providing liberally for state universities, but that from now on their growth should be rapid. He cited the permanent provision of 1 mill in the state taxation which has recently been made for the University of Nebraska as foreshadowing the great amount of money institutions of this class are to receive.
Dr. Hutchins’ argument appears to be sound, but it must be acknowledged that several millionaires have given some of the so called private universities a big start on the state institutions.
AROUND A SHAFT.
Norman White Caught at the Implement Co.’s Factory.
WHIRLED OVER A DOZEN TIMES.
Was Lacing a Belt When Accident Occurred—Will Lose His Right Arm—Probably No Internal Injuries.
Norman White, a young man aged about 19 years, an employee of the Cortland Implement Co., was caught by a shaft while working in the factory about 9 o’clock Friday morning and sustained painful and serious injuries.
White, with another workman named G. E. Dykeman, was engaged in repairing a belt. Dykeman was lacing the belt and White was on a step ladder several feet from the floor, holding it.
Just how the accident happened cannot be told, but in some way White lost his balance, his right arm was caught by the belt and drawn to the rapidly revolving shaft about 2 feet below the ceiling. The unfortunate young man was hurled around the revolving shaft fifteen or twenty times before the machinery could be stopped and he could be released.
Beard & Peck’s ambulance was summoned and White was taken to the hospital, where he was examined by Drs. H. T. Dana, F. W. Higgins and P. T. Carpenter. His right arm was badly broken and will have to be amputated. Both feet and ankles were severely bruised and he was otherwise bruised and injured. So far as can be determined now the young man is not suffering from any serious internal injuries and will probably recover with the loss of his right arm.
He lives at 34 Cleveland-st. and has been employed by the Cortland Implement Co. since they started up their work last summer.
BREVITIES.
—Cornell Heights has been annexed to the city of Ithaca.
—Forrest Ladd of McLean has accepted a position with F. Daehler, the clothier.
—Gideon Wright has broken ground for another new house on Stevenson-st.
—Seymour P. Bloomfield has accepted a position with S. Simmons.
—Harvard university is trying hard to get Charles E. Courtney, the rowing coach, away from Cornell, There seems little probability that he will accept.
—Bishop F. D. Huntington on Wednesday celebrated the thirty-fourth anniversary of his consecration as bishop of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Central New York.
—One of our subscribers in Locke, who notes the fact that some in this vicinity have been picking May flowers in March, says that he secured a quantity of cowslips on March 24, and they were first rate too when prepared for the table. He thinks this discounts the May flowers.
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