The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-16
Dynamite Blasts Fail TO Raise
the Drowned Ones.
MULTITUDE OF sIeHTsEERs
The Men on the Ill-Fa' ed Excursion
Steamer Were Drunk.
Women Were Insulted, Went Into the
Cabin and Were Lost-Another Lake
Gervaise Victim Dead-Mournful
Scenes in Red Wing.

RED VINO, Jnsv I5.-slxsy-six bodies were
brought here yesterday and laid out in an
empty storervom. and 10 this place Of death
have come mourning friends 20 claim their
dead aGd look in vain fer the sbsent All day
long pine boxes that suggest hesrsaches and
sheaFt-5reakings w re Icing carried from this
storeroom 10 the striekea homes OF the city. and
az many hearlhsEoue but one or two survivors
OF the family waiting the coming ot the
mortal clay OF their loved ones This is a day
Of funerals. nesry ali OF The bodies yet recoy-
ered being carried to GOO 's-ecre. where the last
words ol farewell and consolation are being
spoken. sud the falling earth, Us il strikes the
coffin lids boats also upon the hearts of the
mourners. ana tie agony OF their grief again
comes 10 them.
LAKE CRY. July I5-The lake shore wss made
to reverberate this morning. with the thunder
of dynamite, which was bfouyht into reauisi-
ton in the hope thai it would be OF help in
bringing some of the bodies to the surface. The
country people, who drove in from all directions
yesterday, were again ON haac, and ressdentss
were also there at an early hour, watching the
workers. military guard was kept up all
night at the beach. and they kep5 back srecta-
tors today, as they had done yesterday. A smil-
ing sky in no way reminded one Of the great
horror that had come upoa ,his whole section Of
the state.
Nothing new has developed along the lake
snofe, L0 DOuleB having CGS1 EcfCFEtGsl- AZ Is
probable that no more bodies viii be found for
two or three days, and 1t is hoped az Lake City
that there are not over dozen more ia the lake.
but at Red Wing the number is placed at two or
three times tha. number.
Captain wetheren has not been seen here since
yesterday AT noon. he 10 d aeititizen of Red
Wing that the number on beard at the time of
the disaster would not exceed 110. The Red
Wing man deuied the captains figures as being
over thirty below the truth. nn1 accused both
the captain and crew OF being drunk and unit
TO have charge of the boat al such time. There
is no proof OF such state of Affairs. There were
those on the barge among the passengers who
had been drinking, and whose actions drove
the women and children TO the cabiu. This fact
may be the ground for the rumor.
Another rumor that caused great indignation,
accused the captain OF ordering the cabin door
TO be locked and keeping people inside. Miss
Aggie Bartron, Of Lake City, Que OF those res
cued from the barge, says all the women and
children were ordered into the cabia from the
barge. Il would be natural for the eiptain 70
do this as IL was intensely dark and the rain and
hail made IL extremely disasreeaoie to remain
ON deck. On the other hand. the engineer says
that the Captain thought the barge safer than
the stesmer, aud sent the order down to the
cabin for the women and children 10 go on the
barge. Instead of carrying ous the order cor
rectIy, the man told them 10 stay in the cabin
that most Of tie women had left the barge for
the stea,neB telling the engineer that most of
the men on the barge we're Grunk aud had been
acting in sn Objectionable manner, and they
would not stay there Watcher these are the
facts nos, ii is cert ain that the door was Shut
If not locked, when the rescuers reached the
steamer. indicating that it had been closed
throughout.
Judge Bayreli, OF Argyle, who was in the boat
gives positive evidence against the charge of
drunkenness lie says that the captain was
not enly sober, but Was fully conscious of the
presence of the storm, although not fully appre-
hending it, gravity. The captain walked through
the cabin quietly, trying TO calm the excited
passengers and telling them be did not think
there was any danger, but II any wished to do
so they could put on lie preservers and prepare
for the WORT possibility. few minutes later
he once more made the same suggestion. The
charge sgainst the crew probably originated in
the behavior of some of the drunken male pas
sengers on the barge. Seeing he severity Of
the storm, the captain wished those who were
on the barge at the mercy of the wind and rain
and hail to seek refuge in the cabin, but later
he considered the barge the safer place, and or
derei the women and children 10 remain there.
The oder was Iuiscarried, or o. least such seems
TO have been the case.
If the people had known the part of the lake
many would have escaped. and cites the expert
ence OF Harry Mrhay. Young Mahey was on
board the Sea Wing, and when she drifted
around below the point she grounded for short
time on the bar. Knowing the water there was
shallow, he jumped over the rail and reached
the land The steamer drified along the shore.
keeping about forty or fifty yards out. All along
the bottom slopes very gradually down, so nearly
all could have escaped to the shore had they
known this fact.
This evening coroner's jury assembled, and
were about holding an inquest, when County
Attorney Wilson said the statutes provided that
the coroner shoald hold an inquest only where
there are marks OF violence on the body. AS
there were none such in the present ease. no in
quest could be held. He said. further, that be
believed it best taking into consideration
the frame OF mind OF the community. not TO
hold an inquest now even ii il could be held.
He assured the jnrymen as citizens that the
matter would be laid before the grand jury at
once, and rigid examination be had. The
Jury acted on his opinion and the coroner dis
missed them
This evening one more bcdy was ionnd-that
OF Rita Verts, aged a.
Captain wetheren, OF the ili-fated craft went
across the river TO his house near Diamond biuR
Ii was reported tonight that he had been placed
under arrest al the solicitation OF friends, who
feared possible violence.