St. Paul daily globe., 1893-04-21

affair, constructed on the plan of the
ordinary frame house on shore. The
jOSIS were 2X4-inch pine sticks, and
the sides were of common matched
flooring. 1t was two stories high, and
was flush with the sides of the crib.
The lower floor was occupied by the
machinery and cook room and the
upper one as sleeping apartment
for the men. The house was
constructed Tor the purpose of
providing sleeping quarters for the men.
1t was argued by the contractors that in
constructing the tunnel from the lake
end that there would be days at time,
in the stormy weather incident to
the men
TO LenVe the Crib
at the conclusion of their days work,
and in view of this arrangements were
made for boarding them at the scene of
their labOrS- The top of the crib was
about four feet above the level OF the
lake.
"If there is any responsibility for the
disaster at the crib" said City Engineer
Bensenberger, lit lies at the cOntrac-
were destroyed"
docs not the city have a general
supervision of the wOrk?"
cNO. that is, not any farther than to
see that it is properly done. | do not
think that building could have been
erected on the crib that could have
withstOod such storm. Such accidents
are unforeseen. Chicago had one with
her crib, when il was being built"
Miller gave the following account of
the accident tonight:
''It was o'clock in the morning when
we found that water was eutering the
air tight compartment of the shaft
where we had taken refuge for the
night. We took a vote to decide whether
we would risk leaving the shaft. 1t was
decided 10 leave. Only five of US sue
ceeded i'll reaching the outside. The
nine men who were not strong enough
TO get out, were drowned by water COM
ing into the shaft, and four out of the
five who got out were mangled or
drowned by the tremendous floods
which were laShed over tie crib. At
what hour the house was washed away
| do not know. 1t had disappeared
when we got ont Of the shaft"
Witnessed the Destruction.
From her station in the light house at
North Point Mrs. g. s. StebbinS wit
messed the destruction of the house
which occupied position on the top of
the crib. She says it was washed away
about $50 o'clock, and that it disap-
peared i'll some huge waves which
seemed to swallow it. For some time
before the waves could be seen
dashing to the top of the house. and
tor several minutes at time not yes
tige of the crib or top building could be
seen. The waves came with great fre-
queDcy and force, as was apparent by
the manner i'll which they could be seen
dashing against the break water and
crib. striking which they would appar-
emily explode with terrible force
and the spray would leap high
into the air. Just before the
house disappeared, Mrs. Stebbins saw
several boards from the side of the
building torn loose and shoot upward
with the waves. The opening thus
made seemed TO give the angry wind the
opportunity it sought in its work of de-
mighty effort, the entire house was
lifted into the air, and second later a
mighty wave engulfed the entire build
ing, and it disappeared as if swept away
by an avalanche. When the wave had
spent its force, Mrs StebbinS saw the
machinery and other heavy articles
alone remaining upon the spot
Where the House Had stood,
The waves would frequently cover
and hide these from her sight, and in
less than twenty minutes after the
house was wiped out of existence, the
entire machinery and whatever else
that had been left was lifted bodily into
the air apparently by the combined force
of wave and wind. and everything was
hurled into the raging sea, feet below the
level of the crib. The destruction of
the house and machinery was the work
of but a few minutes. Mrs. Stebbins
was able to discover no evidence of life
or activity about the place before or
after the house was taken, and she was
inclined to think the men had long be-
fore that time gone below to escape the
frightfGl waves and awful wind, which
she declares to have been the most
terrible and severe witnessed from
her place of observation i'll
twelve years. She declares that the
waves rose much higher, and came with
more apparent force and frequency than
has been noted by her in that time. She
was OH duty nearly all night, and thinks
that it was the most awful night on the
lake possible TO imagine. The roaring
was something beyond description, and
unlike anything ever before heard.
Nothing could be heard in or about the
light house except the dashing of the
waves, and the long, awful moan of the
wind as it swept along at ali eighty
mileanhOur rate.