Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-01
NUMBER 1853
MINNETONKA HORROR.
ONE VICTIM DEAD AND TWO OTHERS
IN CRITICAL CONDITION..
All of the MinnotOnka Boats Unsafe-Tho
Hattie May Never Tested as Reported
She is as Dangerous as Any of Them-A
Terribly Dangerous Boat on Lake Gel
houn-A Boiler Fifteen Years Old and
Twice Condemned.

MINNEAPOLIS, June 30.-The engineer of the
i'll fated steamer, May Queen, which exploded
on Lake Minnetonka on Saturday, died of his
injuries this morning. Capt Rockwell and
Mrs. Beakey are in very critical condition
the injured are dong we'll.
NO M1NNEroNKA BOAT SAFE.
A GLOBE reporter called upon Commissioner
Glenn, of Minneapolis, yesterday, who is one
of the best boiler makers in the Northwest, to
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 to determine the cause. 1t does not fol-
low that boiler which tests high to-day may
not explode with a much less pressure of steam
the next day. 44
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. May
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 be
says no such test ever took place. In. fact The
boiler which Capt. May says gave 2O8 pounds
test never carried over 100 ponnds, and rarely
more than 70 pounds. His views were decided
~ uuA1VOI6Ulo I'd Inc mlnnelOnka boats.
THE LAKE CALHOUN STEAMER. =
As the new route to Lake Calhoun is attract
ing good deal of attention, 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 wears old and
was condemned when the North Star works got
it seven years ago. It was patched up
for Anhiers grist mill, in this city, and finally
condemned second time and traded off for
new one. Some new patches were then Tut on
and 1t now ranks as nice boiler for pleasure
steamer. He knows it is the same boiler be-
cause he recognized the patches on it while on.
an excursion last Saturday. The boiler has
worn out three fire boxes, and when a 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 rep rter on tn,
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
q new $9t)0 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 24O pound test, and that the highest pressure
that they now used was 60 pounds He told
the reporter to 60 to- j. W. johnson and be
would tell him all about it.
Mr.. J. 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.
Rs the statement made by Mr. eileen. in
reference to the boiler at Lake Calhoun, cor
rect?
! Mi. Ut is not.
R.-Then the boiler wss never condemned2
Mr.. J.-Some parts Of it were.
K.-Can you say that it is safe to use it?
Mr.. j. For the pursose now used it is per-
fectly safe if properly handled.
K.-Are there any patches on the boiler? Ito
this question Mr.. johnson appeared reticent,
and made the following evasive answer:)
+ Mr. ALI the parts near the fire are entire
~ new, only portion of the old hull remains
and that is just as good as new.
R.-Thcn you would not feel alarmed to take
your family on the boat for sail.
MIR. il would feel safe sitting on the
boiler for a year the way it is handled now. Its
is just as good as a new one in the hands of
the engineer who runs it now.
While Mr.. Johnson did not wish to saw 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 new one, as it is advertised to be- #