The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-14
PRICE ONE CENT.
AWFUL FATE OF WORKMEN
CoOped Up on Lake Erie, They Per-
ish in Fire and Water.

a FTishtfuI Disaster Three MILES
out From CIeVeIand-Nine Men
Known to BE Desd-Victims' Bod
les Recovered WITH DfmcuIty.
CLEVELAND. aug IL-1Iaddeaed by
roaring flames which burned their clothes
from their bodies and scorched their flesh.
without boat, a raft. IiCe-preserver. or
even piece or plank. twoscore of work
men on the new water works crib No. 2.
three miles out on the lake. were forced
20 choose this morning between death by
fire and death by water.
Five Of them. unable to swim and
crazed by the awful alternative. went to
their death through that fearful furnace
Of seething flames. Some OF the others
seized Dlanks and jumped into the water.
Others jumped without pIanks a few
clung to the sides Of the crib. Three Of
the men who took 20 the water perished-
The balance were rescued, two Of them
badly hurt
Eleven poor fellows. imprisoned at .
the bottom Of the lake. breathed the
tainted air for six hours. One Of them
died; all but one Of the others were taken
out aiiing. His fate is unknown. When,
at noon. a little group Of white faced.
trembling water division officials stood on
the ruins Of the crib and counted the cost.
they found that nine lives had gone out.
and 10000 worth Of property had been
destroyed.
The dead are:
JOHN MARTIN.
NIKE LYNDER.
ARTHUR HASTY. all drowned
VICTOR KAUFMAN. sufoeated.
Five Hen, names unknown. burned 70 a crisp
It was about 2.30 this morning when
Capt. Henry Thorne. Of the tug. J. r
SprankIe. saw the flames shooting into the
air from where crib No. was located.
about three miles out in the lake. The
flames died away. but he thought he could
see smoke through the haze. Steam was
up on the SpraukIe and. after notifying
the ireboat. Thorne began a race for the
crib.
Closely on the heels Of the SprankIe
came the life-savlng crew and the fire
boat Clevelander. Though the boats made
splendid speed over the three miles. one
crib was burned TO the waters edge when
they arrived and in the water were shrek
ing half-drowHed. haIf-scorched men. beg
sing 20 be saved.
The rescuers quickly picked up twenty
two men, while the freboat began work
on the flames There was little 70 do. for
everything infammabIe was almost total
Iy destroyed long before
The fire was due 10 an overheated boiler
smokestack- which was too close to the
timbers Of the crib The crib itself was
Of pine timber. built up straight from the
waters edge The men. who were asleep
on their hunks. sprang up 20 find them
selves in the midst of the flames. The
boards all around them were burning
hereely, and down in the shaft. under the
lake. eleven men were at work. uncon-
scious OF the awful holocaust above them.
After the rescued men were taken TO
Cleveland and the FIRE was under control.
a rescue party was hastily organized. Su-
perintendent d. c. Van Duzen. who goes
under the name Of Van Hartman. was
lowered by a rope TO the bottom The
air was too foul for him to go further
and he was drawn out. but he heard the
shouts Of the imprisoned men
IT S-2r a rescue party went down and
brought out nine Of the eleven men one
OF the TWO remaining men is known 70 be
dead and grave fears are felt that the
other is a victim Of sunccation to- The
for the crb are the snail
er * Schniglaw Company. a Chicago firm
Superintendent Van Duzen said:
The fire started at 3-15 H. m. and was
caused by a red-hot boiler stack setting
fire TO the roof. was awakened by the
noise I came out OF my room and saw
at once that the buHding could not be
saved ] told the men 10 take pIanks.
doors, anything and throw themselves
into the water
The yawI boat from the Wilhelm pick
ed us up first, the two men in her work
ing at the risk of their lives under the
terrible heat of the burning building. Too
much credit cannot be given TO these
brave men"