Show EXPLOSION OF THE bennington united stites states ship meets Hor horrible catastrophe san diego cal broken and blackened with her flag hying flying at half mast her hold filled with fifteen feet ot of water the united states ship bennington lies beached on the shores of 0 san diego harbor thirty nine of her crew ile HP dead nt at city morgues the fato fate ot of a dozen more Is na as yet undetermined and three score are stretched upon beds ot of pain in various hospitals this Is the result ot of the explosion which wrecked the trim little naval craft and wrought such terrible ha havoc haac voc among her crew at halt half past 10 friday morning on board the bennington the unharmed members of 0 tho the crew are working under tinder great difficulties to reach ahn boiler room and coal bunkers blinkers whore it if 1 believed a dozen bodies are lying wedged in the wreckage or s submerged Ib merged in the water which fills that part ot of the vessel the cause ot of the explosion so tar far as aa ascertained included boilers D and D on the port side but has not yet been determined there Is much talk among the crew especially the irresponsible apon sible members of weakened and leaking boilers but until a thorough inspection of the wrecked boilers can be made no definite official statement Is obtainable the dennington bennington which arrived at this port from honolulu last wellams day forenoon was preparing to leave port nt at halt half past 10 friday morning and only awaited the arrival ot of commander lucien young who had gone ashore on official business busine gs suddenly there was a depp deep tor toped ed rumbling intonation like a distant explosion of and tile the dennington was seen to keel and shake from stem to stern a dense clond ot of white steam shot skyward and the entire upper deck appeared to lift and then settle back with a crash |