The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-21
In Chicago Crib Catastrophe
Pit of Flames and Icy Wa
ters Claim Sixty-six or More
Victims.
AN EFFORT BEING MADE
TO FIX RESPONSIBILITY
Coroner Has Begun Action
And Has Recommended
That All the Victims Be Bur-
led in Bio Burial Lot.

Chicago, Jan. 21.-Search for more
victims in the cribs disaster continued
today. The tug Morford and city fire.
boats dragged the lake where 1t Is
believed at least ten persons perished
in the water Other bodies are ex-
pected to be found in the ruins. Sixty
six victims is the figure given out to-
day. Forty-seven bodies have been
recovered. Efforts are being made to
ascertain if any men are still alive IN
the shaft of the crib. Air is still be-
ing pumped in with hope that some of
the men may have penetrated far
enough to escape the deadly smoke
which caused the death of several
within the shaft. Total estimate OF
sixty-six victims is careful estimate,
based on the list of employees and
those accounted for.
Coroner's Investigation.
A coroner's investigation such as
Chicago has not witnessed since the
days following the Iroquois theater
fire was instituted today with the OBJ
ject Of fixing the responsibility for the
wholesale loss of life-the total may
reack sixty-six-in the burning of the
intermediate crib established by
George w. Jackson, inc, one mile and
half from the shore of Seventy.first
street, yesterday morning.
With the bodies of forty-seven la
borers who died in the inflammable
wooden structure without a chance to
escape, lying before him at South
Chicago at night. Coroner Peter NJ
Hoffman caused the formal impanel
ing of a jury to embark upon an In
quest which probably will last ten
days, at ten o'clock this morning.
Until all evidence has been pre-
sented the coroner said he would
withhold all personal opinions re
specting the guilt of individuals OF
others for a death list which may be
much increased by the time all the
bodies have been recovered from the
grim fortress of smolde ring debris In
the ice coated lake.
Number in Peril a Mystery.
It is not unlikely that the exact
number of dead never will be known
Mr.. jackson furnished a list of sew
enty-nine names as the roll OF the
men employed on the crib. That this
list is not completed is obvious. For
'ty-seyen bodies have been recovered
'forty-seven men were rescued H the
tug Morford. battling for life in the
icy water, nearly every one of whom
was taken to hospital. and it is be
lieved at least a dozen were drowned
before the tug reached the scene.
1t is variously estimated that abou,
100 men were in the crib. Some o
the survivors ventured an estimate o
$50. OF these it is thought that abou
one-third were at work in the tunnel
as the men worked in three shifts. 4
majority of the remainder were IL
hunks ranged about the wooden wall!
of the octagonal structure.
Testimony on Saturday.
Taking of testimony by the coron
er's jury will not begin until Satur
day. The intervening time will b
spent in finding every survivor of th.
disaster and assuring his attendance
at the inquest for the purpose of sup
plying testimony while the feature.
of the scene on the great gray lake ar.
fresh in the memory. With .Actins
Chief of Police Schuett!er, Inspector
Hunt, and City Engineer John Eric
son, Coroner Hoffman in the evening
held conference at the South Chica
go police station with the object o
Completing arrangements for the iden
tification of victims and the investiga
Continued on Page Two.)