The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-11

WnOle caOln was down OH. Inc MOulo MOnler
soon came down to the wreck, and took off the
THOMAS MCMAHAN-S,cO,n.-I am deck
hand on the Rumsey. / have seen the bodies
lying here l recognize all three. The middle
man is Dan Sweeney, of Galena He has wife
and family there. The one nearest the door is
named Ned Kearney l don't know his last
name. He las family four miles back of
Wabashaw. The last man is Mike Melvin. He
lives here or at Hastings. do not know which.
He has a sister who works at the International.
He is not married. He was formerly Gov
eminent teamSter
The boat was allowed to carry 14O pounds.
A few minutes before the explosion the engi-
neer told me there was 145 pounds on, and 10
pounds Matchmaking 155 pounds, or 10
more than allowed by her papers.
We first saw the Albany at Hastings. L do
not know what our guage was then. We tied
up all night at Robinson's Bar. The Albany
passed us there, but we came up to her at Red
Rock Bar. She got good start of us, but we
came up near her at Pigs Eye, and at the
reef by Dayton's Bluff were right behind her,
and soon ran alongside of her.
little below Dayton's Bluff the Capt came
down stairs and told the engineer he wanted
to get ahead of the Albany so as to reach the
wharfbOat and discharge his freight there, in
advance of the Albany. VIM. Donnegan, I'd
engineer, was on watch. Tho Albany got
ahead of US at the crossing at the bend. We
were picking out oil the fine wood for the fire
men, aud not taking any coarse sticks. The
engineer put a big wrench on the safety valve
to hold it down, SO as not to blow off the
steam. The wrench weighed probably ten
pounds. At the time the wrench was hung on
there was Is pounds more steam on than al
lowed. The wrench would still increase the
pressure. ..,..-4.. tJ
She could make about four miles up stream
xr,sfh hor Tn ooOI No tyo
say FIVE miles up stream. She was making
more than her usual speed at the time. have
been on the Rumsey for about two and a half
months
l do not know the state of the boiler. I do
not think there was much water in the boiler
at the time Her pumps were not very good,
and don't think they could keep enough wa
ter in while there was such pressure of steam.
We were gaining fast on the Albany when we
exploded. Wewere trying to force the Albany
out of the channel.
I said to the engineer You have more
steam than your papers allow you" He said
20, sometimes put on 100 pounds"
Patrick Donovan is missing yet. He belongs
at FaxOn. He has wife and several children.
do not know of any dead bodies but these
three here.
| have run on steamboats, for several years.
We had eleven deck hands on at the time of the
explosion, and one passenger, who got on at
Red Rock. -p..
There was only one pilot. The captain acted
as the other one.
Isaw VIM. Haggerty, fireman, stick q stick
of wood between the safety valve and the
boiler deck, so as to prevent any steam escap-
ing. began to feel afraid when l saw this.
/ live at the corner of Washington and Chest
nut streets. l have wife and two children.
1 was standing little forward of the boiler on
our barge. 1 was knocked down into the AL
bangs barge. Something fell on my ankle,
MASKING it badly.
VIM, w. LEA-Swo,n--I live at West Eau
Claire, Wis. was first engineer on the John
Rumsey at the time of the explosion. know
that there was plenty OF water in the boiler.
The second engineer was VIM. Donnegan. He
was on watch. know him to be one of the
carefullest men that was ever around steam. A
minute or two prior to the explosion the
Waterman told me there was 1876 pounds on.
asked, can't you get up more!" He said,
"We have picked out all the fine wood, and
had none but coarse"
The condition of the boiler was supposed to
be good. When she was inspected there was o
bad place in the boiler. The Inspector gave
orders to have it patched up. and we did so.
The man on watch had always been scolded
bv the officers for not carrying enough steam
He never got more than 140 pounds on. He
has had plenty of experience, having run sta
tonary engine seventeen years. He ran all
| this season, under q permit from the Inspect.
or. and would have got papers this month.
can swear that there was plenty of water
in the boilers at the time of the explosion.
captain, 1--WE have plenty of water in Be-
fore we quit talking about it the boiler blew up
can give no reason for the explosion.
dou't believe there is any engineer that can.
The boilers were cleaned at Lacrosse, two
days and halt before the explosion. had
them cleaned well. We never carried over
40 pounds since the inspection. have al
ways run her that high when could, but we
cannot often get steam that high. Her boilers
were not large. The inspector said that by
his guage she was 10 pounds light She was
weighed down to blow Off at 1876 pounds
don't think she was blowing off before the
explosion. If she had wonld have heard it
If she had had 90 pounds more steam on I
think she would then have blown off. do
not think that the engineer put weight on
the safety.valve. | never knew him to do such
thing. He was not that kind of man. Our
pumps were in the best order. We had o
Gifford's Patent Injector capable of supplying
two boilers of that size with water.
saw dead bodies lying on the boat. 1 do
not know how many. do not know their
names. | had been absent from the boat for q
time. and was not well acquainted with the
crew. have known Ned Kearney, whose
body lies here, or 5 years. We called him
Old Ned. He lives near Wabashaw.
l examined the steamers gage about ten
minutes before the explosion. We were then
under Dayton's Bluff. We had on 125 lbs.
then, 90 lbs. light would make 1876 lbs on }
The End engineer, Donncgan, had been on
watch some 20 minutes may be before the
boiler exploded. We change watches every
six hours. The Captain had teen joking me
short time before about Dol being able to make
enough steam. We have never run her beyond
the amount allowed by law since her inspec-
ton.
| know there was enough water in the boil
er at the time of the explosion. l could tell
by the sound when Donnegan tried her The
Albany was gaining on us think when we
blew up. think Donnegan had let the steam
go down "a little. If there was not water
enough in the boiler, it would make her leak,
| think, and not blow up, except may be col
lapse 1ue.
cannot account for this explosion at ALL
The boiler had been in the Rumsey three sea.
sons. 1t had been used in a mill year or two
before that. They have to be repaired more
or less occasionally. This boiler would have
run, say twelve years. I have been on the
boat (otf an ON. three years. l put these boil
ers In myself. They were in good order then
A year ago this spring the boilers stood pres
sure OF 225 pounds. do not know whether
the patch we put on may have given out or
not she came from La Crosse to this port to
hi Lx,s1x