Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-21
GRAND RAPIDS MICH~ FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL 2l

in . ssEaIl boat would have resulted ds
4ssrously Tor Its occupants AZ
O'Clock about aOp personS had sssemoied
on the shore. The sceaes we're the
moe. pathetic vstnessed IN this city
ssne's the NevhAii house nre. Relatives
and Children 81 the victims pstroiied
the skor-s fos the bodice of their loved
ones. No bodies vers found. however.
Shortly aft,r D o'clock tho ~ife of
Jack Mcbride appeared. She wss al.
snoss heart broken and pitifuiiy gAzed
out toward the crib Shortly Afterssrd
ansther woman. supporting an aged
man. slowly came down the steps lead
inx 10 the pumping works. both were
weeping bitterly. They vese the wife
and fatbrr of Mike Dwyer. The aged
man could not be comforted He In.
sisted on ssSyl9 -on the beach .sd
watching Sor hlsi@n of his son- Mrs
DIVER wALt<en ~ the ONCE In the
SAtar works.
Another pitiful scene was q group %
Polish women The husbands IL tao of
the women were among the iost men
At I'D the beach was crowded With
weeping women. Soms were wives.
btAtES bf0ttfe WIZ mooutfk
for their father. At 10 o'clock every
hops FOR the safety of the men bad van.
ished. whec suddenly figure Was s~en
another In few minutes six men
we're on the crib. chnging To the engine.
which IN stin intact. With the aid Of a
powerful he'd glass the movements of
the men we're plainly discerned.
hatA -th.r.l Ia v(,.lig
frora the cold as their actions signited.
They huddled together closely and tried
hard 10 warm themselves They re
mains,i On the crib about fifteen minutes
when by one they disappeared. The
disappearance did not worry the spec
tatnrs Who now thought that the men
were all safe. Ii vas thought that the
men On the crib bad gone back into the
shaft. where II was supposed their com
rates were in safe refuge. The news
that the men had been seen cheered the
women. who now had hopes for the
safety II their husbands The sea be
crme calmer and Captain Peterson of
the life saving station. notified the ofti,
GERS at the pumping station that another
attempt to reach the crib would he
made. At IL o'clock the tug Welcome.
towing "A crew in llfeboat. steamed out
- The harbor and headed to the north
ward tll:t5 the crib was reached
AMI Inger Olson, one of the surfmen.
landed.
All eyes were now turned seward.
Olson worked about for fifteen minutes
aud then dived into the water. Every
body on shore knew what the man 5 ac
ilons meant. There was no lonSr any
doubt that the men were lost. and that
some III them had died while the help
i-ss spectators on shore were looking on.
When Olson was drawn back To the
beat IL was seen that the helpless form
10 man Vas strapped To his back. Ii
WAS James Miller. the only survivor. no
wss half dead from cold and exposure.
Tae tug and the lifeboat returned to the
harbor with difficulty and Miller was
taken To the hospital.
The house on the crib was a flimsy
affair. constructed on the plan Of the
ordinary frame house on the shore. The
joists were 2xi inch pine sticks. and the
sides were 1t common matched flooring.
IL was two stories high and was flush
with the sides IL the crib. The lower
ii,or was occupied by the machinery and
a,p,krroom. and the upper one az sleep
ING apartment for the men. The house
VAS constructed for the purpose Of pro
viding sleeping quarter for the men.
IL wac argued by the contractor that
in constructing the tunnel from. the lake
eni that there would be days at a time
IN the stormy weather incident To spring
that IL would Toe impossible for the men
T. leave the crib at the conclusion of
thsir days work. and In view al this.
arrangements were made for boarding
them at the scene 81 their labors. The
t1p - the crib was about four feet above
the level of the lake.
III there is any responsibility for the
disaster at the crib. said City En-
gineer Beuzenberg. lit attaches 10 the
contractors. Sharlcr 4 Schniglon. IA it
was their works that were destroyed
Does not the city have "A general su-
yervision Of the work"
No. that No farther than 20 see that
IL IL properly done do not think that
a building could he erected on the crib
that could have wIfhstood such "A storm
Such accldente are Unforeseen. Chicago
had one with her crib when II was being
built"
Following is the list of the dead:
John Mcbride. engineer. Chicago.
Nrha"l Dvyer. fireman, Milwaukee.
William Preusener. fireman. Chicago
George Gregg. lock tender. Milwau
keo
James Murphy. miner. Milwaukee.
Joseph P.zol. miner. Milwaukee
Gustav Liekovicz. miner. Milwaukee.
Peter Soenze miner. Milwaukee.
William Marion. miner. Chicago.
Char.. Johnson. miner. Chicago.
John tiealy. miner. Milwaukee.
Frank Brown. miner. Milwaukee.
Inht, nnrnuan rnfrnr l'hlrarn