The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-20
parted for the shore. We had As men
aboard, 26 of whom were injured"
Women Faint on Shore.

II
BY the time the Morford had start
ed on the return trip three other tugs
had pointed their noses toward the
scene of the tragedy. A scene of des-
olation and sorrow occurred on the
shore. The families of many of the
men working at the crib lived in the
vicinity. Men, women and children
cried and sobbed Historically in fran
tic anxiety for those out in the lake
Several women tainted. Mrs Frank
Nolan, wife of the foreman in charge
of the underground work at the crib,
accompanied by her young daughter.
made a pathetic figure as she stood
with the crowd on the pier at Seventy
first street.
"Oh. my God. tell me if he has died
or if he is safe; I can not live" she
cried again and again. Like many 9TH
er women Mrs Nolan was clad in the
thinnest of house garments but they
were covered by the heavier coats of
men who pitied their condition. Mrs.
Edith G.. Miller, wife of another fore
man tainted on the pier and fell to the
ice below She soon recovered con-
sciousness, however, but refused to
leave the place.
In the throng on the pier were for
mer employees who had worked at the
crib. They stated that the crew work
ing in the tunnel had in all probable
ity been killed. The exit from the
tunnel into the crib was partly block
ed by wreckage even under normal
conditions. After the fire tug had
Quenched the flames f1remen began
condition in the tunnel
A telephone message from the crib
at L p. m stated that 20 bodies had
been recovered from the tunnel. The
report added that there We're more
bodies at the bottom of the shaft.
Men Were Asleep.
Charles Rose, one of those who were
rescued, his face brstered and bleeding,
told graphic story of his escape.
FLAMES, flames, nothing but flames, ="
he said.
They were everywhere, all in an in
stant. I knew every nook and Granny
of the place and was able to save my
life, but the other poor fellows-there
must be 25 of them-never had a chance
to get away. They either attempted to
rush to the first floor or did not know
on which side the windows were. They
were more fortunate, however, than
those below in the tunnel who L am
afraid have perished- Those on the
first floor escaped by a miracle 1 and
some others We're on the second floor
asleep. There was no warning. Every
body became frightened at the same
instant as the flames leaped at us
from every direction. There were
screams and yells such as no one could
describe and everybody rushed madly
toward what he thought were windows
or doors. We did manage somehow to
get onto the pier on which the crib Is
built A few of the men jumped into
the lake. while others huddled together
at the far end of the pier 1t was only
a few minutes before the building was
gone. Some of the boards and timber
fell into the lake and were used as life
preservers. The situation of those Ia
ter was awful. I counted a dozen OF
them. They screamed for help unit
strength TO do so failed them Wind
whipped the waters into a high sea
and the crashing of the big. piers OF
ice together added to the danger o.
their situation. I should say that A
men were asleep when the fire start
ed
At 1870 p. m. a telephone message tc
Fire Marshal Horan stated that q
bodies had been recovered from the ill
fated crib and that a number estima-
ted at an additional 20 could be seen
scattered among the wreckage and the
shaft leading from the crib down to
the tunnel proper.
Can't Understand 1t.
Firemen returning from the ruined
structure this afternoon brought a ray
of hope in their expressed belief that
if any of the men had succeeded in
may have escaped. The air pumping
apparatus was declared to be unim-
paired and frantic work was begun to
start forcing air in the tunnel
George w. Jackson, president of the
company which is constructing the
tunnel, said:
''I am at a loss to know how the fire
gained such a headway. When the
men took up winter quarters out there,
saw that a system of 25 fire extin-
guishers was in place and the men
were shown how it worked There
were also picks and axes for use of the
men in case of fire Every new en-
ploye was warned against smoking in
certain places and the rules were
rigid The fire seems to have started
from an explosion in the powder
a n
lecture the manner in which it was
ignited. The bulk of the explosives
was kept at a separate crib, one hun
dred yards from the crib where the
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