The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-07-02
MINNETONKA HORROR.
ONE VICTIM DEAD AND TWO OTHERS
IN CRITICAL CONDITION..
rom tho st Paul Daily Globe July !.

From tho st Paul Daily Globe July l. 80,
MINNEAPOLIS, June 30-The engineer of the
Ill fated steamer, May Queen, which exploded
on Lake Minnetonka ON Saturday, died of his
INJURIES this morning. Capt. Rockwell and
yrs. beakey are in very critical condition
ana tnelr recovery is doubtful. The rest of
the injured are dong we'll.
!, uLoBE reporter called upon Commissioner
dienn, OF minneapolis, yesterday, who is one
OF the pest boiler makers in the Northwest, to
get his opinion of the Minnetonka disaster. He
has no theory as to the cause OF the explosion
Inc Ames company rank among the best in the
country, ana an examination would be neces-
sary to determine the cause 1t does not fol-
low that boiler which tests high to-day NAV
not explode with a much less pressure Of steam
the next day.
He thought all the boats on Minnetonka
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,
Mr.. Glenn gave plump denial. He was fore
man for several years at those works and he
says no such test ever took place. In fact the
boiler which Capt. May lays gave 208 pounds
test never carried over 100 pounds, and rarely
more than Is pounds. His views were decided
~ untavorable to the Minnetonka boats.
THE LAKE CALHOUN STEAMER.
AS the new route to Lake Calhoun is attract
A"s s."u ue"A VI attentlOn, the GLOBE man
asked Mr. Glenn about the supposed new boat
on that lake. Mr.. 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. 1t was patched up
Tor Annlers gr'st mill, in this city, and finally
condemned second time and traded off for a
new one. Some new patches were then MT On
and 1t now ranks as q nice boiler for pleasure
steamer de knows it is the same boiler be-
cause he recognized the patches on it while IN
an excursion last Saturday. The boiler has
worn out three ire boxes, and when q boiler
mas done That 1t has exhausted its own value.
NOT VERY STRONG DEFENSE
Col McCrory, the president of the Lyndale
road, was met by the GLOBE reporter on th 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 S9'W 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
z4O 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 all about it.
Mr.. }. w. johnson, proprietor of the North
Star Iron Works, was then found by GLOBE
reporter at his residence, aud after being read
what Mr.. Glenn had said in regard to the
boiler IN the new steamer at Lake Calhoun,
the following conversation ensued.
k.-ls the statement made by MIR. eileen, in
reference to the boiler at Lake Calhoun, cor
| rect?
Mr.. J.-It is not.
R.-Then the boiler was never condemned?
Mr. J:-Some parts of it were.
k.-Can you say that it is safe to use it?
MIR. For the pursose now used it is per-
tectly safe if properly handled.
k.-Are there any patches on the boiler? (To
this question Mr. johnson appeared reticent,
and made the following evasive answer:)
Mr.. JAIL the parts near the fire are entire
ly new, only portion of the old hull remains
and that is just as good az new.
R.-Then you would not feel alarmed to take
your family on the boat for a sail.
Mr.. il would feel safe sitting on the
boiler for a year the way it is handled now 1t
Is just as good as q new one in the hands of
| the engineer who runs it now.
While Mr.. johnson did not wish to say any,
thing about the unsafe condition of the boiler
YET MS manner and answers to the questions
were not as free as they might be if the boiler
| was new one, as it is advertised to be.