The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-20
Fire in Temporary Crib in Lake Endangers Lives of Many Workmen. BUFFETED BY
 ROUGH SEAS
 MANY DROWN
Others in Tunnel Under Lake Have No Means of Escape and in Danger from Dynamite Explosion Which Will Let in the Water Forty-seven Have Been Rescued.
Have Been Rescued.
Special from United Press.)

l1d.EC DCCn As
 Especial from United Press)
 Chicago, Jan. 20.-Between twenty and thirty men lost their lives to-day as a result of a. fire which destroyed temporary crib three miles out in Take Michigan About One-third of these were drowned in Lake Michigan. An unknown number, estimated at 19, are supposed to have been caught in a. tunnenl running under the lake from the crib to the shore. Their fate is not yet known.
 Ordinarily between 65 and 80 men were employed daily on the crib and in the tunnel. John Connors, assist John Mcdonald, time-keeper, who had the payroll are known to have per ished.
 Forty-five men were badly burned by the fire or severely frozen. Sever al of them may die.
 Chicago Jan. 20-Between sixty and seventy-five men were thrown into the waters of Lake Michigan early today when a temporary crib, three miles from shore, where they were employed, was destroyed by fire. A number Of them, tuffetted about by the rough sea, were drowned.
 Survivors declare that fifteen men gave up the fight and sank after hold ing on to the burning edges of the crib feared that number variously estl- mated up to p were caught in a tunnel with no means of escape
 At 9:30 this morning forty-seven had been taken from the water about the crib by tugs Several of them were Hcd h1,r.r fe iS may die. The crib was an empty one, constructed as a workshop for the use of the laborerS during the construction of an intake tunnel from the shore to a point about five miles out into the lake. The tunnel was being built by the city water department. The crib was wooden and was circular in shape with q diameter of forty feet
 The superstructure stood % feet above the lakes surface and was used for a workshop and sleeping apart ment. The crib went down 25 feet under the lakes surface, the part un- der water being used as a storage and boiler room. Considerable quantities of dynamite were also kept there. An elevator lifted the men up and down. k The survivors tell a thrilling story. With heavy sea running the men re- rnained on the crib as long as possible rather than take chances in the water. The travelling buckets running to the mainland were hastily manned in an effort to establish a brooches buoy. It was then discovered that the engine fire. This cut off all means of es- cape. Most of the men remained on the crib until the superstructure had been almost burned away, although several driven frantic by fear leaped into the water. When timbers from fho r,,.c,tr tn ho men all leaped into the lake, many of them so badly burned that they could scarcely keep afloat. Survivors of the disaster declare that they saw three men sink after struggling for half an hour to keep afloat. They are Will John Connors. and Time Keeper Me- Donald.
 Chicago, Jan. 2O.-Twenty- men employed on a crib several miles out in Lake Michigan jumped into the lake this morning when the crib took fire. It is reported several were killed. The fire, when discovered, gave them the alternative of jumping overheard or being burned to death. lookout on another crib several miles away tele- phoned just before nine o'clock that he had looked at the crib through a sea glass and could see 15 or 20 men clinging to the edge of the wreck of A heavy sea is running and some of those clinging to the crib may be swept away.
 The Supt. of the crib at o'clock es- timated that about fifteen men had been saved. Of the survivors, he said, the greater majority received se- were burns.
 Superintendent George Curtis of the Sixty-eighth St. crib told the police that there are several tons of dyna- mite in the crib just below the waters edge. Indications are. he said, that the fire is working rapidly down to the explosive He added that usually number of men are always at work in a tunnel in the bed of the lake which is being constructed to connect the main land with the crib. There was no way to warn the men, he declared and they probably are still in the tun- nell.
 If the dynamite exploded, he said, the crib would be destroyed and the stonework blown away This would let the water in on the workmen be- low.
 Several tugs have been chartered with the police and fire departments aboard to go to the scene. The sur vivors have already been taken out of the water by the tug Murford and a gasoline launch from Jackson Park.
 This afternoon twenty bodies were taken from the tunnel and more are believed to be still in the tunnel.
 Secretary Murphy of the fire depart ment, at 1:30 D. m. declared that be- sides the twenty bodies already recov- cred twenty more still remained in the tunnel.