Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-08-01

gave way, una largo pO1tAOAOA UAoo1o"A
were precipitated into the water which
is about ten feet deep. Many were
able to save themselves by fee
ing toward the shore as the outer
end of the pier crumbled and fell.
Darkness added to the confusion and
terror and little could be done at once to
rescue the drowning-most of whom
were women and children. The first
news of the disaster reached this city a
little after 2 o'clock this morning, when
the barge landed at Henderson's Wharf,
bringing q number of bodies of the
drowned. Up to this hour it is said 81
bodies have been recovered.
BURIED BENEATH BRICK.
. SYRACUSE, n. ..Y.,.July 24.-At 1886 P.
N. yesterday terrible accident occur
red at the Qnondaga Iron Company's
blast furnace q mile west of this city, in
Geddes. For several weeks the furnace
had been unused. it having been out of
repair. Joseph Dawson, with gang of
men, had been engaged for several days
in removing. the inner and fire-bricks
of the arch, leaving only the outer
course standing. The foreman consid-
cred this course entirely secure. With
out the slightest warning the arch caved
in, burying the workmen beneath it in q
mass of bricks, mortar, SCOT and ashes.
An alarm was at once given, and the men
at the mill set at work with a will to re-
move the victims. In less than an hour
eight bodies were taken from the ruins.
Several hundred people were at the
scene. Sons, daughters, and wives wept
frantically as the bodies were removed.
People gathered in knots in the village
of Geddes or hurried to the scene
of the casualty. Business was almost
entirely suspended in the village, and
the place looked as if stricken by q
panic. It was fully five minutes after
the collapse before the dust cleared
away sufficiently so that the debris
could be viewed. The weight of the
falling bricks was 80 great that they
were forced out OF the openings in the
furnace and crowded several feet into
the space around it.
The following is list of the victims,
all of whom were killed outright:
Joseph Dawson, the head mason, who
had formerly been employed at the roll
ing-mills; leaves wife and ten children.
John Fogarty, who was single man,
aud the support of an aged and widowed
mother. Michael Carroll, who was mar
ried and the father of two children. An.
thony Lyden, who has been married fol
three years and was the father OF one
child. Frank Hefty, q German, who
was married and had q family. John
Wendall, who had been at work but q
short time, and Of whom but little il
known; he had family. David Rea'
gan, who was married, and leaves an in.
valid wife and family. John Barry,
who was married, but had no children
he is the only one of the victims thai
was heard to make any outcry.
The excitement among the employees
and many outside laboring men was in
tense. The ]oudest and most oper
threats were heard to shoot both Mana
ger Gere and the general foreman, Wit
were both present. The impression
prevailed among these excited men tina
they were criminally negligent in al
lowing the men to 60 into th|
furnace to work in the condition il
which it was. It was said by Mr.. Gere
manager of the company, that it wa'
known that the lining Of the upper par
| was in q dangerous condition, and tha
| he warned the men before they went in
The fellow workmen of the dead mel
say it was not known that the lining wa
| in dangerous state. A searching IN
vestigation will be made. ,.,-