The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-11
The Rumsey Tragedy.
SEVEN PERSONS IN ALL
KILLED.
One More Body Recovered.
The Coroner's Inquest---Full Evi-
dence as to the Cause of the
Explosion.
Further Particulars Concerning
the Killed and Wounded.


The John Rumsey disaster on Friday was
the staple of conversation yesterday, and even
politics was for a time forgotten. The sicken-
ing events of the tragedy, and items of infor-
nation concerning it, engrossed everybody's
attention. Never, in the history of our city,
has such terrible event occurred, and that it's
like may never happen again, was everycodys
prayer. Every one seemed saddened and ssri-
Gus as they meditated on the lesson taught by
the accident-the uncertainty of life and the
certainty of death, which may come in an hour
we know not.
ANOTHER BODY RECOVERED.
Another body was recovered from the wreck
last evening-that Of John Rutmeyer, fireman
of the Rumsey. He was on duty at the time
and received injuries on the back of the head
and thigh that must have caused his death at
once. He was a bxother-in-law of Nicholas
POttgeiser, of the Minnesota House. He is a
married man, and lives at Durand, Wis.
THE MORTALITY LIST.
The entire number of deaths caused by the
explosion, is seven, as near as could be ascer-
tanned up to the latest hour yesterday.
The bodies of four of these have been re-.
covered, as enumerated above The Others are
not yet found. They are:
Theodore Provenche, cook of the Albany.
He was young Frenchmsn and had resided in
St. Paul several years. He had no family, but
brother and some other relations He had
stepped on the Rumseya moment before the
explosion, and was blown literally to pieces
His hat was found in one place, with some
brains adhering to it, and shoe in another. A
piece Of his pan.aloons, and bone, supposed
to be his. was also picked up on the Albany
John McCatfray, a boy, I'd cook on the Rum
sey. He does not seem to have been hurt by
the explosion, as lie was standing aft of the
cabin, and Others near him were not injured
It is conjectured that he leaped overheard from
frigh, and was drowned before he was noticed
At least he is vet missing
Pat. Donovan, deck hand on the Rumscv
He lives at Faxon, Sibley county, and has
family. He has no, been heard of since the
explosion.
Thus everybody on both boats are present
or accounted for' except the two men Donovan
and McCaffray There can be no doubt of their
death.
TIE DEAD BODIES.
The dead bodies of Michael Melville. Ned
Kearrey and Dan Sweeney ere yesterday de-
posted ia neat collins at the expense of Capt.
Davidson, and forwarded TO their families.
That of Melville was given up to Miss Mary
Melville, together with Sl63 found on his body
The corpse was taken to st. Mary's, near Fari-
bault.
The body of Sweeney was sent to his friends
at Galena and that of Kearney to his family at
Wabashaw.
THE WOUNDED.
The wounded are all doing we'll aud will re-
cover in good time. Mr.. Fay, OF Marshau,
whose legs were broken, is the most hurt, but
will get we'll He is cheerful and hopeful
The noble and devoted Sisters of Charity are
untring in their care OF those at the Hospital
Of St. Joseph.
THRIVING, FROM TIL: WRECK
4 number of sacks of coffee. which were on
the wreck, were stolen on Friday night They
had oeen submerged in the water, bu' were
prize 10 the wreckers nevertheless. The Off
GERS found most of them secreted in bushes
near by and in houses not far Oft
CAUSE OF THE EXrIpsInJ.
The evidence taken before the Coroner's
Jury was yolUminous and searching, bus, as
will be seen, very contradictory. We have no
space TO comment on it, and the reader mus:
draw his own conclusions. The Jury could
not find any reliable proof of criminality on
the part of any officer. aud SO RETAINED from
any implication of them in their verdict The
second engineer, who could, perhaps, have
thrown more light upon it than any one else,
could not be found, having gone home to Eau
Claire, Wis., on Friday evening, having, as
he said heard threats Of lynching made
against him.
What really did cause the explosion will
probably never be known. Capt r. II. Spen-
Ger, of the Albany, has small piece of the
boiler that struck near him. 1t is thin, worn
and badly rusted. The sound metal is very
thin, and there is the appearance of an old
crack on its edge Old steamboat men cay
that the water in the boilers must have been
low, or nearly everybody on both boats would
have been scalded with the boiling water. AS
it is, not drop appears to have fallen on a
single accommodating but mud, sediment
and scales. These facts throw considerable
light upon the matter.
THE INQUEST.
Phillip Scheig, the Coroner summoned a
Jury early yesterday morning, and proceeded
to hold the Inquest on the dead bodies, OF
Michael Melvin, Ned Kearney. and Daniel
Sweeney, at the Court House. Henry j.
Horne, the District Attorney, conducted the
examination The following citizens were
sworn as Jurymen: Charles l.. Weed, O. r.
Ford, NJ n. Kellogg, Charles Hoffman, G. W.
Tubbs, and John OConner. The Inquest con-
tinued all day. The following is the most i'm.
portant testimony given