St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-09
A SEALED VERDICT.
Tom Downs Boiler Explosion
ProperIy Investigated.

The special committee, composed of
Aid. Gray, Woodward and Fultz, APP
pointed to investigate Tom Downs
boiler explosion, met in the council
chamber last evening. Aid. FultZ is
chairman of the committee, but AID.
GRAY seemed to know more about boilers
than the rest. and therefore acted
as coroner and busted himself with the
construction of deep and carefully
worded interrogations, calculated to
bring out the facts in the case. En-
gineer Collins. who has had charge
of the mechanical plant at the
city hall for some years, was
the first witness. He was not
present at the time of the explosion,
and didn't know very much about it.
He considered his fireman, Ed EnStad,
entirely competent and trustworthy.
Enstad was the next witness. After
telling. at the request of Aid. Wood
wGrd, his experience in and Qualitica-
tons for the position of fire
man, he said that he came
in just before O'Clock on April 30-the
night of the eXplosiOn-and started up
the fire. having first ascertained by
means of the water gauge that there
was plenty of water in the boilers. He
ALSO ttSlILeu llIdl TIC Aftu PuHipOu
the boiler full of water on leav-
forenoon Engineer Collins also re-
membered that the boilers were filed at
that time. Eustad thought the fire
hadn't been burning more than seven
minutes when the explosion took place.
He did not know if the valves between
the water gauge and boilers were open
or shut when he started the fire.
Engineer Collins was recalled. and
said it was quite an easy matter for peo-
pie who had no business there to get
into the engine and boiler rooms, and
he had reason TO believe that the
steam gauge had been tempered with
on one occasion before the day of
the explosion. His reason for believ-
ing this to be the case was the fact that
on one day the water went down faster
than it should, and after making an in
vestigation he found the blow-of valve
open.
James Murphy, an empioye of the
Hartford Boiler Inspection and Insur-
ance company, and Collins, the local
agent of the company, and Engineer
Collins all testified to examining the
boiler after the explosion. and all
agreed tibet the boiler had exploded on
account OF there being a fire
under it when there was only
pailful or two of water in if, and said
that the water gauge might have
showed water in the boiler when there
was none there, if the valve between
the gauge and the boiler had been
closed before the water was run off.
Mr.. Murphy had inspected the boiler
Two weeks before the explosion and
found it in good condition.
The committee agreed upon a report,
but as it hadn't been gotten in shape
for presentation. they refused to say
what it was. The verdict will un-
doubtedly be that the cause of the eX-
plOSion was the building of a
fire under the boiler when it
was empty, and that this was done by
reason of the gauges having been mon
keyed with by some malicious person,
OF persons, to this committee unknown.
Continued Again.
The state asked for another contin-
nance in the case of E. Ii. Hall, charged
with selling mortgaged property. The
reason for asking the continuance was
the fact that William Foley. an i'm
portant witness for the prosecution,
seems to have disappeared. Judge Ma
honey put the case over two weeks.