The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-06
EXPLOSION IN AN ELEVATOR.
EOUR MEN KILLED AND 81 PERSONS
INJURED AT CHICAGO.


the Air and the Walls Come
Down with a Crash-The Roar of
the Explosion Heard For IA Half
0SiIc-The Monetary Loss of $780,
900 Covered by Insurance.
Chicago. Aug. 5.-Seven and probably
eight lives were lost in an explosion which
took place this evening during a fire in
the Northwestern grain elevator at Cook
and West Water streets.
Three Of the dead are firemen-the body
Of another fireman is thought to be buried
an the ruins of the elevator-and three peo-
pIe we're blown into the Chicago river.
From the force with which the eXplo-
sion swept the spot on which they were
standing it is certain they must have
been instantly killed.
The bursting of a boiler caused the
havoc. Those killed by the fire are:
JACOB J. SCHNUR.
JOHN ]. COOGAN.
JACOB S. STRAMER.
The injured are:
CHARLES H. CONWAY, fireman,
burned about the face and hands and
body crushed; may die.
CHIEF DENNIS SWEENIE, right foot
crushed. left arm wrenched and painfully
burned
FIRE MARSHAL CAMPION. burned
about face.
LIEUT. SMITH, both legs crushed.
LIEUT. BARTLETT, leg crushed.
ASSISTANT ENGINEER BENJAMIN
BLANCHARD, badly bruised.
JOHN f. SMITH, injured by debris.
WILLIAM INQUIRE, Is years old, both
feet crushed
THOMAS ENGLE, pipeman, cut about
head and internally injured.
IGNATIUTS BOND, cut by falling glass.
CAPT. EVANS, struck by debris and
rendered unconscious; serious.
WILLIAM HANLEY, pipeman, cut in
head.
WILLIAM THOMPSON. hit by falling
glass
JOSEPH LACEY, burned about the
face serious.
FRANK c. HALEY, burned beyond rec
ogniuon; may lose the sight of both eyes.
CAPT. KEY, burned about the face and
body.
LIEUT.. JOHN ]. MILLER, fracture of
leg badly burned; condition critical.
CAPT. WILLIAM ROONEY, burned
about the face; may lose the sight of both
eyes
JOHN EVANS, fracture of right arm,
badly burned about the face.
HARRY KUGLEMAN, conclusions on
the side, and badly burned about the face
and body; condition serious.
WILLIAM SCHUBERT. bruised and
burned.
JOHN HAssEY. left arm crushed at
the shoulder.
LIEUT.. DONAGAN, hurt internally;
condition serious.
nd CHI re
burned
Capt. E. Alvey, legs, arms and shoulders
burned
c. r. WALTER, knocked down by ex-
plosion and injured about the spine.
JOHN HENTZ. struck by falling beam
ana skull fractured.
JAMES INQUIRE, leg fractured.
Besides these. dozens of fremen and
lassers-hy We're more or less cut and
bruised by glass and flying debris.
The origin of the blaze is believed to
nave been in the vicinity of the boiler
mousse. Accomplished dust, as dry and in
Hdmmaole as gunpowder. that had been
lhng for years, formed ready means for
ne hre. 1t spread with great rapidity,
ana then came a terrible explosion, COM
leung the work of scattering the fire
throughout the entire building.
JUST as the firemen were getting into
ioSIlon Tor advantageous work, and near
W all the members of the engine compa-
mes We're mounting ladders and bringing
.'aus 81 hose TO play on the interior from
."e upper windows, there came a roar that
Dou'd De heard for half a mile. The roof
was raised high in the air, and the walls
N'ule down with a crash. The force of the
eAglosion was so great that the eastern
way. was hurled into the river, the west
"au was tumbled down upon the heads
Va .Ae unfortunate men below, and the
,ooI was torn into fragments and distriD-
uied for blocks around.
N''iE window In the vicinity of the ele-
,"Ht was shattered by the conclusion,
++'1.H5 OF persons were struck by flying
toHs. ana several small fires resulted
nom falling timbers that there were still
W. Hames. At Jefferson street and
'IVa avenue, many blocks distant a
a. burning mass of wreckage fell upon
r WAGONS loaded with hay and set
N.m 0n fire.
s, .' elevator was of composite con-
t. 1.uon, the lower portion being Of
.1 ana the upper part of frame cover
n "i,H corrugated iron The explosion
.1 "a perfect bombardment Of flying
tt. ana sheets of iron. leaving little OF
s,l "iAihs save a framework of wood
",d Non surrounding it,
roat explosion stunned for moment the
la ana hremen. but they quickly rail-
I.,." uep those who had been hurt
he,t ~ men lay injured IA the whitening
in not seriously harmed and others
Voc hroes of death.
hut dangerous work 70 get them out
sr1 T was calamity and quickly done.
ed w. oi the slightly injured were remov-
Wber. uead were. for the time left
bl8.,. i1y. No man could reach their
d. a.'., was most difficult to contro. as
of sna, 'r was surrounded by number
cieang g,'''nss' which were continually
Waeb "re The total loss As s9OOOoj
an ~, v fully covered by insurance ,''''''O'
fIrar ,r5 uued man was blown into the
tl "is body has not been recoy-
W." Perish AT A FIRE.