The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-14
THE MINNETONKA DISASTER.
Some Account by an Eyewitness Of the
Storm that Swamped the Minnie Cook.

MINNEAPoLIs, Mimi, July lathe first evi
dence Of disaster from the storm yesterday at
Lake Minretonka was found in pieces of trim
ming from the yacht Minnie Cook, which foated
in on the waves at the east shore Of Waywatta
Bay. Large sturdy boats went in search Of the
Inflated little craft but no further trace of her
could be had. It was at last determined that she
sunk and that the ten passengers, ex-Mayor
Rand and party, who embarked on their
perilous journey in such happy spirits, had
perished Later boatman named James Car
roll, who had miraculously succeeded in wealth
ering the tornado in yawl, appeared on the
Waywatta Bay beach, dragging his miniature
craft after him. When he had recovered sufi-
GENTLY from his fright and exhaustion to
speak coherently, he told of having passed the
Minnie Cook just before tho squal struck the
bay. He thought the party had observed the
danger, and was quite certain that Engineer Nc
Donald had turned the yacht from her course
into the bay. The next moment his boat was
raised heavenward, as if raised out of the water
by some superhuman agency, and then he was
enveloped in spray Soon afterward he heard a
Shrek like that of woman in acute distress
and, looking off through the almost binding
mist to the spot where the yacht was moment
before floating nothing was to be seen but the
white caps and the waves rolling mountain high.
He was sure the shrek he heard was tllat of
Mrs Rand. and that the Minnie cee;. G. thnt
instant capsZed. Fortunately, he fell into the
bottom of his yawl, ana there clung until the
squall had passed. The following is list of the
passengers on the yacht: Elk mayor Rand. aged
fifty six; Mrs. Rand, aged fifty Mary Rand, aged
sixteen, daughter of the above; Harvey Rand,
aged thirteen, son; Frank Rand, aged eighteen,
a nephew; j. r. Coykendall, aged thirty five;
,jon rafa Coxr-
kendall, aged four, daughter of the above
Engineer George Mcdonald; Robert Hussey
aged ten, employed on the yacht
The bodies of Mrs Rand and engineer Nc
Donald were recovered and brought to Mime
apolis by special train Although the storm
was of brief duration, it is impossible yet to tell
whether the actual loss of life and property has
been fully ascertained.
Recovering the Bodies of the Drowned.
WAYwArrA, MINI, July 13.-Divers at
work from the steamer City of st. Louis to
recover the bodies lost in last nights storm, and
another party is here waiting transportation
to the scene of the wreck. The bodies of Mary
Rand, Frank Rand and Katie Coykendall were
recovered in about 100 feet of water.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, July 13-Divers and a
large force of men have been engaged all day in
recovering the bodies of the ten people drowned
in Lake Minnetonka last evening. In addition
to the bodies of Miss and Mrs. Rand, recovered
this. morning, the remains of Katie Coykendall
have been found by diver McDermott, clinging
to seat in the boat, which was
found lying in the mud under
sixty feet of water Frank Rand's body
was brought up by graphing hooks about one
hundred yards from the wreck The divers
port no more bodies in or about the boat and
say they can do no more on account of the deep
mud, into which they sink, unless they cling to
the boat The programme now is to try dyna-
mite and cannon, which have been asked for
from Fort Smelling.
BY the use of dynamite, the remaining four
bodies of the victims of the Minnetonka disaster
were brought to the surface and recovered to-
night. They were taken to Minneapolis on the
midnight train, and taken charge of by friends.