The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-07
DEATH
MAMMOTH ICE BUILDING
COLLAPSED.
An Owosso Citizen Killed and Sc ver-
al Injured.

a
dent but the following report from to-
days Detroit Free Press is undoubtedly
THE DEAD.
VIM. O'Connor, of Owosso.
Albert Morey, of Whitmore.
Both young men and unmarried.
THE INJURED.
George Martin, of Whitmore Lake,
hurt internally; may die.
Walter Speigelberg, Whitmore Lake,
ankle broken
John Mcbride, foreman, Owosso,
badly crushed about head and body;
will probably die
Alonzo Ackley, Owosso, leg broken.
Charles Thorn, Owosso, arm broken,
and spine injured.
Charles Girard, Owosso, leg broken,
body badly bruised.
Joseph Comette, Owosso, head crush
ed and internally injured; likely to die.
Joseph Taylor, Ann Arbor, arm
broken.
Thomas Taylor, Ann Arbor, arm
broken.
Stephen Earl, Whitmore Lake, ankle
badly sprained.
Harry Stilson, Whitmore Lake, arm
crushed and hurt internally; probably
will die
William Foltz, Whitmore Lake, leg
crushed to pieces and head badly hurt;
will die.
Will Lowrey, Whitmore Lake, ankles
both sprained.
John Baumgardner, Whitmore Lake,
seriously crushed; likely to die.
Whitmore Lake, Mich, January e.
Especial. THE quiet little village of
Whitmore Lake, lying ten miles north
of Ann Arbor, was shocked this after
noen by an accident such as it has never
dreamed of before
The enormous ice buildings in pro-
cess of erection by the side of the lake
fell to the ground without any warning
whateyer, instantly killing two of the
workmen engaged in the construction,
and burying in mass of heavy timbers
a score or more other unsuspecting
men, at least six of whom are so badly
injured that they are not expected to
live through the night
The whole country focked to the
scene of the terrible accident before the
darkness came, and most of the resi-
dents are still too excited to tell ration.
ally the story of how it occurred. A
month or two ago company know as
the Toledo Ice Co.. said to be simply
another name for the agents of Phillip
Armour, the great Chicago pork pack
er, began the construction of an enor.
nous wooden building close TO the
shore of the lake for the storage of ice
1t was to be 132 feet wide and 321 feet
long, with walls over so feet high, and
was expected to hold over 5O,0 900 tons
of lake ice when completed. The work
OF construction has been pushed with
the utmost speed, and a force of from
10 to 150 men constantly employed
on it.
The Ann Arbor Railroads superinten
dent of bridges, James Turnbull, oi
Owosso, had charge, and John Mcbride
of Owosso, acted as foreman of the job
This afternoon by some ones orders
supposedly those of Mr.. Turnbull, the
workmen began removing the inside
braces, which acted as props for the
great double walls. The roofing was
not yet in shape, but was to go on 81
once, it being expected that the harvest
of ice would begin within week or ter
days.
At about o'clock, without apparent
| ly any warning, the west wall of the i'm
mense structure began to fall. 1t fel
outwards, but loosening the hold on the
five cross partitions, they went dowr
like pile of cards, one after another
There was no chance of escape, and the
seventy odd men inside the building
were pinned to the ground with tre
mendous force. The dull report, the
cloud of rising dust, and few piercing
shrieks told the story. A considerable
crowd gathered at once and promptly
began the work of rescue.
The body of VIM. O'Connor was the
first to be taken from the ruins. He
had been killed instantly, partially i'm
paled on a broken timber.
Albert Morey died before he could be
taken to the nearest house.
1t was most distressing scene. The
neighbors worked like beavers, ano
soon almost every house along the mar.
row, struggling street held its wounded
inmate. kilograms were at once sent
to Ann Arbor and Hamburg for medica
assistance.
A special train brought help from the
| former, and soon all was being done
that was possible for the injured
Shortly after the accident Justice
Moss impaneled coroner's jury, view
ed the scene and then adjourned the in
quest until tomorrow morning at
o'clock.
Supt. Turnbulll and Engineer G. r
Hill of the Ann Arbor road, took tn,
late passenger train to Toledo, refusing
to talk about the deplorable affair.
The affair has benumbed the goot
people of the neighborhood, and tn
country for miles around feels the ter
rible effects of the accident, the iniure,
usually living within short distance O
the lake. There is hardly any talk as t.
where the responsibility should RESI-
Turnbull, it is alleged, has frequentl
been seen intoxicated on the streets 0
the little village, but those most closel
conversant with the affair say that to
day he was perfectly sober. They do no