St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-20
Poor Apologies Are Used on
Some Of the Minnetonka
Steamers.
Canvas Sacks Are Filled With
Grass and Reeds Instead
of Cork.
The U. S. Inspector Grants
Certificates and Passes the
Bogus Floats.
Captains Are Surprised When
They Find How They We're
Imposed Upon.

ssIn case of sudden storm on Lake
Minnetonka, how would the thousands
of passengers Oh the many boats reach
shore?" was the question asked of the
GLOBE few days ago. A member of
the staff was assigned to look the mat
ter up. His instructions were to board
the different steamboats, and to make
careful examination of the life preserv-
ers-not that anything wrong was
feared, but to satisfy the people of
Minneapolis and st. Paul that the
work of the United States inspector
had been we'll done, and that
such disaster as occurred at
Lake Pepin was we'll nigh impossible at
popular Minnetonka. The reporter made
a thorough and careful examination.
and discovered that on many of the
boats the so-called life preservers were
worse than useless. : In most cases the
captains declared their boats had been
regularly inspected, and pointed to the
certificates signed by the government
inspector, which were displayed con-
spicuously. Very often the 'life pre-
servers" bore the stamp of the inspector,
while in truth they should have been
thrown out had the inspector done his
whole duty. Many of the captains were
ignorant of the contents of the canvas
bags which were miSnamed life pre-
servers, and there was considerable in
dignation expressed when their true
nature was made known.
The Navigation cOmpany'S boats, the
City of St. Louis, the Hattie May and
the Saucy Kate, are we'll equipped. The
reporter boarded the City of st. Louis
yesterday, and, meeting Capt. johnson,
said:
..'Captain, have heard that you only
have thirty-siX life preServers on this
boat, and you often carry 1000 passen-
gers"
.'Hardly. Why, I've got any quantity
of good cork preservers. There are
nearly l, 100 on board; besides, there are
over 100 floats and three life boats that
will live in any sea. Now you can take
any of the boats in our fleet and you will
find them we'll provided with applian-
ceS for saving life in case of an emer-
gency. Now, this is not due to the
good work of the United States inSpec-
tor, for if you will look at some of the
boats he has passed this year, guess
you will find few things that will
make you open your eyes,"
A visit to the other two boats belong
ing to the navigation company showed
that they were well supplied with cork
preservers which would support a man
in the water for an indefinite period.
Looking up ife-preSeryers, are you?
Well, come aboard and don't be afraid
to report just what you see," said Capt:
Frank Mann, of the Rosander. one of
tho oldest and most skillful, as well as
popular, of the lake captains. There's
no seaweed here that know of; and in
fact if there was all accident don't be-
lieve would ask my passengers to put
on the life-preserverS. We carry life
raft that will accommodate fifty people,
and l never put over thirty on the boat.
Here are sixty life-preServerS made out
of sheet cork; stick your knife into
them, and you will find them all right.
Nobody is going to get drowned off this
boat. Just take look at some OF the
others, and perhaps you won't find
things so nice"
.All my life preservers are made of
cork" exclaimed Capt. johnson, OF the
Hebe. An examination, however,
showed that the few canvas bags the
captain had called life preservers were
filled with grass and reeds, and were
just the same as those which caused the
death of some of the people on Lake
Pepin.
The steamer Virgie was found to be
supplied with five bags filled with reeds
practically worthless as life savers.
The Kathaline had the same
kind of preservers, and the
captain pointed to his certificate
signed by United States Inspector
Clark, and said it was none of his bust
ness. The Why Not was well supplied
with cork preservers, and, besides, car
ried large float OH deck. By some
means it became Doised about the lake
that government Inspector was look
ing after life preservers, and most of
the other boats kept out of the way.
Enough was discovered to show that on
many of the boats the appliances for
saving life were inadequate, and that
should a sudden storm arise and an ac-
cident occur there would be terrible
loss of life. Some one is to blame for
such state of affairs. Who is it?