Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-30

WAS interviewed by your correspondent q
Simpsons boarding house this afternoon
In response to query Mr., Walker stated
that himself, wife, boy and wife's mother
Mrs. Beakey, had embarked on the May
Queen for short excursion trip, leaving {
two year old child and an infant at the board.
il Z house.
The May Queen had stopped at Rock.
wells Island for the purpose of landing
some passengers, and Capt. Rockwell had
boarded the boat and was standing on the
guards directly opposite Mr.. Walker, who
was separated by the cabin partition, when
the command to start was given, immedi.
ately after which the explosion took place
the Walker family being the only ones in
the front part of the boat Walker and his
family were all thrown into the water, which
was not considered over four or five feet
deep. With the exception of few bruises,
MIR. Walker escaped without injury, while
his young son was not in the least harmed.
The injuries sustained by Mrs. Walker
were quite painful but not very serious,
consisting of several bruises on her right
leg and sprained knee.
The injuries suffered by Mrs. Beakey
were at first considered fatal, but her con
dltlon to-day was very matt rally improved,
and hopes are now entertained of her re-
covory. Mrs. Beakey's injuries consist of
bruises on the left leg and hip, and very
serious bruise on the left side the
heart, in addition to which she complains
OF severe pain in the shoulder blade. She
was conscious to-day but unable to move.
Drs. Small, Perkins and Kimball we're on
hand shortly after the explosion, and every
aid was rendered that could ease or alleviate
the pain of the sufferers.
CAPT. RoCKWELL's CONDITION.
A visit to Rockwell's island was made by
your correspondent this afternoon for the
purpose of ascertaining the exact nature of
Capt. Rockwell's and Engineer Haines' in
juries. When the reporter called Capt.
Rockwell was sleeping and it was considered
best not to disturb his slumbers. AS far as
ascertained no bones were broken and the
lungs are considered unimpaired, while the
exact nature of the internal injuries have
not been definitely determined, but it is
thought that he will finally recover.
ENGINEER HA1NES
was found totally unconscious, and his in
juries are of such precarious nature as to
almost preclude the hope of recovery. Bad
ly scalded from the waist up, the appearance
of Haines is that of livid mass of par
boiled flesh, and under the circumstances
his recovery would be quite miraculous.
His breathing to-day was forced and ex
ceedingly heavy. and during the poor fell
lows incoherentsravings was distinguished
the following significant remark: "Guessed
was little hole in the boiler" Mr.. o. F.
aaines, a brother to the victim, doing bust
ness in Minneapolis, was at the bedside of
his brother, and frou him it learned
that the sufferer was practical engineer of
over ten years experience, having run boat
for four years on the waters of Lake George,
York State. Haines is unmarried and had
only been on the May Queen month.
CRIMINAL CARELEssNEss.
The scene of the explosion and surround
lngs were carefully inspected by your CORE
to-day, and his investigatiofes re-
suited in the conviction that the explosion
was the result of criminal inattention or care
lessness. A huge section of warped and dis
torted boiler iron, with its murderous and
ragged edges deeply ploughed in the earth,
rested high on the ernbankment, fifty yards
from the scene of the explosion.
TERRIFIC FORCE.
The sad story was further told by the ap-
pearance of the trees that came in the way,
but failed to intercept the flight of tho dead
ly and titanic missile. Two trees over
foot in diameter, were snapped asunder with
the ease and precision that would have at
tended the breaking OF as many brittle pipe
stems.
In looking at the wreck it would be diff
cult to conjecture where the destruction
would have ended had the flying boiler not
the earth, where it lay partially
imbedded in the ground. Strange as 1t may
seem portion of the boiler was turned com
pletelY insid out, and what remained of
the wreck presented the appearance of time
worn and
ROTTEN POT IRON.
Aside from the melancholy wreck pre-
3ented by the boiler, all that remained of
the May Queen was the top of the pilot box
boating in the waters where the boat went
down, and a fewIperpendicular stanchions in.
aicating the position of the buried hull
With respect to the direct cause of the explo-
ons, which does not shift the re-
sponsibility from those in charge
Of the May Queen at the time of the catas-
'rophe, as information was obtained to-day
showing that the boat was generally consid-
cred by those conversent in such matters,
10 be
ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS FOR NAVIGATION.
Among limited few, the impression holds
hat instead of exploding from undue pres
'ure of steam, the boiler succumbed owing
% an inadequate supply of water, which does
not alter the main and incontrovertable fact
hat according to the most enlightened evil
1ence the boiler was old, rotten, and unfit for
use. While the GLOBE representative was
the wreck he was approached
~ y. f. Haines. brother of the engineer,
md practical blacksmith. Mr.. Haines car
led in his hands number of bolts from the
boiler and piece of boiler iron, all the met
lie of which was so brittls as to be almost
broken without other aid than the hands.
The attention of your correspondent was
called to section of iron from the boiler
which has the appearance OF having had
seam or crack nearly two feet long, while
The metal was as
BRITTLE AS CAST IRON.
In accordance with the la ter theory it is
stated by those thoroughly acquainted
with the May Queen that her
boiler was disfgured by breach or blister.
which extended entirely across the crown
sheet. According to the information at
hand it was considered unsafe to carry more
khan forty pounds of steam MISUNDERSTANDING