The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-08-21
AWFUL HOLOCAUST.
Several Men Met D saith in a Roar
Ing Furnace.
CAUSED BY AN SION.
Five Chaned Human Bodies
Found in tho Ru ms of Watsr-
works Crib at CIsvs-
land, Chic.

Five men were burned to death, four
were drowned, three and possibly four
were suffocsted and several injured IS
the result Of fire which destroyed a
temporary wsterworks crib, two miles
OF Cie velapd, Ohio, harbor early
Wednesday morning,
The dead, so far as known: Arthur
Hasty, drowned, body recovered; Mark
Stryder, dIowned; Arthur Hastings,
burned; Plummer Jones. suffocsted; ;
John MARITIME, drowned; John Kowol-
sky, drowned, body recovered; four IN
identified man burned.
The in jured 80 far a. kno1n: John
Lees, probably a broken back, fatal
.. Brsddook, burned shout hands ard
face; Charles Smith, overcome by gRa
in tunnel; David Kelly, rescuer, over
come by gas.
Still imprisoned in tunnel: Victor
Kaufman, Canton, probably dead; John
Enging, probably dead; Adam Kent,
probably dead.
Twenty-six reu obeyed the orders Of
Manager G. q. Van Deusen whom the
flames broke out and took refugo in the
water on floating pieces of WRECK age.
-Four OF them lost their hold upon their
frail d ats and ssuk bent ath the weves
just as help reiched their comrades.
Van Deuson aud thTeo OF his men
were hanging in the water from a 20
inoh line suspended from tho crib. Just
as the line was buroi lg away above the
mems hands ysIl boat FROM the barge
Wilhelm. manned by two men, dashed
into the heat aud smoke that enveloped
the crib and rescued the four men on
the ropo at the risk OF their lives. The
remaining mon were picked up in the
water and brought to Cleveland. They
were naked, exhausted and badly burn.
ed. Many OF them were cut by falling
timbers.
The crib is a total loss. 1t was
frame building 200 by so feet, the sides
sheathed with iron. 1t ooutaint valu
able machinery. 1t is now cnarred
shapeless mass of wreckage and min
eled with the blsckentd timb,rs are
blackened, rusted and twisted pieces
and plates of iron and steel.
The crib and machinery were the
property Of Shsiler and Schinglau. CON
onS :fsstOrS' Their loss wSi eAvsss s4OO,-
Fire evd h.rhc-. 4 with resouing
parties ON board reached the crib so,n
after the flames bro g, out, but when
they arrived the s!ructureNSas eeeth.
ing mass Of flames and all hope of say
ing it was abandoned.
Men could be distinguished swim
ming and floating in the water shout.
ing for help, Others were clingips to
ropes which they Lid hitched or tied
to the rsfters, but the flames were
burning the ropes away, while the men
wore stark naked, and one py one they
were falling into the lake.
The tugs oircled around the burning
crib, picking up men from the water
and meantime playing heavy streams
upon the flames.
After an hours work the flames were
diminished enough SO that the fremen
could climb up the charred steps and
light the fire from the interior. Then
the horror of the calamity was frat
realized. EIery thing wal a total
wreck. While the fremen were pour
ing water on the flames there was
ROARING FURNACE
beneath which could not be reached.
But the fremen clung to their places
and fought every inch Of the way un-
til the fire was under control.
Alter two hours of hard work five
oharred human bodies were found
burned beyond recognition. Two were
In the attitude Of prayer. They must
have been awakened by the fire but
could not escape. Hhey were caught
like rats in trap. One body was
burned to almost nothing. The bodies
of two other men lay close to those
that were on their knees cnd il looked
as though they never knew what han
pened to them. They must have been
suffocated before the flames reached
them.
AS soon as the five bodies were dis.
covered the tug Kennedy returned 10
the hsIbOr at once aud notified the
coroner Of the discovery. While this
was going On Wsys ord means were
being devised to reach the men i'm
prlsoned In the tunnel, whose air sup
ply had apparently been shut Oft en-
tirely by the burning Of the compress
ed air ma a:hiuery.
At times it was thought that voices
could be heard down below and the life
savers and the frcmen pecred down
with ears intent, but the sour DIS ccased
again. AT the mouth e the shaft il
Was like furnace, and the IRON work
was red hot from the flames.
Finally after delugo Of water had
been thrown on the smolderiDg shaft
entrance, voice vas teard from tho
bottom, calling for help. For Gods
cake throw down q rope, thrown down
a ropel' man called. A line was
quickly dropped down the shaft and 40
it tighscned q shout Of joy went up
from those about, for it was quickly
observed that the man at the bottom
was able 10 gra,P it
he yelled agsin to the rescuors to
pull him up. Slowly and carefully he
was raiIe1, His pallid face, covered
with slime, his staring eyes and hesv
ing chest, told Of the horror no had
gone through in tho hours he spon, ~
the tunnel. lie vas William Curry, Of
Canton.
AS soon a. he could gasp Curry said:
"1hey are all at tho bottom of the
shaft, hurry up"
La quick sue )ession seven othors
were brought up from tho foul and
sitting air OF tho tunnel. All woro 10
= most pit:ablo condition They 70
ported that two other men were lying
unconscious at tho bottom Of the shaft.
A workman volunteered toroscuo these
men ard he was quickly lowered into
the shaft.