Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-01-20
CACED LIKE RATS
IN FIERY FURNACE:
Men are Confront
ed By Raging
Flames
THIRTY FOUR LOSE LIVES
An Explosion of a Powder
Magazine Wraps Frame
Structure In Blaze.

Chicago Jan. 20.-A number of men.
estimated as high as thirty-four, ~
reported to have lost their lives in
fire which destroyed Immediately the
water supply crib, mile and half
from shore in Lake Michigan, today.
Twenty-six injured We're rescued by
the tug Morford and brought to this
city. A survivor says that sixty men
were employed at the crib. Twenty
were working in the tunnel, while
most of the others were asleep in their
hunks, when suddenly confronted by
death through the explosion of the
powder magazine. The explosion inn
mediately wrapped the wooden struc-
ture in flames. Those not killed or
injured by the first fiery blast, rushed
out of doors only to find no means Of
escape. At every point were the wa
ters of the lake. The only escape was
by means of the tug which had seen
the blaze through the haze Of the fog
and smoke.
A Tug to the Rescue.
The captain of the tug had already
hoisted anchor to go to the rescue of
the threatened men and the sturdy lit
tie craft made quick speed. From the
deck of the tug black spots were seen
to appear on the surface of the crib
and then disappear in the waters be-
low. The imprisoned men We're evil
IDENTIFY seeking escape by swimming.
Some We're seen to cling to cakes Of
ice for a time and then disappear.
Tragic Message Received.
At the shore Office the last word re-
ceived from the crib was tragic in the
extreme. 1t was: "The crib on fire.
For Gods sake send help at once or
we will be burned alive. Tie tug
Then the telephone wire broke and
the men on shore heard no more. All
attempts to send rescuers to the crib
from the shore by suspended tram
way, connecting the crib with the land
failed for the motive mechanism
failed to work and the few daring spir-
its We're compelled to abandon all
their efforts.
TWENTY-THREE DEAD.
Chicago, Jan. 20--It is now estimat-
ed that twenty-three men lost their
lives in the fire which destroyed the
crib. Forty-seven, suffering from
burns or cuts, or from immersion in
the icy waters of the lake into which
they jumped to save their lives, have
been rescued. The dead are supposed
to be imprisoned in the tunnel under
the crib Death might have come
either from fire, smoke, an explosion
of some of the dynamite, or the shut
ting off of the air pipe In the tun-
mel the men worked under air pres
sure. Fire tugs extinquished the
flames and an attempt was made to
enter the tunnel
Tug Reaches Scene.
| After a seemingly interminable trip
the tug Morford reached it's goal
through the ice. All around, victims
with their hair singed off and their
skins blackened, were struggling in
the water. Some half crazed fought
off the rescuers. Everybody in sight
was taken on board. AT this point a
muffled explosion occurred, probably
snutfing out more lives in the crib. The
tug started for shore VITA torty-five
men aboard. number of whom were
in a very serious condition. On the
way back the tug passed three other
tugs, noses headed for the crib. When
the tug arrived at the pier great
throns was in waiting. Wives and
children Of many of the victims were
present and the scenes were heart
rendins.
A telephone report from the crib at
! p m. stated that twenty bodies have
been recovered from the tunnel. II
!; was added that there are more at the
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