Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1885 — A SAD DISASTER. [ARTICLE]

A SAD DISASTER.

The Steam Yacht Minnie Cook Is Capsized and Goes Down i in Lake Minnetonka. - Ex-Mayor. Rand, of Minneapolis, and , Nine Other People, Find Watery Graves. —.—l. \ * I (Minneapolis special.] ’ When ex-Mayqr Hand, his fimlly, and a few friends started ont for an excursion on Lake Minnetonka in the little steam yacht Minnie Cook on the aft< moon of Sunday, July 12. the clouds hung dark and low. Friends tried tc dissuade them from embarking. Mrs. Hand, aq she stepped off the St, Louis dock onto the frail little craft with its tlaj ping tarpaulin shades, laughed at the remonstrance, ami replied gayly that she had braved worse weather on Lake Minnetonka. Husband, son, daughter, and a nephew followed her aboard with merry jest and laugh, at the fears expressed,- and took seats by her side. As the yacht steamed off toward the narrows' |he happy party was last observed waving handkerchiefs and hats. The intention was to visit the upper lake. Ihe yacht was scarcely out of sight before a terrific windstorm swept over the lake from the northwest. Thunder followed 1 i rapid and reverberating peals. The usually calm water rolled in ingc billows that came beating sip over the boat houses and quays, and to complete the disturbance the rain began to fall in torrents. It was like a New England lake squall, coming with no warning save the leaden clouds, and raging with blinding force for only a brief spell. The huge passenger steamers screamed horsely as the rain clouds settled down, and high above the din could be heard the seemingly tragic shrieks from the whistles of the steam yachts, many of which were crossing from the bt. Louis landing to the Lafayette pier when the hurricane struck them. From either shore it was impos-ible to distinguish boats. The first evidence of disaster was found in pieces of trimming'from the Minnie Cook which boated m on the waves at the cart shore of Wayzatta Bar. The news was not slow in passing along the lake shore clear to Lafayette. Lai gi, sturdy boats went in search of (the illfated little mart, but no further t ace of her could be had. It was at last determined that she sunk and that the ten passengers who embarked on their perilous journey in such happy spirits, had perished. Later a boatman named James Carroll, who had miraculously succeeded in weathering the tornado in a yawl, appeared on the Wayzatta Bay beach, dragging his miniature craft after him. When he had recovered sufficiently from his fright and exhaustion to speak coherently he told of having passed the Minnie Cook just before the squalljstruck the bay. He thought the party had observed the danger and was quite certain that Engineer McDonald had turned t he yacht from her course into the bay; the next moment his boat raised heavenward, as if lift d out of the water by some superhuman agency, and then he was enveloped in spray, boon afterward he heard a shriek like that of a woman in acute distress, and looking off through the almost blinding mist to the spot where the yacht was a moment before floating, nothing was to be seen but the white-caps and the waves rolling mountain high. He is sure the shriek he heard was that of Mrs Rand, and that the Minnie Cook at that instant capsized. For safety he tell into the bottom of his yawl and there clung until the souall had passed. The following is a list of the passengers on the yacht: Ex-Mayor Rand, aged 6l; Mrs. Rand, uged 50; Mary Rand, aged )6, daughter of the above; Harvey Rand, aged 13. son; Frank Rand, aged is. a nephew; J. R. Coykendall, aged 36; Mrs. Coykendail, aged 27; Katie Coykendall, aged 4, daughter of the above; Engineer George McDonald, Robert Hussy, aged 10, employed on the yacht. The bodies of Mrs. Rand and Engineer McDonald wefe recovered and brought to Minneapolis. Mr. Rand's two terms as Chief Magistrate of the city were served previous to the incumbency of Mayor Ames. The ex-Mayor was quite wealthy. J ohn Coykendall was a member of the firm of Coykendall Bro. <fc Co., which owns one of the largest and best-known drygoods stores in the city. The two families belonged to the highest business and social circles in the city.