Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-10
HARVEST DISASTER
A FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION NEAR
SALTWATER.
Frt0htfut Calamity on Elias McCatne,s
Farm In Washtaaton Connty--Herbers
Young. James Graham and Ellsscorth
Foy Fatally Injured -RfJs Broken, An
arm Torn off and Terribly Scalded--De-
tails Of the Tragic 1fatr.
Especial Telegram to the Globe. |

SALTWATER, Aug. "a sad accident occurreJ
this morning on the farm of Mr.. Elias McC Caiue
about FIVE miles below this city, by which grief
and desolation was brought into three once
happy homes. Mr.. McOaine had made arrange
ments to commence thrashing his grain at noon,
and had gone to Lakeland for an experienced
engineer. Meanwhile, Mr.. Jas. Graham had
brought his thrashing machine on the ground.
and got everything ready for work. Not being
quite sure, however, that the machine and en-.
gine was in good working order, he concluded to
raise up steam and see If everything was right.
1t seems that the steam gauge and safety
value did not work satisfactory, and Mr.. Her
bert Young, practical enRineer, happening to
pass by on his way to the city, Mr.. Graham
asked him to come over and tell him wha. the
trouble was. One glance at the boiler
and engine was sufficient to con.
vince Mr.. Young that there was
danger of an explosion and he ordered Mr..
Graham to take out the fire at once. This
being done MIR. Young stepped to the side of
the boiler to inspect the guage, when, With ter
rific force, the boiler exploded, scattering the
fragments hundreds of feet in every direotion,
and fatally. as it seems, iniuring three and
seriously wounding one of the persons who
stood in close proximity to the machine.
Mr., Young had three of his ribs crushed in
to the lung. Mr.. Graham was terribly scalded.
and Mr.. Ellsworth Fay had his right arm torn
off below the shoulder, and had the end of a
three-eiehths inch screw driven into his fore.
head. Augustus Graham. lad of 15 years of
age, was thrown from the wagon on which he
sat and had his collar bone broken.
A Amessenger was Immediately dispatched to
Hudson, for Doctors King and Hoyt, and
another to Saltwater for Doctors Millard and
Pratt, while still others were sent to Lake
land to inform the relatives of the unfortunate
ones of the painful catastrophy. Meanwhile
the three first named sufferers were carefully
carried into the barn. on McCaine's premises
and laid upon blankets spread upon hay, and
hospital assistants, the wounds of the injured
were attended to as well as could be done.
Upon the arrival of the doctors, and after an
examination of the nature of the iniuries
Mr.. Graham and Mr.. Young were at once taken
to their respective homes in the village of
Lakeland.
Young Fay wss unconscious when the sur
geon examined him, and they concluded to
amputate fhe arm then and there which ope-
ration was performed by Doctors Hoyt, King
and Pratt. After that, the piece of iron was re-
moved from his forehead. By that time he had
regained consciousness, and looking ut the
stump of his right arm, inquired: "Where is my
arm?" Silently the surgeon pointed to the
severed limb lying on the ground. Poor Els
worth looked at it Q moment, and then turning
away said, ''Take me heme." His father and
mother had arrived at the scene of tie catas-
trophy about the same time that the physicians
did, and the grief of the strickeu parents was
heast-ren3ing in the extreme. It is now
thought chat neither of the three will recover
from the injuries received. The sad calamity
has cast gloom over the whole community.
for all the persons injured were highly esteem
ed by all who knew them.