Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-16
NINE FACE DEATH.
Fishermen Carried into the Lake
on an Ice FIoe.
HARDLY a RAY OF HOPE FOB THEM


zero Temperature and Wind Blowing
Lakeward Thirty Miles an Hour-wises
and Children Moaning on the lee
Fringed Reach-Five Boys Cremated in
Texas Orpans' Home-Ma:ron Forgets
Her Own in Anxiety to Save others.
Chicago. Jan. ia dispatch from
Menominee. Mich, last night said TO
night nine men are ciinging toa block OF
Ice few rods square that is being driv-
en- out of Green Bay into Lake AIichi-
gan by a fierce southerly gale. The
wind is blowing thirty miles an hour,
and carries on a zero temperature an
occasional snow squat. The men are
fishermen, clad only in the none too
heavy clothing worn while tending
their nets and unless the ice foe has
been blown against Cham ers' island or
Green island there is little possibility
that they will live through the night.
The doomed men are residents of the
little fishing village of Menekaunee, and
their wives and children are spending
the night on the mountains of ice that
x.
The missing men are: Nels Mattson,
Otto Christianson. Ed Hoffman. Lars
Larson. Matt Halgren, Seth Jeitson,
John Johnson, Thomas Knutson and
Tom Lund
-Four Men Rescued from the FlOe.
This afternoon at o'clock a strip
OF ice about ten miles long, extending
south from the mouth of the Menomipee
river, broke from the west shore and
was carried rapidly toward the east
shore of Green Bay in the direction
OF Deaths Door. When the ice foe left it's
anchorage twelve or fourteen fishermen
from Menekaunee were on the ice tend
Ing their nets, but were so far away
from the crack that by the time the
alarm had been given the crack was SO
wide they could not escape to the shore
signals OF distress were displayed, but
1t was some time before they We're
discovered, and meantime the ice had
swept well toward the middle Of the
bay. Two yawls We're manned and
four men were brought to the shore,
but the Others had rushed to the east
ern side of the ice, evidently intending
to attempt to escape to Green island and
thus reach Chambers island or Door
blun, on the east shore of Green Bay.
Loss OF tho Nine Seems Certain.
AS the darkness settled down, how
ever. the ice could be seen carrying well
into the lake. an fisherman think es-
cape is impossible. Estimates of the
number Of men on the ice foe vary.
some saying that fully forty were car
ried out into the lake, but careful in
quiry reveals but nine men missing
Beside the loss of life that now seems
certain to result from the breaking I'D
of the ice fisherman will lose nets, fish
shanties and implements valued at
many thousands of dollars"
FIVE BOYS BURNED TO DEATH.
Three Of Them Children OF the Matron of
the Orphans Home Destroyed.
Dallas. Tex. Jan. 16.-At a late hour
last night the boys wing of Buckner's
Orphans Home, five miles from the CITY.
was destroyed by fire. Five boys per-
ished in the flames, and several Others
were burned. The dead are: Carlos
Jones. Birdie Britton, Milton Britton.
Martin Britton and an unknown child.
Before Mrs. Britton. the boys matron.
retired for the night she had the boys
clean out and prepare a stove situated
Ing fire. This was her usual custom.
She then sent one of the large boys. up-
on whom she depends regularly for
work of this kind. to see il the work
had been properly done. He reported
that everything was all right and she
then retired.
She had been in bed but a short time
when she smelled smoke and immedi-
ately jumped up to investigate Even
the floor under her feet was almost too
hot to stand on. Perceiving this she
Immediately raised the alarm and run
ners were sent TO all the rooms to alarm
the children. but she neglected to assist
those who We're in her room. After see
ing that large percentage of the chill
dren had been removed from the build
ing. and that others would be out in a few
moments. she suddenly remembered her
own children. and running to her room
endeavored to rescue them.
She was too late. however; the fire
had already entered her own room. and
although she fought Re flames with
desperate zeal she was compelled to re-
treat with the affrighted cries Of her
children ringing in her ears, knowing
that they were doomed to certain
death. In the confusion which reigned
while the children We're being hurriedly
assisted from the building many were
overlooked, and several of the little fell
lows were seriously burned. The build
ing with all its furniture was entirely
destroyed. The loss is not yet known.
Two Men Killed by a Train.
Philadelphia, Jan. Is. - BENJAMIN
Candy, aged IS years. and Seabright
Berry. aged IS years. both Of Gloucester.
n. j., were instantly billed yesterday
by walking in front Of an express train
on the Philadelphia and Reading rail-
way al the Sixteenth and Cambria
street crossing. After alighting from the
train they attempted to cross the south.
bound tracks and were struck by the
express.
California Is Shopping Over
Sacramento. Cal, Jan 16.-Goyernor
Budd declared today a legal holiday to
celebrate the defeat Of the funding bill