The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-14

tunnel.
course Of construction Tor several years
past, and is still far from complete, has
been the cause, all told, of the loss OF
more than thirty lives.
Four years ago an explosion in the
shore section of the tunnel resulted in
the suffocation OF eighteen men. Two
years ago in a similar accident several
more men We're killed at almost the
same place, and tOday's catastrophe
adds at least ten additional names to
the death list
The FIRE when destroyed the crib this
morning was due to an overheated
boiler smokestack- The boiler exploded
soon after the flames broke out The
crib itself was OF pine timber. built up
straight from the waters edge. The
men, who were asleep in their bunkS,
sprang up to find themselves in the
midst of flames The boards all
around them were burning hercely.
Down in the shaft. under the lake.
eleven men were at work digging, un-
conscious. until the air supply was
cut of. of what was happening above
them
superintendent Kingsley Of the wa
terworks department. who is in charge
OF the rescue work at the crib, said
this afternoon an attempt would be
made at once to rescue the men still IN
the tunnel 1t is now believed four
men are still imprisoned under the
lake.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
suffocated in the new waterworls tun-
mel and a number of workmen drowned
We're the first repOrs of the death list
of an awful calamity which occurred
at an early hour today The new
waterworks tunnel crib No. caught
fire and was almost destroyed by the
flames Three gangs of tunnel work
men who live at the crib were caught
like rats in a trap and either had to
jump in the lake and possibly drown
or else go back into the tunnel to
probable death by suffocation-
The opinion Of some on the scene was
that the tunnel men had perished for
want of air. others thought they were
safe, as the compressed air was pos
sibly not shut Off. The tug Sprankle
brought the badly burned and half
naked men to shore. where several OF
them were taken in ambulances to hos
pitals-
AT $50 o'clock a tug came in. saying
five cha rred bodies had been found. AT
8 a. m the coroner had been summoned
and was taken to the scene In a tug.
Expert sailors who know the arrange
ment of the shaft in which are impris-
oned the sixteen men will also go out.
The five bodies found are burned be-
yond recognition.
A few minutes before O'Clock a
boiler in the crib exploded with ter
rife force One gang Of eight men
was at work in the tunnel beneath the
lake and two more gangs were asleep
on the crib at the time. AS soon as
gangs above the lake started down the
elevator to get the gang underneath
out. but while on the way down the
power operating the elevator gave out,
and they We're cut off with their com
rades.
In a few minutes the remainder of
the party in tine crib discovered that
their position was extremely critical
About tWenty-One men ana one woman
were hemmed in BY the burning crib.
which was of wood and was filed with
infiamms ble material
Too terrified to dress they We're
forced back step by step to the waters
edge by the advancing fTe.
Smoke envelopad them and their only
hope seemed the water of the lake
They were without boats and three
miles from shore They had no hope Of
aid reaching them Soon the flames
forced them into the water and gather
ing any piece of Wreckage possible they
jumped into the lake There was not
even a ledge around the crib for the
imperiled people to cling to. and they
were floating near. the burning crib
screaming for help when the tug Spran-
kIe reached the scene. The tug was II
the harbor when the fire was first seen
and though it went a full speed to the
burning structure the building had
burned to the waters level when il
reached there.
Captain H Thorne. of the tug J. r.
Spranlxle stated that he found the lake
in the vicinity of the fire swarming
with men. They were all naked and
We're swimming about in the water al
most exhausted. He says that he saw
at least one man throw up his arms
in despair and sink to a watery grave
Captain ThOrne and his crew rescued
is of the men and brought them to
Cleveland
Daniel Hartman was one of those
brought in on the Sprankle He said
that the first intimation of anything
wrong was the terrific explosion which
awakened him and the others.
a fearful panic followed" he said
many of the men rushing from their
beds and throwing themselves into the
lake I ran from my bunk and looked
around and soon saw that the crib was
doomed. The fire spread like lightning
and there was hardly any use lighting
it. 1t soon got too warm for me and
jumped into the water
Men brought in BY the tug all united
in saying that there was little hope for
the poor unfOrtunates left in the shaft
THE elevator is burned" they said,
and they are cOrnered down there like
rats. As soon as the air becomes dead
they will smother"
Later Foreman Van Hartman, who
had returned to the crib on the tug
which rescued him and his fellow work
erS. went down into the tunnel shaft,
a depth Of 120 feet. a rope was tied
around his body, so that if he should
nave been overcome DX Jue smoke HS
would have been drawn to the top. He
was down in the shaft for Is minutes
and said the men In the tunnel We're
alive for he claimed that he could hear
them answer his calls.
The tug Immediately returned to this
city to get storage electric batteries so
the bottom of the shaft can be lighted
and the rescue of the IA men imprisoned
in the tunnel can be effected
Nine men were subsequently taken
from the tunnel shaft alive.