Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-16
STILL INVESTIGATING.
The CAUSE OF the GREAT ExPLO-
SION.
More witnesses Who Saw the Fire Before
the Explosion---The Testimony Of Men
Who We're Knocked Down.
COrones.'s Inquest.

Coroner,s Inqucst.
The coroner's jury continued their investiga-
ton of the recent explosion last evening. This
was the fourth session, and commenced at
seven o'clock. The session lasted until twenty
minutes past nine O'clock and embraced that
portion OF the testimony relative to the facts
in the case. The jurors being in their seats,
the coroner called the jury to order, and COM
menced his investigation. The first witness
called was
c. W. JONES,
who testified about as follows: I was at my
house, on Seventh avenue, between Fourth and
Fifth streets; know nothing of the explosion
except what l saw afterward; I left the mill in
perfect order, at about six o clock; the mill was
IN the usual running order; was swept as usual,
once day. Excused for the present..
MRS. STEVENS.
Was on the lower bridge at the time Of the
explosion; first saw small fire near the cor
ner of the big mill next to the canal; it grew
larger for a few minutes, and then was drawn,
as if by suction, into the mill; saw it light
up the first story, and then, all of sudden,
light up the whole mill, and Immediately I
heard the explosion which knocked down the
big mill; heard light report where the light
first came into the lower floor; saw smoke;
only saw the flames before the explosion; did
not hear any more explosions; was scared
that could not hear or see.
PETER LUND.
worked in the Humboldt mill; I was stand
ing near Eldred's planning mill Office when saw
smoke coming from one of the suction spouts
in the Washburn mill; it was dark smoke; the
smoke that usually comes from the spouts is
light; saw nothing else until after the first
explosion, which knocked me down; thought
it was stake that hit me, it was SO sudden; I
got up quick possible, when the second
l was just going for bucket Of
water. At the time saw the smoke
/ did not think it was anything serious;
Thought / would get the water and then go
and see more about the smoke; spoke to a
man in the Humboldt mill about the singular
color of the smoke; told him it was funny
smoke. The man was killed that spoke to-.
I met two railroad men on the railroad track;
do not know who they were. I am sure that
saw smoke coming out of the spout and not
steam; know the difference between steam
and smoke. After saw the smoke went
through the mill and about fifteen rods from
it was knocked down the first time; only had
second explosion; I ran away from the mill
after being knocked down the second time; was
pretty badly scared;I think both explosions
were in the big mill.
o. H. WALLER.
I went down to the mill of Croker d Fisk 6
to see my brother-in-law, about twenty min
utes before the explosion; was talking to him
for awhile, and then went up to Hall & Dam &
cooper shop; did not see any one there; was
coming back and had got down on the railroad
near the round house of the
Milwaukee & st. Paul railroad when 1
| heard sort of rumbling sound and then a
great report which knocked me on my back;
l could not tell what it was at first, but
! thought it was the whole falls going out; as
looked up when on my back could see the
rocks and debris and fire going up all at the
same time; it looked to me like the most of
the stone of the big mill; when it fell it went
not say it for fact, but that:is as it looked
| to me; saw no smoke fire
before heard the rumbling sound
there might have been smoke there that die
not see, for am not we'll acquainted with the
mills, and do not notice them much when &c
minute apart; had only time to get up on
one foot when was knocked down again; ]
am a cooper by trade and have lived here fol
about two years.
DAVID WARD.
1 had just come from supper, changed m,
clothes and came to the Diamond mill ant
was talking to the miller at abou
IL o'clock; told him I woule
run across the street, and he said he would g,
up stairs; had just got across, and little wa,
up the street, when turned around, and saw
as thought, the bottom go out of the big
Washburn mill, and then heard loud ex
| plosion, and the air was filled with stone ant
debris, which went toward the Diamond mill
the mill seemed to catch fire from the fire tina
came from the big mill, and, at the same time
the Diamond mill caught fire the second ex.
the big mill or not; heard only two explosions
the second knocked me down; was employee,
at the Diamond mill; attend the machines; tn
mill was running that night, with the shutter
all open, and the windows all up; think tn
flames came out from the Washburn mill il
such way that the Diamond might hav
caught from that.
G. W. FOLSOM.
have had charge of the excavations at tn
Washburn ''B" mill; used nothing but com
mon blasting powder; took it home with m
most Of the time. am sure that took al
the powder had left home in my buggy wit
me the night of the explosion; there coul
not have been anything but powde
used there, for had the contract for the exca
vations and blasting; there were no unexplode
blasts left there that night.
= G.. d. M DANIEL.
Iattend to the wheat cleaning machine i
the Washburn mill ':B''; I was in the fit
story at the time of the explosion, lookin
toward the big mill. first I saw the flames i
the first story, and then saw them raise fron
story to story; heard the repo1
as it went from floor to floor
saw the flames come out of the windows, an
could see the walls crack and crumble, and til
roof seemed to raise about foot; at that tim
heard loud explosion which knocked m
down; when got up the mill was so full o
smoke and dust that could not see anything
SO hurried down stairs as I thought our mi
was falling; helped the miller get the hos
ready for the fire, and when got out doors tn
big mill, elevator and the two mills ahsve wer
all down and on FIRE; did not see any fire in tn
Diamond OF Humboldt mills before the explc
| sion.