Wikimedia Commons/J.S. Johnston, New York City
The USS Bennington’s Deadly Boiler Explosion in San Diego
The USS Bennington sat in San Diego Harbor on July 21, 1905, fresh from a tough trip from Hawaii. At 10:38 that morning, boiler B blew up with huge force.
Steam and metal tore through the ship, killing 66 men on the spot. Another 46 got bad burns.
San Diego, still a small town then, rushed to help. Locals set up beds along the shore where Seaport Village now stands…