The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-07-15
TUNNEL DISASTER.
In the Twirkling of an Eye the Lives Of
Eleven Men Snuffed Out at
Cleveland,

of IL men were snuffed out in the
twinkling of an eye Monday evening
in the big waterworks tunnel that is
being constructed under the bottom Of
Lake Erie, as result of an explosion
of gas.
Following are the names of thCss
who were killed: John Parks, fore
man, 80 years old and single; James
Parks, brother of John, 80 years old
and single; John Fradey, an Italian, %
years old and single; Tony BRUNETTE,
Italian, % years old and single; John
---, Italian, Is years old and sim
gle; Emerson Smith, bricklayer, "A
years old, married; John McAuley, 81
years old, married; VIM. Tucker, col
ored, 26 years old and single; Gus
Watts, % years old, wife and several
children; Frank Clements, married,
with several children; Frank Hanes,
married, aged %.
The tunnel is an immense affair, be-
ing projected to extend outward from
the shore for distance of four and
half miles, and it has been under con-
struction for more than a year. The
work has been attended with great
difficulty. About six weeks ago there
was an explosion of gas in the shore
end of the big hole, which killed eight
men and injured a number of others.
Soon afterward a large pocket of
! l.
stopped for some time. The con-
tractors then asked for permission to
defect the course of the tunnel from
the route fixed by the city engineers,
but was refused. Work was finally
resumed and had progressed unevent-
fully until Monday evening, when this
latest and most horrible accident
came.
The explosion occurred at few min
utes before o'clock Monday evening,
but nobody will ever be able to tell
what caused it, or how it happened,
for every witness is dead and the bod
les of all are lying where they fell,
5000 feet out under the lake. The
only man in the tunnel who escaped
death is Con. O'Donnell, q lock tender,
who was stationed $500 feet from the
shore.
He heard the explosion or series Of
explosions. He says there were ten of
the shocks, and the conclusion was
something terrible, for it threw him
| of h SC Io -
such dazed condition that he could
scarcely remember what had hap
pened. He finally CROPPED his way out
and told what had occurred.
Two men, Patrick Vonseer and Mar.
tin McCauley, were the first to ven
ture in the tunnel after the accident
occurred. They made their way to a
lock 5000 feet from the shore, but were
there overcome by the gas and fell to
| the floor. When they failed to
return. young man named James
| Clements, son of one of the men
who was killed and who was employed
as mule driver, went to their rescue
He found them almost unconscious,
lying over a mule cart, and succeeded
in helping them to the well at the
shore end of the tunnel. The would
be rescuers say that all the lights
were out beyond the 5000 feet lock
and that they could not go any
further.
A second rescuing party was made
up of Patrick Gaytons, Mike McGau-
ley, Dan Rogers, Barney Hughes and
Ed Corbett. 1t failed utterly in .ac-
complishing anything, as the tunnel
was filed with foul gas and smoke. In
an interview Ed Corbett said: when
we got out 800 feet we found
the electric lights were not burn
ing from there on out The
gas and smoke were terrible. We had
wet handkerchiefs over our noses and
mouths and went 200 feet further into
the pitchy darkness, but the gas and
smoke almost overcame US, and we were
forced to return. Nothing can be ac-
complished in the way of getting the
bodies until the tunnel is lighted and
the sulphur gas and smoke are cleared
out. 1t is sure death to try to reach
the bodies now. AS far out as we got
the base of the tunnel was covered to
the depth of foot with substance re-
| semblinp snow in it's appearance"