The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-21
S|XTY.SIX DEAD IN
CHICAGO CRIB
DISASTER
STATES ATTORNEY WILL DETER
MINE RESPONSIBILITY FOR STU.
PENDoUs LOSS OF LIFE-47
BODIES RECOVERED.

CHICAGO, Jan. 2l.-Search for
.lore victims OF the terrible crib fire
cisaster. from which ~ bodies have
already been recovered, was continue
today The crew OF the tug L. T. Nor
ord and city fire boat early began
20 drag the lake In the belief that at
least ten men persisted In the water.
AZ Is thought that several other bodies
may be found in the ruins.
Sixty-six is the latest figure given to-
Gay, as the number OF victims OF the
~olocaust that wiped out the inter
mediate" crib two miles of Seventy
Ilird.sr.
The estimate OF the total toll OF
Cj victims was made by careful sum-
.lary OF the list OF employees and the
LIST OF missing II Is believed that
tie number may even De increased.
Coroner Hoffman TO-DAY impaneled "A
Jury aud ordered tug held In readi-
ness 10 take the members 10 the crib.
States Attorney Wayman also entered
me investigation and declared that ne
would inaugurate an Official probe TO
determine responsibility for the stu
lcndous loss OF life,
Pathetic scenes were enacted around
the undertaking rooms. where hun
ureds OF relatives and friends or men
believed To have been among the holo-
saust victims pleaded with unyielding
| policemen for an opportunity 10 view
The charred torsos In canvas bags.
>! mere was not one Of the bodies, how
ever, In any way recognizable and the
police refused To permit the CHASTITY
- ght TO be viewed
Husband Is Safe.
One woman vino had mourned he
husband for lost and was comforted by
Lis return today. was Mrs. James
. Walsh. He had been employed on the
| intermediate crib and yesterday morn
ing left his home IA usual for work
Outside the house, however, he deter
LINED that he was tired OF his job, ana
instead OF going 10 his mid-lake TASK,
lie went to Hammond, Ind. and there
secured another position lie did not
return until today.
The victims were blown TO pieces by
exploding powder. burned to death by
the resultant fire or drowned In the
icy waters OF Lake Michigan. They
were employed In submarine tunnel
mt the wooden crib, mile and hair
from shore The crib was u'Hd III the
ter tunnel connecting with the south
side shore OF the city.
Owing to the difficulty experienced
BY small craft In reaching the crib
during the winter, most OF the work
r,en employed on the work. particular
Is those who had no families. slept in
temporary hunks at the crib. 1t was
,lst as these men had been awakened
and subsequent fire caused the pande-
ilonium which resulted In the great
)ss of life.
AS nearly as the investigators have
been able to ascertain the explosion
y had its origin In powder house OF
small dimensions, situated about lOO
Yards from the crib structure proper,
l. but at the same time being part
OF the general structure built on found
ations resting on the bottom of the
lake at this point. In this outhouse'
the George w. Jackson Co. stored from
time to time. just enough powder ain
dynamite for urgent use In the work
III constructing the water tunnel ana
In some manner, not yet known, the
explosives were put into action.
Workman Gives Alarm.
The dull defamation, muffied as 1t
was by the crunching OF floating Ice
against the crib and the atmosphere
laden with heavy fog, simply
aroused the attention OF the work
men. according to survivors, and II
was not until the heat OF the flames
ard the sitting smoke penetrated the
so-called living room" OF the crib and
the tunnel beneath the waters OF the
lake that the full import of the dis
aster dawned upon the workmen, cut
OF from quick succor.
One OF the workmen, with cooler
head than his fellows, abandoned the
shouting and frantic men on the crib
platform and made his way through
the smoke TO little enclosure In
which was a telephone that COM
municated with the shore station. The
drowsy attendant on shore was
brought into action by violent ring
ing OF the telephone bell. and this was
the message that set on foot the work
of rescue.
'rhe crib is on fire. For Gods sake
Fend help at once or we Will be Durn-
ed alive. The tug
At this point communication ceased
and, through the fog, an occasional
burst OF fame and an unmistakable
odor OF smoke made II known TO the
watchers on shore that the telephone
message was In earnest.
The tug T. T. Morford. in charge OF
Capt Johnson. had forced its PROV
earlier In the morning to an anchor
age within a short distance OF the Inn
periled crib. and this boat was the
first to get into the work OF rescuing
the frenzied workmen. The Ice made
It impossible for the tug to reach the
improvised pier. but small boat was
placed in service to carry thu injured
10 the steamer and to rescde those
who had plunged into the waters or
the lake rather than face the flames,
which were raging on the crib stric-