St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-22
The Use Of Explosives Fails
to Compel the Water
to Yield.
And the Fatal Stream Still
Keeps It's Secret Of
the Dead.
Great Crowds Throng the
Bridge and Watch Pro-
ceedings.

The booming Of cannon and the eX-
ploding of dynamite cartridges from the
bed of the Mississippi river yesterday
afternoon attracted one OF the largest
crowds of people ever seen on the hlgh
bridge. Early in the forenoon the crowd
began to come, and by o'clock III the
afternoon there was dense throng OF
humanity, consisting of foot passengers
by the hundreds and teams by the score.
1t was a merry throng, and stranger
not aware of the purpose of the
miniature fleet of row boats un-
derneath the bridge would have sup
posed tine occasion a regatta and the
firing of the cannon simply the signal
for the starting of the different events.
But among that crowd were many with
sad hearts. in whom the reverDeratlonS
of the explosions awakened memories
OF pity and regret at the fate OF their
fellow citizen, Charles S. Rogers. 10
the immediate family those heavy de
donations must have been series OF
shocks that started afresh the wounds
so suddenly created by the rash act of
their father, friend and protector.
The cannons were fired at intervals
of about half an hour, and between the
shots heavy dynamite cartridges were
sunk to the bottom of the river, where
they were probably exploded by clock
work or a time fuse. As one OF these
encased bombs would be dropped into
the ater all the little craft would I'M
mediately start for g0odly distance
from the spot, and when they had left
the location about forty rods the bomb
would throw spray into the air that
looked like the spouting Of Yellow
stone geyser, and the foam and ripping
waves reached far enough to wash the
shore on each side of the now swollen
river. Ina few moments after the eX-
plOsion the water would be dark and
roilly, and large quantities of sunken
driftWOod would rise to the surface
and, after whirling around in the eddles
formed for a brief period, would sink
again to the bottom. A small
steamer was plying up and down be
tween the two bridges the entire day,
and the cannon was fired from its bow.
There were several sail boats among
the fleet, and nearly every one of them
carried a graphing hook. A reward OF
$500 has been offered for the recovery OF
the body. and this has stimulated the
little army of fishermen who live at
suuatters' sovereignty to put forth
every effort, and there is hardly scOW
or tub ou the entire flats that has not
been pressed into service. But all the
combined efforts of hard manual labor,
aided by the arts of science, proved un-
avajling, and il the search is not sue
cessful by morning, a diver will be
brought down from Minneapolis 10
begin the search anew.
There is considerable speculation as
to whether the body could possibly be
so near the spot wtere the rash act was
committed and the fatal plunge taken.
MANY people who claim te be expert
enced in such matters say that the
BODY by this time is certainly be-
low the bend in the river, and
would probably be found in the
weeds somewhere near the loca-
tion of the stove works, if found at all.
To prove his assertion, one spectator on
the bridge yesterday afternoon was
heard to remark that on the day Of the
suicide, and during the afternoon, he
was taking a trip up the river on
steamer, and that the current WAS strong
enough to float even horse with per
feet ease The general opinion Of
nearly every one strolling across the
bridge was that the body would never
be found between the Smith avenue
and Wabasha street structures.
At 5 O'Clock the crowd had grown to
such proportions that the bridge fairly
trembled with the throng, and when a
team would come along at a faster rate
than walk it would totter up and down
like a See-saW board. Shortly before
o'clock fisherman Of the flats, who had
what is known as trOt line set, rowed
out into the river and started to raise
his days catch of fish. From the i'm
mense height Of the bridge this line,
with its many little line attachments,
looked like a huge net. and some one
raised the cry They have found him. u
Immediately there was rush from the
lower side of the bridge to the upper,
and that immense mob of humanity
came pretty near taking the structure
off its piers. The search was con-
tinued as long as practicable into the
night and with the early dawn this
morning, If the body IS not recovered
before, it will be renewed in a most
systematic manner with the aid of the
diver mentioned above.