The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-21
DE MIC
 Naa 1a '.
 Im 1T B.
 hd 5@t LIVES ,s a.I M AWFUL aa R-a More Than 5oA
More Than 50 A Rescue Was Ho.rlHIs= Owing to 1 #eor
 In the

Chicago, January 20.- - a half of treacherous dri a He them off from ready conn
 the shore, at least 53 workA 1 ed in the list of missing ] jority of these already are dead, as the result of a fire w origin today in powder vaul to the intermediate crib used in struction of new water tunnel l ing the lake with the south side city at seventy-third street It is 1 that 95 worlkmen were employed il crib and the connecting tunnel at the of the fire at that point, but the VIC l of the destroying element was begun unexpectedly and reaped it's harvest of l dead and injured with such swiftness that the contracting firm of George w. Jack 1 son and the rescuers have been unable to i arrive at anything like an accurate list of those who perished and others who es- caped the fury of the flames or the icy waters of the lake. The hospitals at South Chicago and in all parts of the southside are filled with injured, and city fire boats, as well as the tugs of the construction company, are do- 1 ing their best to make frequent trips to | the scene of tho disaster through the heavy ice foes.
 Many Lives Lost.
 Owing to the difficulty of reaching the i crib in small craft during the winter, the | majority of the workmen employed on the work, and particularly those who were without families slept in temporary structures, and 1t was just as these had been awakened for the days routine that the explosion and subsequent fire caused ! the pandemonium which resulted in the loss of at least 5s liz ss.
 As nearly as the investigators have been able to ascertain the explosion had it's origin in a powder house of small di- mensions. situated about 100 yards from the crib structure proper, but at the same time being a part of the general structure built on foundations resting on the bot tom of the lake at this point. In this out house the George w. Jackson company stored from time to time just enough pow der and dynamite for urgent use Tn the work of constructing the water tunnel | and in some manner little short of mys- terious. the deadly explosives were put 
 into action.
 The dull detonation, muff1ed as it was bv the crunching of floating ice against the crib, and the atmosphere laden with heavy fog simply aroused the atteht'oh | of the workmen, according to surViVors' 1 and if was not until the heat of the names and the stifing smoke penetrated the so- called 'living rooms of the crip ana tne tunnel beneath the waters of the lake l f,,H Q1SaSLeT 1 dawned on the little colony of workmen cut off almost completely from human 1 succor.
 Call Over Telephone.
 one of the workmen, with cooler head | than his fellows, abandoned the shout ing and frantic group on the crib platform 1 and made his way through the smoke 10 1 the inclosure where the telephonic com l munication had been established with tne shore station. The drowsy attendant was brought into action by violent Deli ana l this was the work which set on toot ehe l work of rescue: "The crib is on nre! | For Gods sake send help at once or we will he burned alive! The tug at this | noint communication ceased and through the fog the men on shore barely discerneo occasional bursts of flame and nnmis- tal,able odor of smoke made 1t known to the watchers on shore that trageay was probably being enacted mile and l half out in the lake The tug T. T. MOT 1 ford in charge of Captain Johnson. had | forced its prov earlier Tn the morning to an anchorage within short distance or 1 the imperiled crib and this was placed into service at the outset in the work Of res l cuing the frenzied workmen. The Ice l made 1t impossible for the tug to reach | the improvised pier, but small boat was placed in service to carry the in- aFa1 who had plunged into the waters of the | lake rather than face the flames which | were aging on the crib structure After several hours of work on the part Of | the rescuers. in which heroism stood forth even in the heavy fog and drifting smoke. 99 workmen were rescued and when the fire tug Conway and its crew had suc- ceeded in quenching the flames o3 bodies had been carried to the shore and placed in morgues in South Chicago awaiting Identification. The trunks of the victims in the majority of instances were un- recognizable and the contracting firm gave | out the following list of missing which | will doubtless be announced as the offi- cial list of dead when the coroner has completed his investigation:
 List of Missing. Barney O Conner, foreman.
 H D. Mcdonald, timekeeper. | J. Thorpe, cook.
 P Lynch, waiter.
 C. Mover, elevator man. | E. Jennings, elevator man.
 Peter Blake, engineer.
 William Kelly, carpenter
 J. P Fister, carpenters helper. J. Kelly, driller
 Edward McGee, mucker. Charles Kraper, mucker J. Galadenis mucker. l J. Lucas, mucker.
 J. Convel, mucker l M. Cassidy. mucker.
 w. Yandrolus, mucker. | A. Kicoyne. mucker
 T. Mitchell tramway operator. l o. Kelley. elevator man. l J. Thomas driller | F. Thomas, driller.