Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-12-05
TEN DEAD MEN UNDER \ Wal .
Workmen Caught as They Were Clearing
Away Fire Debris.

Workmen Caught as They Were Clearing
Away Fire Debris
ST PAUL, Dec. Sat l o'clock yester-
day afternoon laundering crash was
heard In, the center OF the wholesale dis.
trict and dense cloud OF dust rose from
the block burned out by the recent ereat
IRE. A wall had fallen and score of
men were buried in the ruins. The scene
of the great fire was in the block bounded
by Third Wacouta and Rosabel streets
and the Union station, and the fallen wall
reared up sixty feet in the center, belong
ing to the Farwell. Ozmun, Kirk & Co.
building. Fifty men were working about
the ruins clearing away the debris.
Came on Them Without Warning,
These was not the slightest intimatiou
that ssere was danger of such a cstas-
trophe. No one had anticipated but that
the supports would hold it from the side.
The crash came without warning and
simultaneously the screams and grosns Of
the dead and dying were heard About q
dozer men who were at work on Third
street ran to the scene and began search
ing among the ruins. Fifty others, de-
spite the fact that men were dying among
the ruins, stood sloof, afraid to venture
within reach of the remaining walls,
which now tottered menacingly.
Men wild with Excitement
A general police alarm was turned in,
and IN few minutes all the police dis
tricts bad responded with patrol wagons
and forces of extra men. Police Chief
CLARK, with Fire Chief jackson and his
assistant chief, made an attempt to or
ganize the laborers and set them to work
removing the dead and injured. The
men were wild with excitement, however.
and il was long time before more than
half a dozen could be induced to 60 at the
work. The Others ran back and forth
around the building shouting to each
other and uttering imprecations against
the cpntractors. or stood gazing blankly
at I ife ruin.
Died Speaking of His Wife.
The fire department, under Chief Jack
son, arrived almost as soon as the police.
and the men of the latter department
rendered Invaluable aid. In less than
half an hour eight men were taken out of
the ruins dead. One poor fellow whose
skull was crushed in horrible manner,
but who was still alive. struggled to his
feet for an instant and staggered few
feet toward the opening. then he dropped
TO his knees with one hand resting on the
loose bricks.
"My wife" he said to one Of the rescu-
ers; "tell her The sentence was never
finished for, with his wifes name on his
lips. the unfortunate man fell forward
dead.
The Roll of Dead and Wounded.
The cause of the accident is apparent.
Tha- httiIAinr h.
walls safe, but since that decision work
men have been steadily undermining it,
and finally destroyed it's foundations.
The list of dead is as follows: Edward
S. Wilcox, contractor; Hans Hanson,
Swede laborer; Charles Katrinski, Pole
laborer; George Shapinski, laborer; John
Adaplski; Frank Marco; Charles Larson;
three unidentified. The injIred-John
Warren, Thomas Somatra, Frank Deith-
er, Samuel Peters. and an unknown man.
Dropped Through the Snow to Death.
LEADvILLE, Colo, Dec. 5.-Sam Gala
han, miner, left home Thursday and
took short cut 10 get to the mine Not
showing up yesterday, party went in
search of him. He was traced by his
prints in the snow until they came to
the shaft of the Climax property. where
the tracks ceased. They found small
hole ia the snow which covered the mouth
of the shaft. Investigating further the
dead body of Callahan was found terribly
crushed and frozen stiff at the bottom of
the shaft.
An Aged Couple CremRted.
DEs MONIES, Dec 5-Mr. and Mrs. Lena
Mills, an aged couple living near Liberty
Center. Warren county, were burned to
death yesterday morning by the destruc-
tion sftheir home by fire.
Paper Mill Boiler Explodes.
FORT MADISON, Ia, Dec. 5-The boiler
in the Fort Madison paper mill exploded