River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-07-03
MINNETONKA HORROR.
one PICTIlr DEAD IND TW0 OTHERS
IN CRITICAL CONDITION.
From the St Paul Daily Globe July i.

- ~ AuA lJalty NfiODe Juiy L.
MINNEAPOLIS, June 30-The engineer of the
Ill fated steamer, May Queen, which exploded
on Lake Mlnnetonka on Saturday, died Of his
INJURIES TINS morning. Capt. Rockwell and
MRS beakey are In very critical condition
and their recovery is doubtful The rest of
the injured are dong we'll.
A GLOBE reporter called upon Commissioner
uienn, OF minneapolis, yesterday, who is one
of the best boiler makers in the Northwest Ia
get his opinion of the Minnetonka disaster. he
has no theory as to the cause OF the explosion.
The Ames company rank among the best in the
country, and an examination would be neces
sary 70 determine the cause. IL does not fol-
low that boiler which tests high to-day may
not explode with much less pressure of steam
the next day.
He thought all the boats on Minnetonka
should be closely inspected. He presumed the
boat which exploded was as good as any of the
others Referring to the test which Capt. Nav
told GLOBE reporter had been made of the
Hattie May boilers at the North Star works
MIR. Gienn gave plump denial. He was fore
man Tor several years at those works aud he
says no such test ever took place. In Fl ct the
boiler which Capt. May says gave 20S pounds
test never carr u over 100 pounds, and rarely
more than 10 POUNDS. His views were decided
ly unfavorahe to the Minnetonka boats
THE LAKE CALHOUN STEAMER.
AS the new ronte to Lake Calhoun is attract
ing good deal of attention. the GLOBE man
asked hlr, Glenn eh0ut the supposed new boat
on that lake. MI. Glenn says the boiler is not
new and needs inspection worse than any of
the others. 1t Is at least fifteen years old and
was condemned when The North Star works got
It seven years ago. Ii was patched up
Tor Amber grist mill, in this city, and finally
condemned second time and traded off for a
new one Some new patches were then rut on
and 1t now ranks as nice boiler for pleasure
steamer He knows it is the same boiler be-
cause be recognized the patches on it while on
an excursion last Saturday. The boiler has
worn out three tTe boxes. and when boiler
has done that it has exhausted its own value
NOT VERY STRONG DEFENSE.
Col. McCrory, the president of the Lyndale
road, was met by the GLOBE reporter on til. Z
o'clock train for the lake, and after hearing
Mr.. Glenn's statement said that Glenn was
mad because he did not get the chance to put
new $500 boiler in the boat. He said that
the boiler had been examined by MIR. j. j
English, OF the Baltimore Locomotive works,
and pronounced perfectly safe. 1t had stood
a 240 pound test, and that the RICHEST pressure
that they now used was 60 pounds. He told
the reporter to go to j. w. johnson and he
would tell him ali about it,
Mr.. j. w. johnson, proprietor of the North
Star Iron Works, was then found by GLOBE
reporter at his residence, and after being read
what MIR. Glenn had said in regard to the
boiler in the new steamer at Lake Calhoun,
the following conversation ensued.
RS the statement made by Mr.. Gleen in
reference to the boiler at Lake Calhoun, cor
rect? -
Mr.. J.-It is not
R.-Ihen the boiler YVES never condemned?
Mr.. J.--Some parts of it were.
R.-Can you say that it is safe to use it.?
Mr. For the pursose now used it is per-
fectly safe if properly handled.
R.-Are there any patches on the boiler? Go
this question Mr. johnson appeared reticent
and made the following evasive answer:)
Mr.. J.-All the parts near the fire are entire
ly new, only portion of the old hull remains
and that is just as good new.
R.-Then you would not feel alarmed to take
your family on the boat for sail.
Mr. il would feel safe sitting on the
boiler for year the way it is handled now. 1t
is just as good as u new one in the hands Oh
the engineer who runs it now.
While Mr.. johnson did not wish to say any
thing about the unsafe condition of the boiler
yet his manner and answers to the questions
were not as free as they might be if the boiler
was a one, as it is advertised to be.