Evening journal., 1893-07-12
A PILE OF BODIES FOUND
Startling Story in a Chicago
Morning Paper.
THIRTEEN NOW KNOWN TO BE DEAD

NUMBER OF Deaths VIII Equal Ihat
Of the Appalling Disaster at Washing
ton Last Month.
CHICAGO, July 12-The Herald this
morning has the following; Early this
morning it was learned that ten more
bodies had been found in the ruins OF
the Cold Storage Warehouse. The men
who made the discovery tried TO keep
the knowledge from reaching the public
ears, but it came out in some way and
was widespread Iumor about the fair
grounds. The report was afterwards
verified.
One a woman's Body.
Nine of these bodies are of men and
one of a woman. The corpses lay piled
all in heap near the foot of the ele-
vator shaft. When the searching party
discovered the remains large crowd of
morbid spectators surrounded the fire
lines. The enormity of the unexpected
find staggered the iremen who had made
the fearful discovery.
Everybody Excluded From Fire Lines.
After hasty consultation it was de-
cided not to take the bodies out in the
presence Of the watching thousands.
For some reason, hitherto not fully ex
planned, the strictest silence was eDjoined
upon the fremen and guards. Orders
were given to exclude the reporters from
the fire lines
Found a Heap of Bodies.
For an hour before the fearful discovery
was made sickening odor issued from a
L ! -
the left of the doorway. Three men were
set to work on this place, and heavy
beam was lifted and right below, through
the iuterstices of half dozen of crossed
and broken timbers and bent rods OF
iron, could be seen heap of bodies.
These Bodies Were Burning.
This was the source of the foul smell
The bodies are quite badly burned, but
they lay at the very bottom of the ruins
and had been partially protected from
the fire by water 1t is impossible TO
tell just how many bodies lie in this
terrible pile.
The men who discovered them differ
as to whether the total number is ten OF
eleven, but is probably the first named
number One is said TO be woman, be
cause Of her dress, which is partly un
UuNnAs nt poolAAOn VI blo DulAco Au NuC
very bottom of the elevator shaft makes
it difficult to tell how the victims met
their death
Nobody will probably ever know
whether they fell or jumped down the
elevator shaft The men may have
taken the awful leap down the shat
when they found their escape by the
burning stairwsys cut off They may
have been ali coming down in the eleva
tor when the ropes were burned away
and the entire carload precipitsted to,the
bottom. In this latter case most of the
ten may have been killed by the fall.
They Were Slowly Roasted.
Those who survived the shock must
have been burned by the fallen timbers
at the very bottom of the building ano
when the floors fell in were slowly
roasted by the burning mass above anu
around them.
Confirmed the Report This Morning.
Three of the guards who were sta
tiooed about the ruins in the early even
ing confirmed the report of the find
Not alone that, but each without the
knowledge of the other said that they
had positive orders to keep the fact
from everybody, particularly from re
porters. They also said the bodies would
y
as on as it was light enough to See.
About midnight smoke broke out in
the southeast portion of the ruins.
The engine house at the terminal
station was notified and two fremer
were sent over to investigate its cause
They went back saying that the ap-
parent smoke was steam probably from
something drying in that corner Al
the same time one of them said: "W,
don't want any fire there tonight unde
any circumstances for there is a BIZ
pils of meat which we are trying &
save.
"The Meat Was a Hoax.
in view of the fact that the elevate
was in that corner and of the furthe
fact that meat, If there, would be befor
this time worthless, it is said that tn
firemen are aware of the existence o
the heap of dead, although they denie
knowledge of it. Chief Murphy sal
that he had received no notification Q
the find. but he believed the ruins ha
not yet yielded up their total
Denying the HeraId's story.
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, July 12,-
Later-It is impossible to verify tn
statement made by morning paper thr
ten more bodies had been found in I'll
ruins of the Cold Storage Warehou.
FIRE. At Ralstons morgue, where all IL
bodies Of the victims have been taken
fast as found, nothing is known Of IL
alleged discovery, and it is stated pos
lively that no such number of bodies hs
been brought there. Men working
the ruins this morning declare that Il
statement has no foundation whateve
Thirteen Known TO BE Dead.
Lewis ]. Frank, tho fireman wi
jumped from the burning tower, di'
this morning from his injuries. Th
makes the total number of known dei
thirteen, while those reported
their friends number FIVE. These fl
were all seen about the building ju
prior to the breaking out of the hr
The published report that ten a
ditianal bodies had been found attract
large crowd IN Ralsfon's moroua III