THE BENNINGTON EXPLOSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1534, 16 August 1905, Page 2

THE BENNINGTON EXPLOSION

THRILLING DESCRIPTION.

TERRIBLE SPECTACLE FACES H THE RESCUERS.

136 MEN PERISH.

By telegraph, Press Ass’n, Copyright Reoeived 10.43 p.m., Aug. 15. Sydnoy, Aug. 15. Tho Canadian mail brings a fow particulars of, tho explosion on tho Ujntoa States’ gunboat Bonnington at San Diego. Suddenly thero was a deep-tonod rum- . bliog intonation like a distant explosion o 1 dynamite. , , , Tbs vessel was soon to reel aoa snake from storn to stern. A denao cloud o white Btoam shot skywards. .... Tho ontiro uppor.deok appoared to J»t» and tbon settle back with a crash. The vessel was about to sail for Panam . Steam poured out of tho vontilat ng funnels and ‘through ovory aperture a gave an opening from tho lower region Borne time before'tho rescuers could vonturo below. Twice the bands of bravo w° rk f rs . w n 6 n *° forcod to abandon tho eiokemng task and come above, owing to the ov . ct “' ,^. | water that filled tho engine and boner Tho rescuers faced a terrible epeotaola beneath tho main deck in the forward par of the vessel, where the crow s quaitors wore located. Here tho greatest loss or life occurred. , Many of tho crow were in their quarters, some swinging comfortably tin their ham* mocks, ~.. Dead and injured woro taken out of this section to the number of almost two score. Whon the roll was called 186 wero unaccounted for. , It is believed that part of the farnace j fell against the boiler, which exploded, it P was forced aft, and probably other boilers^ . exploded. Immediately afterwarde tty steam pipes were wreoked, liberating steam. • „,,, Every man in the engine rooms at, too . time must have met his death. j