The Irish standard., 1909-01-23
M|NNES0TANS Dine 25 DIE IN LAKE FIRE.
Crib Off Chicago Burns,
Score Perishing,

QUIZ TCllSlIiuSs
-
TRAPPED; LEAP TO DEATH
Many Of the seventy.Nine Workers
Are Rescued In Catastrophe-VIc
Tins Try to Get Footing on Ice,
But Are Drowned.
Chicago. Jan. 21.-Fire in the in
termediate crib, near Seventy-first
street. yesterday. resulted in what was
one of the greatest disasters in the
history. of crib construction. Accord
ing to the latest estimates, about 25
workmen met death, either in the wa
ters of the lake or from flames,
Twentyseven Of the injured have been
rescued and are in hospitals. where
sturdy efforts ae being made to save
their lives. Eighteen were safe on
the Sixty-eighth street crib, near by.
Fifteen of those dead who are sup.
posed to have been down In the tun-
mel, which the. George w. jackson
Company is building from the inter-
mediate crib to the shore. are unao-
counted for. It is said that in all the
lives Of rs men we're endangered.
Fear a Terrific explosion.
The crowds on the shore watching
the distant blaze with its plume of
black smoke. the squad of men on the
adjoining crib and those working from
the fire tug Conway. which had been
hurried through the ice foes from its
station in South Chicago to the scene
of the conflagration. we're greatly
alarmed when 1t was learned that
three tons of dynamite were stored in
the substructure of the burning crib.
The flames were creeping toward the
stored explosive infinitely. A terrific
explosion was feared.
Flames Break Out Quickly.
The flames broke out in the crib at
about a. m. The structure is situated
nearly two miles from shore. where
are the Offices Of the George w. Jack
son corporation, which has charge Of
the southwest land tunnel work. When
the fire broke out telephone message
was received at the Offices on shore:
"The crib is on fire. For God 8 sake
send help at once or dozen or more
Of us will be burned alive. The
tug"
This was what a voice said over the
phone, speaking from the crib Then
the connection was broken and the
men on shore heard no more.
F. Alarm Spreads Rapidly.
The alarm spread rapidly. Those
who heard Of the impending disaster
were appalled, when they learned that
some 70 workmen at the crib were
completely isolated from the shore.
Smoke could be family seen putting UP
5000 feet away, where a light mist
lay over the water. Occasionally a
tongue OF red flame fared up. An
alarm was sent at once to South Chi.
cago, where the fire tug Conway was
stationed.
The fire, according to stories told by
survivors, originated in the powder
magazine on the first landing shortly
before eight o'clock Many we're
asleep in hunks. others were washing,
and others were just going to work
when a sheet Of flame shot through
the building.
Caught Like Rats In Trap.
The men were caught like rats In
a trap. Many were burned to death
before they could reach the doors.
Others, their clothes aflame, leaped
into the icy waters regardless Of the
results. A number unable to swim
sank beneath the surface. Others
swan to cakes Of ice to support them
selves.
The tugboat shot into the midst Of
floating men and the crew hurled
ropes ladders and boxes to the men.
Fighting like maniacs, the workmen
seized the ropes. regardless Of what
became Of their companions. Others
seized one side of the tugboat and
bore SO heavily on It that IT nearly
capsized The shrieks Of those in
the crib, resembling roaring fur.
mace. were heard above the other
din.
Tries to Quiet Survivors.
Capt. Johnson and the crew dee-
perately endeavored to quiet the fight.
ing men, who apparently failed to
realize what they were doing. Some
chung to their cakes of ice and mem
bers OF the crew had to pull them off
and place them in the boat, where
they sank exhausted on the deck.
Superintendent Thomas Matchin
was one of those rescued. He, with a
number Of others, was stationed at the
sixty.eighth street pumping station.
When all had been placed in the
boat, It plowed through the icy water
to the Chicago river, where the in.
1ured and burned were carried to am
balances, which hurried them to hos
pitfalls.
Mine Blast Kills Six.
Salinas, Cal, Jan. 21.--six men
were killed by an explosion in the Cy-