NEWPORT, R.I. –
On the morning of April 26, 1955, five civilian workers at the Naval Underwater Ordnance Station, a precursor organization of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, were killed in an explosion during a test event. This year marks the 70th anniversary of that incident and the deaths.
The explosion was in a dynamometer test room in the corner of a building at Coddington Cove, overlooking Ferry Landing. The death toll, originally thought to be four employees, later increased to five in the afternoon. Those killed in the blast were Peter J. Lada, 37, and Anthony Zimon, 39, both of New Bedford, Massachusetts; John R. Lavender, 38, of Fall River, Massachusetts; and Howard E. Staats Jr., 34, and Daniel J. Sullivan, 62, both of Newport, Rhode Island.
Since Division Newport’s founding in July 1869, nearly 156 years ago, 34 men have died in the line of duty. Their names appear on a stone marker located in the heart of the warfare center’s campus, serving as a lasting symbol of their commitment to the U.S. Navy, and are posted on the command’s external website at: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Who-We-Are/History/In-Memoriam/
Memorial Day is a time for remembrance, honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country,” Commanding Officer Capt. Chad Hennings said. “At NUWC Division Newport, we carry the legacy of these brave individuals — 34 names etched into the monument, whose lives were lost while serving our nation. From those who died in the line of duty at the Naval Torpedo Station to those who gave their lives during the course of their work in support of our national defense, each of these heroes made a lasting impact on the work we do today.”
According to an account in “The Providence Journal” newspaper, the “earth-shattering” explosion in 1955 was reportedly caused by a high-pressure airline rupture while testing a high-energy monopropellant fuel in a modified torpedo — the Mark 16 Mod 3. The fuel was known to have unstable properties much like nitroglycerine.
The blast occurred around 11 a.m. in the one-story, 200-foot-long structure located on the outer skirts of the campus. The concrete block structure was torn apart and the cement roof was ripped off “like a matchbox,” according to command history. About 15 windows were blown out, and three wooden doors were ripped from their hinges. While five men died in the accident, five others were hospitalized with serious injuries and two sustained minor injuries.
Debris landed as far as 100 feet from the site of the explosion, and it could be heard across Narragansett Bay in Jamestown. At least 50 firemen and rescue workers, assisted by cranes, bulldozers and other mechanical equipment, moved massive pieces of concrete and twisted metal to sift through the ruins. The Navy initially estimated the damage to be $500,000.
Sullivan, one of the men who died, was nicknamed “Mecca Dan” and had just turned 62 the week prior. Four years before the blast, he received a letter of congratulations from the Department of the Navy for 40 years of service, which started as an apprentice at the Naval Torpedo Station on Goat Island in Newport.
Upon learning the news of the disaster, Charles S. Thomas, then the Secretary of the Navy, expressed his “dearest sympathy” to the families of the five men killed, who made “a sacrifice in service of their country.”
Rear Adm. Joseph H. Wellings, commanding officer of Naval Station Newport at that time, ordered a board of inquiry to investigate the incident. In December 1955, that board determined that “no negligence or inefficiency” was involved in the explosion and absolved Navy personnel and civilian employees from any blame.
“These individuals were part of the fabric of our legacy, from machinists and engineers to electricians and ordnance men. Their contributions helped shape our mission of undersea superiority — today and tomorrow,” Technical Director Marie Bussiere said. “Their sacrifices were made not on the front lines of battle but in laboratories, factories, and workshops, advancing the technologies that support our nation’s defense.
“As we observe Memorial Day, let us reflect on their courage and the profound impact they had on shaping the future. We are entrusted with a powerful legacy, and it is our duty to uphold their memory through our commitment to warfighting readiness, leadership and workforce brilliance, and technical and business excellence.”
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.