Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-21
Met Terrible Death while Work.
ing in q Crib under Lake
Michigan off Chicago.
STARTED BY EXPLOSION
Mcn Were Blown or Driven into The
Lake nv Fire which Followed
Many Wen Slept in the crib
and This Increased the
Number Of Victims.

chicago. Ills. Jan. 20-BloWn 20 pieces
by exploding powder. burned to death
by the resultant fire. or drowned In the
icy waters Of Lake Michigan, was the
fate to-day of some q worknen who
were WORKING on a submarine tunnel at
Il wooden crib. Il mile and n half from
shore. The crib was used In the con
struction Of q Now submarine water
tunnel connecting with The south side
shore Of the city at 73rd Street. It is
known that o. workmen were employed
in the crib ana the connecting tunnel
at the time of the explosion, which
started the fire and blew or drove men
into The water. The work Of the destroy
ing elements was begun so UNEXPECTEDLY
and reaped it's harvest of dead and In
iurcd with such sWiftness that the con
tracing firm Of George W. Jackson aud
| the rescuers have been unable to ar
| rive at anything like an accurate list OF
those who persisted.
All South side hospitals are filed with
injured men tonight. Fire boats and
tugs made frequent trips tonight TO
the scene OF the disaster through tho
heavy icy foes.
RESCUE WORK DIFFICULT
Owing to the difficulty experienced w."
small craft IN reaching the crib during
the winter. most of the workmer en-
ployed on the work. particularly those
who had no families. slept in temporary
hunks az tho Grin. II was Just as those
men had been awakened for the days
work that the explosion occurred. Tho
explosion is thought to have had its
origin in q small powder house at loo
yards from the crib structure proper. In
this Clubhouse. the George W. Jackson
company stored from time to time, just
enough powder and dynamite for urgent
use in tho work Of constructing tho
water tunnel and in some manner not
yet known. the explosives We're put into
action.
The dotcnation. muffled by tho crunch
ing of floating ice against the crib and
the atmosphere lade1 with heavy fog.
simply aroused the attention of the
workmen. according TO survivors,. and
IL was not until the heat Of the flames
and sitting smoke penetrated tho So
., called living room Of the crib and Tbs
3, tunne' beneath the water" OF the lak'
that the full import of the disaste'
, dawned upon them.
I TRIED TO GIVE WARNING.
one Of the workmen, with n coolo
head than his fellows, abandoned In
shouting and frantic mon on the cTi'
platform and made his way through tn
: smoke to a little inclosurc in which wa
n telephone that communicated with til
shore station. The drowsy attendant o
. shore was brought into action by a vic
lent ringing of the telephone boil, an
. this was the message which set on foe
, tie work OF rescue:
- The crib is on fire. For Gods sake
send help at once or we will be burne
alive, The tug-
At this point communication ceased an
through the fog and occasional burst {
= fame and an unmistakable odor % smol
made II known to the watcher on shoi
that the telephone message was in earn
q est.
:, The tug T. r. Morford. in Charge
Captain Johnson. at anchor within
=. short distance of the lnperilI"d cri
10 was the first to set into tie work of re
~ cue. The ice made it Impossible for Il
tug 10 reach the improVisod pier. but
or small boat was used to carry the injur'
to the steamer and to rescue thos" VI
had plunged into the wator OF IN" la
rather than face the flames which We
raging on the crib structure.
SO BODIES RECOVERED.
" After several hours OF heroic VOL
l. 80 workmen were rescued. When Il
Us fire tug Conway and its crews final
ne quenched the flames 80 bodies. h,
ed been carried to the saOre and plac'
MS I'm morgucs in South chicago awaitii
,se identification. Tho bodies of the vi
ny tins in the majority of instances we