Target practice off the coast of Pensacola, Florida turned to disaster for the U.S. Navy on April 13, 1904 when an explosion occurred in the after 12" turret of the battleship Missouri. In company with USS Texas and USS Brooklyn the ships were about ten miles from Pensacola when the accident occurred. Missouri, commanded by Capt. William S. Cowles, USN, brother-in-law to President Theodore Roosevelt, had fired three rounds and was loading a fourth when the smokeless charge in the barrel went off. Flames were seen to come out of the turret, but the explosion was said to have been a "dull thud". Seconds later a far more powerful explosion was felt in the ship, this was due to charges in the handling room below igniting.

When rescuers reached the turret what they found was a scene of pure horror. Bodies were piled up near the exit, men who had tried to escape after the first explosion were killed by the second. Their clothing and were flesh burned from their bones. Their comrades had the grim task of removing them from the turret in the hopes of finding a survivor. Only one was found, but he soon died.

It was only to the quick action of several men that the magazine did not explode. Chief Gunner's Mate Mons Monssen rushed into the magazine and closed the door behind him, not knowing if he would survive, but knowing that the fire would be prevented from getting to the charges in the magazine. What he did not know was that Capt. Cowles had ordered the magazine flooded, he nearly drowned, but after the ship was out of danger and the door was opened he was found. Apparently he was barely alive, but he recovered and was later awarded the Medal of Honor. Two other men, Chief Gunner's Mate Robert E. Cox and Gunner's Mate 1st Class Charles S. Schepke were also awarded the Medal of Honor for their selfless actions in saving the ship from further destruction.

In all thirty-three men died in the explosion. The official inquiry found that no blame could be placed on the crew for the blast. The cause was determined to have been the smokeless powder "the properties of which have not been fully understood either by those using it on board our ships or by those who make and issue it for service." Apparently a new manufacturing process had recently been devised which cut the time to produce the powder by three months. This process was abandoned following the Missouri disaster. It was also considered by some that the rapid firing of the heavy guns was also a contributing factor. In the U.S. and all other navies the rate of fire that could be achieved by the gun crews was paramount, and as they were pushed harder and harder for a better time the gun barrel may have been too hot or embers remained in the barrel which set off the charge.

Exactly two years later, on April 13, 1906, another disaster of the same type occurred in USS Kearsarge. The battleship was conducting gun practice off Culbra Island in the Caribbean when a powder charge in the forward 13" turret exploded. The same horrific scene was replayed concerning the men in the turret, but this time there were a few survivors. Six men were killed instantly and four others died of their wounds. As in the Missouri explosion, there was one man who committed a selfless act which saved the ship from destruction.

Seaman George Breeman was in the ammunition handling room below the turret when the disaster occurred. As smoke, flames and burning material fell from above he went moved toward the door to the magazine. With his eyes closed due to the heavy smoke, hardly able to breathe, he found the door and closed it preventing the flames from reaching the magazine. Thinking of his ship first and giving little thought to his own safety, Breeman saved the ship from complete destruction. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The inquiry found that a freak accident had caused the powder to detonate. It is thought that a shell extractor rod had come into contact with an electrical switch and caused an arc flash setting off the powder. According to reports this had never occurred before in the history of the navy.

© 2015 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com

Allison, Ralph H.

Ordinary Seaman

Bloxopoulos, Jersemos

Coxswain

Blown overboard, drowned

Bongard, William J.

Seaman

Braun, Peter J.

Chief Pay Clerk

Cole, John W.

Ordinary Seaman

Davidson, William C.

Lieutenant

Donnelly, John T. J.

Ordinary Seaman

Elliott, Halbert E.

Master at Arms 2nd Class

Died from smoke inhalation

Franks, Harry W.

Coxswain

Gedris, Joseph

Ordinary Seaman

Gridley, John P. V.

2nd Lieutenant (USMC)

Hardy, Jay C.

Apprentice 2nd Class

Kennedy, Joseph F.

Ordinary Seaman

Kivlen, Jr., Kearney J.

Seaman

Knight, James E.

Ordinary Seaman

Meyer, Charles H.

Seaman

Mulligan, John J.

Landsman

Neumann, William E. T.

Midshipman

Noe, Orvel B.

Apprentice 2nd Class

Nunn, James C.

Seaman

Oastler, Paul R.

Apprentice 2nd Class

Pedersen, Jens K.

Boatswain's Mate 1st Class

Rice, Charles

Seaman

Roche, John M.

Landsman

Rowlands, Frank T.

Electrician 2nd Class

Scherbarth, Herman

Ordinary Seaman

Shipman, W. L.

Private (USMC)

Smith, August

Gunner's Mate 2nd Class

Soder, Nestor

Seaman

Starr, John P.

Ordinary Seaman

Tobin, Robert C.

Ordinary Seaman

Ward, Jr., Thomas

Midshipman

*

Weichert, Ernest A.

Lieutenant

*

Athey, Ellis H.

Seaman

Fisher, Frederick T.

Chief Gunner's Mate

Died of wounds Apr. 15

*

Graeme, Joseph W.

Lieutenant

Died of wounds Apr. 14

Hudgins, John M.

Lieutenant

King, William

Ordinary Seaman

Died of wounds Apr. 23

Koester, Julius A.

Turret Captain 1st Class

McArdle, James S.

Electrician 1st Class

Died of wounds Apr. 16

Naegely, Theodore

Seaman

Norberg, Peter

Gunner's Mate 2nd Class

Thorson, Anton O.

Seaman

*

Gun Umpire, attached to USS Maryland.

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