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 BOAT GOES TO THE BOTTOM
While the Boiler Flies 800 Feet to the
Woods.
NAMES OF ALL THE VICTIMS.
Speculation and Theories as to the Caus e
Of the Explosion.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.

Especial Telegram to the Globe.
EXCELSIOR, June 29.-At 11:30 A. M. 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 MINI 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. A crash
in the midst of a small grove indicated the
direction the boiler, or that which remained
of it, had taken. AS soon as the concussio
had subsidized the shrieks of
the wounded and inperilled passengers
were heard, and mass of struggling hu-
mainly was seen amid the debris of the
wreck in the water. The scene was terrible
among the few persons who were near enough
to behold it. Fortunately the water was
shallow, and several of those uninjured by
the explosion made their way to tho 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, were
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 board: not, however, without great diff
Guilty.
After all had been 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. FL. Rock we'll, the owner and
commander Of the steamer, was seriously
wounded in the left side and somewhat
scalded, besides sustaining severe internal
injuries from which he will probably die.
he lies in precarlous 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 as by a miracle.
Isaac Dean and wife, of Mankato, we're
both badly hurt, the former very seriously
and he lies in a critical condition.
Mrs. Anna Huff, of Mounds City, and he1
sister May we're both somewhat bruised, bu
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, al
old lady 81 years of age, was injured in tn,
back and internally, and owing to her ad
vanced age and infrmity may not recover.
THE SAVED.
The following escaped uninjured or will
but slight bruises
BERTHE Walker, a son of D. D. Walker, 0
st. Louis.
Mr.. 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
Sewall arrived at the scene, and the injure,
were promptly cared for, and late this even
ing DR.. Kimball, of Minneapolis, arrived, t
render such assistance as was possible.
THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER
was visited by large number of people fror
the surrounding country. Only few plank
from the wreck of the steamer we're hoatin
about the margin of tie lake. The hui
had sunk, and was apparently badly sha,
tered. The boiler he'd been thrown by th
force of the explosion over an embankmen
thirty feet high, breaking down several tee
six inches in diameter, and landed 300 fee
away from the scene of the explosion. It
marvellous that all on board were not III
stantly killed.
The boat was a mere tub, not fit for nav
CATION of the lake, and the boiler, one
the Ames Manufacturing company's, We
old and nearly worn out. Opinions diffe
as to the cause of the explosion, but lac