Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-20
woaKMEN LEAPE0 IN WATER.
Tuq Going to Their Rescue Had to
Withdraw to Avoid Being
Burned Up.
injured Who Mere Rescued Suffered
Terribly from Burns-Many
Had Narrow Escapes.

chicago. Jan. 9O.-Twenty-thre men
lost their lives today In a fire which de-
stroyed the intermediate water supply
crib. one and a half miles from shore
On Lake Michigan. Forty-seven. suf-
.arnr from burns, cuts or immersion
Dol the icy waters into which they
umpcd to save their lives were res
.ued. This statement of casualties was
made by George W. Jackson. whose
company was constructing the mistake
tunnel under the lake and Of which
the crib served as base Of operations.
Tho dead are supposed to be impris-
ouod in the tunnel under tho crib.
Dath might have come either from
fire. smoke. an explosion Of dynamite
stored there or the shutting on OF the
aIr pines. In the tunnel the men work
pd under air pressure. Little hope was
EXPRESSED that any OF them escaped.
although this cannot be known until
tbe wreckage blocking the entrance TO
Che bore Is removed Fire tugs exc
uuguishcd the flames and an attempt
90 enter the tunnel was begun.
The CRIB IS one that was established
bt the George w jackson company,
contractors. and is connected with the
shore by AN aerial tramway Early re-
norris stated that nearly 50 men were
working In the crib when the fire broke
ut It was possible that there were
l5 men working I'm the tunnel who
might have escaped. although their
lives, n 90 the tunnel would be eu-
dlnrered by smoke. The tug II. IT.
Mollord. in charge Of Capt Johnson,
was stationed at the crib and 26 OF
81
loug from burns, were taken on
board the tug and brought to the city.
TUGS MARROW ESCAPE.
The boat itself had a narrow escape
from the flames She pulled away from
tho crib at the first warning and
stopped a short way on while worlzmen
ou One crib were leaping into the wa
orr and swimming TO the tugs side.
Many OF the men rescued from the
crib were suffering either from burns
oi from the AFFECT OF smoke and heat.
Toe aerial tramWay was utilized In
fighting the flames but il was practic-
ally useless for the men at the crib to
take advantage OF attempts to escape.
The estimate OF the number Of dead
was made by John Wampole, one of
tho injured brought in by the Morford.
Ho stated that a few might have es-
capped into the tunnel whore others
uere working, but he declared il al
most certain that IN this event they
would die OF suitoca0on or an eXplo-
sion Of dynamite which was stored in
the bore.
The fire lacked none OF the elements
of a melodrama Sixty men, 20 Of them
40 work In the tunnel under the crib, a
Jew moving about the structure, and
others asleep In their hunks. were sud
l0nly confronted by death by AN exc
pl0son OF a powder magazine which
Immediately wrapped tbs wooden
structure in flames
Those who were not killed or injured
B.. the hrst fiery blasts rushed out OF
doors 10 md no means OF escape. on
every side were the waters of Lake
Michigan, its surface almost covered
by great cakes OF icc. a mile and
half distant near the shore az Seven
ty-third street lay their only hope, the
tug Morford. Il could be dimly seen
through the haze of fog and smoke. AZ
ihe shore office the last word received
iom the crib was tragic In IFS inc0m-
peteness.
THE TELEPHONE MESSAGE
"Tho crib Is on fire For Gods sake
send help at once or We viii be burn
ed alive. The tug
Then the telephone wire broke ana
tha mon on shore heard no more.
capt Edward johnson of the tug had
already hoisted anchor and the sturdy
little craft was bucking the Ice.
The hremen in the hold worked des-
pelately getting up full head OF
steam.
Flom the deck OF the boat the crib
could be dimly seen Black spots ape
patred ana then disappeared into the
waters below. Some of the imprson-
rl mon were seeking 10 escape by
winning Some of them were seen
lo cling Go cakes of Zee Tor "a time ana
Then to disappear.
Ih. crib De- temporary structure
erected 200 the construction of "a new
llira milo tunnel into the lake Tor the
Ultimate purpose of adding 10 Chicago's
water supply
Tho wooden material used in the crib
lado 70 am easy prey for the fire. Pow
ANA dynamite used ln blasting were
LNIN stored there. Ordinarily from go to
u.u We're employed They worked
SHIFTS Of eight hours, each eating ON
l'r premises and sleeping in the hunks
'ln which the place Was provided. a
ended trmHay connected the crib
Nlh ihc shore lmWenso buckets, 8ua-
IfNu "a from heavy wire cables and
Pr" 'A|NN. NNINN'.| N.NNN n INN "h 'N'i
u ODE place. when the nre was 0rst
".eIcd an attempt was made hy "a
daring spirits Co reach tho crib ln
buckets. bat the motive mcchanl m
.,''l to work ana the attempt was
abandoned
Whom Capt Johnson. after what
n"d to him an lntonmnlablo trip
hri DOES goal he saw victims of the
M ihe.r hair sneed on and their
h.ackeued, struggling ln the
NI' and ico. Some of them fought
'I' inrIr rescuers only to sink uu-
'ous on deck when forced aboard
Pug When everybody Boa slght tal
IHhNn aboard second MUM a
lln Was heard, probably marking
lnlng ont of more lives Boo tha
under the crib
CAPT JOHNsONs STORY
Nn0n ! nmrod the crib" said Capt
'n ? Saw "a number of mon, thoir
'Ns ahlaze. run out of tho blaz-
NlA nio ana Jump into thc lake
lpldly twisted ropes about
hf they could nnd ana jumped
INI UN.InH "a .nnnHnUH HHIUn IHnnlIn.