The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-21
House on the Crib at the End of the Water
Works Tunnel Wrecked by the Waves and
Only One of the Occupants Saved.
Forty or More Persons Reported Killed
by Tornado in Mississippi.
Portions ofTwo Counties Laid In Waste-Many
Negroes Among the Dead-Thirty Inches
Of Snow-0utlook for To- Day.


FOURTEEN LIVES LOST.
workmen Employed In Building q Water
works Tunnel Drowned by Angry Waves.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
MILWAUKEE, April 20-Fourteen work.
men lost their lives to-day In the fierce
storm that lashed Lake Michigan. They
were employ ed in the construction of the
new waterworks lake tunnel, being en-
gagged In brickinR up shaft In the cut
5000 feet from the shore. The hurricane
swept away the frsil structure which had
been built upon tho top of the cut TO shell
ter the men. and dashed them into the
seething lake. Through tho heroic ef-
forts of the lifc-savlng crew James
Miller was saved. He is tho only one of
the fifteen workmen who escaped with his
life. He Is lying at the emergency hos
pital. The work was in charge Of Schailer
a. Sohniglon. Chicago contractors, whose
loss will be about s120.0O0. Work upon the
tunnel will be delayed for several months.
A terrible sea has been raging since yes
terday morning. Last night the swell In
CREASED. and toward IL O'Clock the sea be-
came so furious that the shed built on the
crib began to tremble. Toward IL o'clock
the timbers supporting the house gave way
and the planks began to wash Ashore. At
O'Clock this morning 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
Captain Peterson and the life-saving crew
arrived at the water rworks. The sea was
running high. Waves fifteen and twenty
feet were washing over the piers and the
crib. He said 1t was impossible to reach
the crib with his lifeboat. If tug could
be obtained there might DO some hope Of
landing. The Starke was secured. and the
dangerous trip began. The tug cleared the
harbor. but was Obliged to turn back. as
she could not be controlled in the raging
seas. When the news that the crib could
not be reached was announced at the
waterworks great excitement prevailed.
Relatives of the missing men volunteered
to attempt the trip if boat could be Sc
cured. There was no boat to be had, how
ever. An attempt to reach the crib in .
small boat would have resulted in sure
death for its occupants.
CLINGING TO THE ENGINE.
At 10 o'clock every hope for the safety OF
the men had vanished, when suddenly q
figure was seen creeping out of the shaft.
Then came another in a few moments. and
elk men were soon on the crib clinging to
the engine. which is still intact. With the
aid of q powerful field glass the movements
of the men were plainly discerned. The
men must have suffered fesrfully from the
cold. as their aotionssig gnifed. They hud-
died together closely and tried hard to
warm thmselves. They remained on the
crib about fifteen minutes, when one by one
they disappeared. The disappearance did
not worry the spectators, who now thought
that the men were ell safe. Il was thought
that the men on the crib had gone back In to
the shaft, where it was supposed their COM
rades were in safe refuge. The news that
the men had been seen cheered the women,
who now had hopes for the safety of their
husbands
The sea became calmer. and Captain
Peterson, of the hfe-savinR station, notified
the officers at the pumping station that an.
other attempt to reach the crib would be
made. At IL O'Clock the tug Welcome. tow
ing q crew In q life boat, steamed out of the
harbor and headed to the northward. At
1l:45 the crib was reached. and en-
gineer Olsen. of the surf men,, landed.
All eyes were now turned seaward. Olsen
worked for about fifteen minutes in the
water. Every body 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 were looking,
on. When. Olsen was taken back to tho
boat it W as seen that the helpless form of q
man was strapped to his back. 1t was
James Miller, the only survivor, who was
life-boat returned to the harbor with difIi-
Guilty. and Miller was taken to the hospital.
NAMES OF THE DEAD.
Following is Q list of the dead: James
Mcbride, engineer. Chicago; Michael
Dwyer, fireman. Milwaukee; William
Pruesener. fireman. Chicago; George Gregg.
lock tender. James Murphy, Joseph Pezols.
Gustav Liekowicz. Peter Soenes James
Healy. Frank Brown. John Donovan, all
miners. of Mlllwaukee: William Myron and
Charles johnson, miners, of Chicago; Ed
ward Cambrlan lcolored) steward, Chicago.
James Miller. the rescued man, made che
following statement tonight: 1T was s
o'clock In the morning when we found that
water was filliDg the air -tlgh compartment
of the shaft, where we had taken refuge for
the night. We took q vote to decide
whether we would risk leaving the shaft.
1t was decided to leave. Only six of rs
succeeded IN reaching the outside. The
nIne men, who were not strong enough 60
get out, were drowned by the water COM
ing into the shaft. and five of the SIX who
got out were manRled or drowned by the
tremendous foods which were dashed over
the CRIB. At what hour the house was
washed away don't know. 1t had disap.
pesred when We got out Of tho shaft"
From her station in the lighthouse at
the destruction of the house which occu-
pied position on the top of the crib. She
says it was washed away about $50 this
morning. and that it disappeared in some
huge waves which seemed to swallow it
For some time before the waves could be
seen dashing to tho top of the house and
for several seconds at time not vestige
Of tho crib or building could be seen,
Tho waves came with great fra