On the morning of 21 July 1905, "Bennington"s crew was preparing her to sail to the aid of the monitor which had broken down and was in need of a tow. After her crew had finished the difficult task of coaling the ship that morning, most of them were belowdecks cleaning themselves from the dirty job. Unbeknownst to anyone on board, three problems with one of "Bennington"s boilers – oily feed water, an improperly closed steam valve, and a faulty steam gauge – were conspiring against them. At about 10:30, excessive steam pressure in the boiler resulted in a boiler explosion that rocked the ship, sending men and equipment flying into the air. The escaping steam sprayed through the living compartments and decks. The explosion opened "Bennington"s hull to the sea, and she began to list to starboard. Quick actions by the tug "Santa Fe" – taking "Bennington" under tow and beaching her – almost certainly saved the gunboat from sinking.