The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1901-08-16
Burning of a Temporary Water
Works Crib Three Miles Out
From Cleveland, o.
At LEAST A DOZEN HUMAN LIVES LOST.
BY Almost superhuman Efforts n
Number of workmen Who Were
Thought to he Doomed to Death
by Sunocation In the Tunnel
Were Rescued Alive.


were probably fatally injured. In adj
dition to large number of workmeu
WHO were in the crib II others were
at work in the tunnel leading from
it 200 feet below the bottom of the
lake. As air, which was pumped from
the crib TO supply the men working
in the tunnel. was cut off as a result
of its destruction, Il was al first sup
posed that these men had all per-
ished.
subsequently. however. nine of the
men in the tunnel were rescued after
heroic work upon the part of their
fellow workmen.
1t is said that two men are still in
the tunnel, but those rescued state
that one of these. Victor kaufman, OF
Canton, is dead.
The Known Dead.
Following is list of the dead and
injured so far ds now known:
John Martin, drowned.
Mike Snyder, drowned.
Arthur TASTY. drowned
Victor Kaufman, Canton, sufTocat-
ed
Five men, names unknown, burned
TO death.
The Injured.
John Lee, broken back.
o. Braddock. frightfully burned.
Fire and horbor tugs with rescuing
parties on board reached the crib
soon after the flames broke out, but
when they arrived the structure was
seething mass Of flames. and all
hope of saving it was abandoned.
Men, stark naked, could be distin-
guished swimming and floating in the
water, shouting for help. Others
were clinging TO ropes which they
had tied to the rafters, but the
flames were burning the ropes away,
and one by one the men were falling
into the lake.
The tugs circled around the burn
ing crib, picking up men from the
water, and meantime playing heavy
streams upon the flames.
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 roaring furnace
beneath, which could not be reached
But the firemen chung to their places
and fought every inch of the way I'M
tai the fire was under control After
two hours of hard work five charred
human bodies were found burned be-
yond recognition. Two were in the
attitude of prayer. They must have
been awakened by the fire, but could
not escape. They were caught like
rats in trap. One body was burned
to almost nothing. All that could be
found of ii were a skull and some
bones. The bodies of two other men
lay close TO those that were on their
knees, and il looked as though they
never knew what happened 10 them.
They must have been suffocated be-
fore the flames reached them.
While this was going on, strenuous
efforts were being put forth to reach
the men imprisoned in the tunnel.
whose air supply had apparently been
shut off entirely by the burning of
the compressed air machinery. At
times IL was thought that voices could
he heard down below, and the life-sav-
ers and the firemen peered down
with ears intent, but the sounds
ceased again. At the mouth of the
shaft it was like furnace and the
lronwork was reGhot from the flames.
The water that was thrown on il
turned into steam at once.
Finally, after deluge Of water had
been thrown on the smouldering
shaft entrance, voice was heard
from the bottom calling for help.
For Gods sake throw down
rope; throw down a rope" man
called.
\ line was quickly dropped down
the shaft and as il frightened a shout
OF JOY went up from those about. for
IL was quickly observed that the man
at the bottom was able 10 grasp il.
He yelled again To the rescuers 10
pull him up. Slowly and carefully he
was raised. His pallid face, covered
with slime, his staring eyes and heav-
ing chest. told of the horror he had
gone through III the hours he had
spent in the tunnel. lie was William
Curry, OF Canton. As soon as he could
gasp Curry said: They are all al
the bottom of the shaft Hurry up"
In quick succession seven others
were brought up from the foul and
sitting air OF the tunnel All were in
most pitiable condition They re-
ported that two other men were w.
ing unconscious at the bottom of the
shaft. \ workman volunteered TO res
cue these men and he was quickly
lowered into the shaft.
In few moments the unconscious
men were brought up more dead than
alive.
One and possibly two men are sup
posed to be lying dead in the tunnel