Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-29
THREE OR FOUR FATALITIES
And Nearly all on board More or Less
Shattered.
THE BOATGOES TO THE BOTTOM.
While the Boiler Flies 500 Feet to the
Woods.
NAMES OF ALL THE VICTIMS.
Speculation and Theories as to the Caus e
of the Explosion.
lSpecial TELEGRAM to the Globe. |

Especial Telegram to the Globe.
EXCELSIOR June 29.-At l1:3O A. NJ. to-
day the little steamer May Queen, bearing
about twenty persons, landed at her pier on
Rockwell's island, at the upper part of
Lake Mimi etonka, twelve miles from Ex
celsior. She made but brief stay, and was
backing out into the lake about fifteen min
utes afterwards, when her boiler exploded
with terrible effect, and thu little craft was
literally blown to atoms, disappearing fro m
the face of the lake in an instant. crash
in the midst Of small grove indicated the
direction tho boiler, or that which RENAME d
of it, had taken. AS soon as the concussio n
had subsidized the shrieks of
the wounded and imperilled passengers
were heard, and a mass of struggling hu-
manity was seen amid the debris of the
wreck in the water. The scene was terri bic
to contemplate, and sent chill of horror
among the few persons who we're near enough
to behold it. Fortunately the water was
shallow, and several of those uninjured by
the explosion made their way to the shore,
and few Of those slightly bruised managed
to obtain footheld and to crawl upon the
bank.
Two of the passengers, D. M. and Wright
Hawthorne, who, with their families, we're
on board, escaped unhurt, and at once went
to work to rescue their less fortunate co M
panions. They waded back and forth from
the scene of the explosion to the shore, and
finally succeeded in rescuing all who were
on boards not, however, without great diff
Guilty.
After all had bean got ashore, and DR..
Perkins, who had been fishing near by, had
been hastily summoned, it was ascertained
that the injuries of several of the party
were of very serious nature.
Capt. AL. II. Rockwell, the owner and
commander of the steamer, was seriously
wounded in the left side and somewhat
soalded, besides sustaining severe internal
injuries from which he will probably die.
He lies in precarious condition.
The engineer, N. F. Haines, had his left
elbow dislocated, was cut badly in the face.
and scalded all over the upper part of his
body. He presented horrible sight, and
can only recover az by a miracle.
Isaac Dean and wife, of Mankato, were
both badly hurt, the former very seriously,
and he lies in critical condition.
Mrs. Anna Huff, of Mounds City, and her
sister May were both somewhat bruised, but
not seriously.
Mr.. and Mrs. D. D. Walker, of St. Louis,
sustained painful bruises, and scalds. Mrs.
Walker was cut and bruised in her right leg,
and her clothes were torn almost completely
from her body.
Mrs. Beakey, mother of Mrs. Walker, an
old lady 62 years of age, was injured in the
back and internally, and owing to her ad.
vanced age and infrmity may not recover.
The following escaped uninjured or with
but slight bruises:
BERTHE Walker, son of D. D. Walker, Of
st. Louis.
MI. and Mrs. D. M. Hawthorne and child
Mr.. and Mrs. Wright Hawthorne and tw<
children.
Mrs. s. B. Cowdrey, of Faribault.
Soon after DR.. Perkins arrival DR.. +. s
Sewan arrived at the scene and the injured
were promptly cared for, and late this even
ing DR.. Klmbau, of Minneapolis, arrived, K
render such assistance as was possible.
THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER
was visited by large number of people from
the surrounding country. Only few plank
from the wreck of the steamer were floatins
about the margin of tie lake. The hui
had sunk, and was apparently badly shat
tered. The boiler had been thrown by tn
force of the explosion over an embankmen
thirty feet high, breaking down several tee
six inches in diameter, ard landed 300 fee
away from the scene of the explosion. 1t
marvellous that all on board were not IN
stantly killed.
The boat was mere tub, not fit for navi
cation of the lake, and the boiler, one q
the Ames Manufacturing company's, wa
old and nearly worn out. Opinions diffe
AZ to the cause of the explosion, but lac