The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-07-14
TUNNEL DISASTER.
In the Twinkling of an Eye the Lives of
Eleven Men Snuffed Out at
Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, o., July 1o.-The lives
of II men were snuffed out in the
twinkling Of an eve Monday evening
IN the big waterworks tunnel that is
being constructed under the bottom OF
Lake Erie, as a result OF an explosion
OF gas.
Following are the names Of thos,
who were killed: John Parks. fore
man, 32 years old and single; James
Parks, brother of John, 80 years old
and single; John Fradey an Italian, %
years old and single; Tony Brunetti,
Italian, 90 years old and single; John
----, Italian, is years old and sin.
gle; Emerson Smith, bricklayer, a
years old, married; John McAuley, 81
years DID, married; VIM Tucker, col
ored, 26 years old and single Gus
Watts. % years old, wife and severa.
children; Frank Clements, married,
with several children; Frank Hanes,
married, aged %.
The tunnel is an immense affair, te-
ing projected TO extend outward from
the shore for Il distance of four and a
half miles. and it has been under con-
struction for more than a year Tho
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 number of others.
Soon aftcrward large pocket of
quicksand was struck and work was
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 uncvent-
fully until Monday evening, when this
latest and most horrible accident
came.
The explosion occurred at n 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, lock tender,
who was stationed 8, 700 feet from the
shore
He heard the explosion or series OF
explosions. lie says there were ten Of
the shocks, and the concussion was
something terrible for it threw him
off his feet, and for hours he was in
such a dazed condition that he could
scarcely remember what had hap
pened. He finally groped 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
lock 3, 200 feet from the shore. but were
there overcome by the gas and fell TO
the floor. When they failed to
return, a young man named Jamei
Clements, son of one of the men
who was killed and who was EN- ployed
as a 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 thu
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'
anything, as the tunnel
was filled 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.
ng from there on out. The
dS anu SluOhS NcIc lcITlDlc' VIC hdu
vet handkerchiefs over our noses and
mouths and went 200 feet further into
he pitchy darkness, but the gas and
smoke almost overcame us, and we were
'orced to return. Nothing can be ac-
in the way of getting the
bodies until the tunnel is lighted and
he sulphur gas and smoke are cleared
,ut. 1t is sure death to try to reach
he bodies now. AS far out as we got
he base of the tunnel was covered to
he depth of foot with substance re-
snow in its appearance.
SKATERS REPORT.