Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-08-15
EXT RATS ||IN. I TRAP
Dozen Workmen Penned in and Lose
Il Their Lives in the Big Fire
At Cleveland.
Grip was Located Two Miles Out in
The Lake and Occupants Had
No Chance to Escape.
Tugs and Lifesaving Vessels Rescue
a Score of Men Who Jumped
1 Into the Water.

Cleveland, Aug. 15.-Fire during the
morning destroyed a temporary water.
works crib. two miles out in the lake.
resulting in the death of 10 men, while
two others probably were fatally in
jured. In addition to a large number
of workmen who were in the crib II
others were at work. in the tunnel,
leading thence, 200 feet from the bot:
tom of the lake. i AS air, which was
pumped from the crib to supply the
men working in the tunnel, was cut
Off as a result of it's destruction, it was
at first supposed that these men had
all persisted. Subsequently. however.
nine of the men in the tunnel were res
cued after heroic work upon the part
Of their fellow workmen./
At this writing it is said that two
men are still in the tunnel, but those
rescued state that one of these, Victor
Kaufman of Canton. is dead.
Fire and harbor> tugs with rescuing
parties on board reached the crib SOC
after the flames broke out, but when
they arrived the structure was a seeth-
ing Of flames and all hope of a v
ing it was abandoned. ~.
Men could be distinguished swim
ming and floating in the water shout
ing for help. Others were clinging TO
ropes which they had hitched or tied
to the rafters, but the flames we're
burning the ropes away, while the
men were stark naked, and n by one
they were falling into the lake.
The tugs circled around the burning
crib, picking up men from the water,
and meantime playing heavy streams
upon the flames. -,
Horror Of Calamity Realized.
After an hours hard work the
flames were diminished enough so
that the firemen could climb up the
charred steps and fight the fire from
the interior. Then the horror of the
calamity was first realized. Every
thing was a total wreck. While the
firemen were pouring water on the
flames there was@a roaring furnace be.
meath which could not be reached.
But the firemen chung to their places
and fought every inch Of the way until
the fire was under control. After two
hours hard work five charred human
bodies were found burned beyond rec.
ognition. Two were in the attitude OF
prayer. They must have been awak.
Eened by the fire but could not escape.
The bodies Of two other men lay close
! IN hnca&fho + xyof.oS1Nr haSr lxn11o No. q
it. looked as though they never knew
what happened to them. They must
have been suffocated before the flames
reached them. - 7z~
AS soo as the five bodies were dis.
covered the tug Kennedy returned to
the harbor at once and notified the
coroner of the discovery. While this
was going on ways and%means were
being devised to reach the men i'm.
prisoned Id the tunnel, whose air sup.
ply had apparently been shut off en-.
tirely by the burning OF the compress.
ed air machinery. At times it was
thought that voices could be heard
down below, and the lifesavers and
the >firemen peered down with ears in.
tent. but the. sounds ceased again. AT
the mouth of the shaft it was like a
furnace and the iron work was red
hot from the flames and the water
thrown on it turned into steam at
once. Ss$ss. zn@@y v.~3r >~s's, @2;yc p III
More Dead Than Alive.
Finally after a sdeluge of water had
been thrown on the smoldering shat.
entrance. q voice was heard from the
bottom calling for help. A line was
quickly dropped down; the shaft and
assit frightened ashout OF joy went uE
from those about Slowly the man
was raised. 1t was William Curry Of
Canton. HIS pallid face. covered with
slime, his staring eyes and heaving
chest. told of8the horror Of the hours
he had spent In the tunnel. AS soor
as he could gasp Curry said:
They are all at the bottom of the
shaft: hurry up, 5
In quick succession seven others
were brought up from the foul and
sitting mir OF the tunnel. All were ii
q most pitiable condition. They re
ported that two other menwere lying
unconscious ait the bottom OF ths
shaft. Aworkman volunteered TO res
cue these men and he was quickly low
cred into the shaft. Ia . few moments
the unconscious men were brought us
moreSdead than alive.
one or two men are supposed to ts
lying dead III the tunnel. too far away
from the shaft ia be reached.
Tngs that hurled out to the scene
as Id as the fire was discovered sue
eeeded in rescuing no less than 2t
nHan, who i found ciinalna Il