The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-07-12
MANYAREMISSING
Suspicion That Several Beside Worlds
Fair Firemen Lost Life at
the Fire.
Three Corpses Found I'm Different
Part Of the Building-One q
Lineman.
One Hundred Persons at the Cold
Storage Building Looking For
Missing Friends.

WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, July To-
The most interesting exhibit at the
worlds fair grounds is one not sched-
uled in the official guide book. II is
the ruins OF the cold storage structure
destroyed by fire. and 10000 people
crowded around the debris eagerly
watching the search for dead bodies.
Early in the morning three more dead
bodies were recovered from the ruins,
but they were SO much charred and dis
figured as to make recognition abso-
lutely impossible. One thing seems
quite evident. however, and that's tina.
the btdi.s recovered are
Not Those OF Firemcn.
The locality in which they were found
seems to preclude this possibility. All
the firemen who lost their lives were
huddled in one p.ace--in the dreadful
fretrap at tee top of the shaft, and as
they fell victims, one by one, to the
flames, their bodies naturally fell some-
where within the small circle surround
ing the smokestack. The bodies just
.eccSered were evidently not the re-
mains of any who jumped or fell from
the shaft. because they were found at .
somewhat remote distance from this
point and under mass of steam pipe
and machinery that must have fallen
from above. On one of the bodies was
found leather belt, to which was
attached a pair of steel pinchers, thus
practically proving the remains to be
those of lineman.
Color TO the apprehension.
The discovery gave fresh color to the
fearful apprehension that the fremeu
were by no means the only ones who
fell victims to the flames, and the public
ut once became disposed TO doubt the
declarations made by the supervising
firemen that all employees and visitors
were out of the building before the con
lagration had reached dangerous
stage. The total OF dead bodies recov
cred at this time reaches is. though thu
search in the ruins was thus far very
slight owing TO the heat and confusion
was still decidedly incomplete.
The Columbian guards who were o,
duty at the scene OF the disaster hav
constantly maintained that severa
worlds fair visitors and electricity me,
and other workmen were caught in tn
flames, and the unexpected discovery o
the bodies under the ruins, and the fac
that one is undoubtedly that Of line
man gives credence to their declara
tions. Certain it is there were numer
ous visitors and workmen in the build
ing at the time the fire brok
out, and the statements Of tn
Columbian guards that many of ther
were caught in the flames was receive
so seriously that it was decided that
minute examination foot by foot of th
pyramid of ruins and debris would B
made before the day is ont. The Elet
trio Light company had number (
men in the lower part of the buildin
stringing wires at the time the fl
broke out and several Of these are mis-
ing
Four Columbian guards were una
counted fof and their companions al
naturally very solicitous as to the
fate.
Many Are Missing.
The worlds fair officials claim tn,
they are not responsible for this, d
tending themselves by the assertic
that as the cold storage warehouse W,
concession and constructed as
private enterprise or exhibit, Il
worlds fair authorities should not
held accountable for the loss OF If
At least 100 persons who ha'
missed friends or relatives q
I il around the ruins seeking to identil
bodies discovered. In numerous i
stances the parties sought were visito
to the fair, but as their friends we
usually uncertain Us to whether the mis-
ing even visited the cold storage bull
ing, it was thought probable that Sc
eral OF these will turn mp all right. !
DIDN'T KNOW III.