Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-02
The Steamboat Mary Goes up With a
Crash.
MINNETONKA SUMMER ROUTINE.
Three Killed, One Fatally Wounded
and Others Injured.
BOAT THAT WAS CONDEMNED
Is
Still Allowed to do Business and Mur-
der the Unwary.
RELIEF TO BE SOON SUPPLIED
BOAT THAT WAS CONDEMNED
RELIEF To BE SOON SUPPLIED
By the Railroad now Being Built
Around One Side of the Lake.

number of accidents by 'food and field" by
which continually prey upon human life.
During the past few weeks the columns of
the GLOBE have teemed with accounts of
frlghtful disasters at sea, a,-upon our inlaud
waters, and by cyclones, ,simoons, hurricanes,
ETC., etc. Up to yesterday Minnesota seemed
to bear charmed life. and had escaped
from all these disasters which like a pesti-
lenoe which walketh at night and waiteth
at MONDAY, had cast gloom over so many
communities. The GLOBE had began to con-
gratulate itself and its readers upon this
providential exemption from ills of such ilk,
when its dream was sadly dispeled at an
early hour yesterday morning by q special
telegram from Wayzatta stating that the
steamer Mary, owned and run by Major Geo.
B.Halsted ,on Lake Minnetonka, had blown up
killing number of persons and I'M uring
still larger number. In all such cases rumor
with its thousand tongues is given to exag-
geration, and within q few moments the
GLOBE reporters were on the trail of these
reports,and before night all the genuine facts
were obtained and are laid before its read
ers this morning. Briefly the facts may be
stated as follows:
At 5 O'Clock yesterday morning fire was
placed in the furnace of the Steamer Mary,
then lying at the wharf at Excelsior on Lake
Minnetonka. She left the wharf at $40 A.
NJ, having on board no one except the crew,
. which consisted of Wm Chadwick, engineer,
John Steward, pilot, and Edwin S. Perkins,
fireman. The run was made from Excelsior
to the wharf of the Hotel st. Louis in about
half hour arriving there about 6:25 A. NJ.
At this point three passengers got aboard
named Mrs EgintoD, her cousin Miss Pointer,
and Mr.. j. Il. Plattenburg, of Canton, ILL.,,
all guests at the Hotel st. Louis, who in
tended taking the early morning trair for
st. Paul. A number of the employees of
the hotel had come down to see the little
party off and Just as the line was being
cast off the boiler of the steamer exploded
with terrible effect, blowing most of the up
per portion of the boat into atoms and
instantly killing two persons -mortally
wonnding two more and severely injuring
several others.
As stated above the boat was lying at the
Hotel st. Louis. John Steward, the pilot,
was at his post. VIM. Chadwick, the engi-
peer, had just opeued the furnace doors to
see about the fires. E. S. Perkins, the fire.
man, had Just stepped ashore to cast off the
line Mr.. Plattenburg was standing beside
the boiler and near to Chadwick, and the
two ladies, Mrs. Eginton and Miss Pointer,
we're in the after part of the boat within
three feet of the rear of the boiler, and G. A.
Gaines, the head water of the hotel was few
feet off, having come aboard TO deliver some
message to the ladies. A number of other
persons were standing on the wharf, when,
without a moments warning or the slightest
intimation of what was to take place, the
boiler exploded, scattering death and de-
struction on every side. TIE engineer,
Chadwick, was killed instantly, in fact rend-
cred mass of broken flesh and bones.
Gaines, the head waiter, was blown out into
the lake some fifty feet,
where his lifeless remains
were found about an hour after the explo-
sion. Mr.. Plattenburg was picked up alive,
but terribly bruised, and he expired in about
an hour. Steward, the pilot, was blown
out into the lake, but was rescued before
drowning. He had four ribs broken, and
was otherwise badly bruised and burned.
Mrs. Eginton and Miss Pointer escaped
without scratch or the mark of injury
about them. Of the six persons on board of
o& &hn
were males, and the two ladies
referred to. Three of the men
were killed almost instantly, and the others
it is said, cannot recover. Surely there is
providence that looks after the gentler sex.
Of those on shore, E. S. Perkins, the fire,
man, was burned about the left shoulder and
neck, but not seriously. Frank Adams, the
chief clerk of the hotel, Who had come down
to see the party off, was slightly burned
about the face. A. S. Dimond, publisher of
the Tourist, was knocked down by the con-
cussion and the shock prostrated him. He
was taken to the hotel, and yesterday after
nooa he was doing we'll. Three other en-
ployes of the hotel, known as colored Jim,
Lazy, coloredlboy, and English George"
were more or less bruised and injured, but
not seriously.
REMAINS.
As may naturally be supposed, the terrible
accident created no little excitement at this
quiet summer resort. The hotel where it
occurred is almost isolated from the outside
world, being located in the center of what is
known as the lower lake, being equi-distant
from Wayzatta and Excelsior, being about
three miles distant from each point. There
were q number of guests in the house, all
of whom were awakened by the noise of th
explosion, G and in few moments the lawn in
front of the hotel leading to the bank of the
lake was filled with an excited throng. DR..
Moore, of st. Louis, who Is a guest at the
hotel, was quickly on the ground, and rem
dered such professional services as the un-
fortunate victims required, and shortly af-
forwards, he was joined by DIR. Perkins of
Wayzatta. Poor Oadwiek and Gaines had
passed beyond medical skill, and young Plat
tenburg was past all aid. Steward showed
coma sions of recovery, and all that medical