Oct. 19. A telegram published today states that a turret accident on board the battleship _Connecticut_, similar to those on the _Georgia_ and several other of the U. S. big fighting ships, was averted by the presence of mind and heroism of Lieut. William Pigott Cronan, has just come to light through the summoning of a board of inquiry at the New York navy yard. According to the story, Lieutenant Cronan was in command of one of the eight-inch guns on the _Connecticut_ during recent target practice off New England. As the powder charge was thrust into the gun, the lieutenant noticed that from a small hole in the bag a quantity of powder had escaped and fallen into the threads into which the breech-block of the gun screws. Realizing that the action of screwing the breach-block back home would ignite the powder before the block could be firmly screwed home, causing the entire charge to explode back into the turret, Lieutenant Cronan shouted an order which stopped every man in the turret, as he stood, except the man who was closing the breech of the gun. He did not hear the shout and continued to swing the block home. Lieutenant Cronan sprang forward and thrust his hand into the breech of the gun. The breech closed on his hand, badly mangling it and cleanly cutting off the first finger, which fell into the grooves and caused the closing mechanism to clog. The sailor at the breech of the gun fainted when he discovered what he had done and what he had narrowly escaped doing. If the breech had been closed it is likely that every man in the turret would have been killed. The board of inquiry was called to determine how the hole came into the powder bag. Cronan is a son of Patrick J. Cronan of New Haven. During the war with Spain, Lieutenant Cronan was highly commended for several acts of bravery. The following is another account: While the battleship _Connecticut_ was engaged in target practice off Cape Cod last week, Lieutenant William P. Cronan undoubtedly prevented a repetition of the fatal explosion on the _Georgia_ by staying the closing of the breech of the eight-inch barker in the after turret by inserting his fingers in the breech grooves just as the heavy butt of metal was swinging into place. When they swung back the breech-block the fragments of his first and second fingers, severed at the first joint, were found ground into the grooves.