Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-04-27
FOURTEEN WERE DR0WNE1h
MANY LIVES LOST ON EHhE-
MICHIGAN.
Laborers Employed on q water
Works Intake Tunnel az MIL
waukee Are SWEPT INTO
the Lake--Only one
Man Rescued.
Careless Contractors.

Careless Contractors.
Milwaukee, April 21.-Fourteen work
men lost their lives to-day in the herce
storm which dashed Lake Michigan. They
were employed in the construction OF the
new water works intake tunnel, being en-
gagged in brieking up shaft in the cut,
5000 feet from the shore. The hurri-
cane swept away the frail structure
which had been built on the top of the
cut to shelter the men, and dashed them
into the seething lake. Through the he
roic efforts of the life-saving crew James
Miller was saved. He is the only one
of the workmen who escaped with his
life. He is lying at the emergency nos
pital, too weak to tell his awful story.
The work was in charge of Shallter d
Schneiglon, Chicago contractors. whose
loss will be about $4,000. Work upon
the tunnel will be delayed for several
months.
A terrible sea has been raging since
yesterday morning. Last night the swell
increased, the shed built on the CRIB be-
gan to tremble, the timbers supporting
the house gave way and the planks began
to wash ashore At 4 o'clock this morn
ing the last rafter of the shed fell from
the top of the crib, leaving the men at
the mercy of the waves. At o'clock
Capt. Peterson and the life saving crew
arrived at the water works Waves
fifteen and twenty feet high were wash
ing over the piers and the crib. He said
it was impossible to reach the crib with
his life boat. If Il tug could be obtained
there might be some hope of landing.
The Starke was secured and the danger
Gus trip begun. The tug cleared the
harbOr, but was obliged to turn back, as
she could not be controlled in the raging
sea. When the news that the crib could
not be reached was announced at the
water works great excitement prevailed.
Relatives of the missing men volunteered
to attempt the trip if a boat could be Sc
cured. There was no boat to be had,
however. An attempt to reach the crib
in small boat would have resulted in
sure death to its occupants.
The sea became calmer and Capt. Pc
terson, of the life-saving station, notified
the officers at the pumping station that
another attempt to reach the crib would
be made. At II o'clock the tug Wei
come, towing a crew in a life boat,
steamed out of the hurbor and headed
to the northward. At II: AS the crib was
reached and Inger Olsen, one of the surf
mcn landed.
Olsen worked about for fifteen minutes
on shore knew what the mans actions
meant: There was no longer any doubt
that the men were lost. and that some Of
them had died while the helpless spectators
on shore We're looking on. When Olsen was
drawn back to the boat. it was seen that
the HELPLESS form of a man was strapped
survivor. who was half dead from cold and
exposure. The tug and the life boat re-
turned to the harbor with difficulty, and
Miller was taken to the hospital.
Following is the list Of the. dead: John
fireman, Milwaukee: William Preusener,
der. Milwaukee,: James Murphy, miner Mil
Waukee; Joseph Pezol, miner. Milwaukee;
Susay hie asr MINER MWaukee Peter
miner, Chicago; Charles Johnson. miner,
Chicago; John Healy,., miner. Milwaukee;
o Tan Bf ;% miner, Mi'Waukee; John Don.
(colored), steward. Chicago
Miller, the man who was rescued from the
He said the crib house was so dangerous
that all hands. fifteen in number, went
down into the air lock, They were quiet
blown away. They knew it was gone
when the air pump stopped working This
was about 6 o'clock. When the pump
stopped the air kept growing worse until
$50 O'Clock, when it became so bad that
it was proposed by some to leave the lock
and take their chances outside. The sub
ject was discussed for some time, and
finally al! agreed to it, as 1t was found
they could not live much longer where they
were Accordingly the air lock was oDened
and the water allowed to come in. Nc
Bride. DWyer, Gregg, Johnson, IIeikowitz
and Miller succeeded in getting out of the
lock and to the surface. To do this they
had to climb up through ten feet of water
The other nine. Miller says, could not find
and were drowned in the lock
When he got on the crib Miller would the
wire cable whicw runs from a drum toward
the shore around his arm. and was then able
to hold on until the life boat arrived. He
says that Dwyer, Gregg. Johnson and Leiko-
wiz held on about half an hour. and then
one by one were swept away. Mcbride held
on until within ten minutes Of the arrival
of the boat and he too succunlhed and was
Miller complains bitterly Of the way in
which the men on the crib were left to the
fury of last nights storm.
Inc action ut the contractors is very cu-
rions to say the least. Not only have they
refused to give out the names of the men
who We're on the crib. but this afternoon
Henry Barber. the foreman, placed q man
ut Inc door at the emergency hospital with
orders to stop any one from talking with
Miller, though this did not succeed.
Western Base, Hall League.
Denver, Col, April 21.-A Wectern Base
Ball leat NC will be formed Mt Il meeting to
b. held next week. Denver, Pueblo. Toneka.
Vic hita. Kansas nd g.