New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-21
r[FTY-THREE CAUGHT
In TRAP OF DEATH
EXPLOSION ON CRIB IN
LAKE MICHIGAN.
Moro than Half Of the Men WorLing
on Chicago Hater Tunnel Perish
Before Aid Comes.

=. ;cv r,aters Of Lake Michigan was the fate
. 5er Of at least fifty-three out of ninetv-fye
hundred men who were working on sub
arine tunnel at wooden crib. mile and
t.1f from shore. The crib was used in the con-
s,r,otjon Of q submarine water tunnel con-
,.ctinc with the South Side shore Of the city
At $50 street
Tbs South side hospitals are filled with in
5rred men tonight City fire boats and tugs OF
+he construction company made frequent trips
cor into the night to the scene of the disaster
,broueh the heavy ice foes.
oving to the difficulty experienced by small
raft in reaching the crib during the winter
most Of the workmen employed the work.
n.-tjc1llarly those who had no families. slept in
-sr7porary hunks at the crib 1t was Just as
those men had been awakened for the days
ue7l, that the explosion came. As nearly as
tbe investigators have been able to ascertain
she EXPLOSION had its origin IN powder house
of small dimensions. situated about one hun
sred Yards from the crib structure proper but
81 the same time part of the general structure
built on foundations resting on the bottom of
The lake. In this outhouse the George W. Jack
son Company stored from time TO time just
enough poUder and dynamite for urgent use in
constructing the water tunnel. and in some
manner not vet known the explosives We're put
into action.
The rnufFed detonation. heard indistinctly
through heavy fog, simply aroused the atten-
tion of the worknen. according TO survivors.
and II was not until the heat OF the flames and
sitting smoke penetrated the so-caIIed living
room" of the crib and the tunnel beneath the
Naters Of the lake that the full import of the
disaster dawned upon the workmen, cut off from
ready aid.
one Of the vorkmen with cooler head than
l.
men on the crib platform and made his way
through the smoke to a little inclosure in which
vas telephone communicating with the shore
station The drowsy attendant on shore
aroused by violent ringing Of the telephone
bell and this was the message which set on foot
ths work Of
THE APPEAL FOR HELP.
The crib is on fire! For Gods sake. send
hsp at ence or we will be burned alive! The
hg'-
Al this point communication ceased, and
through the fog an occasional burst of fame
and an un1r.ista kable odor of smoke told the
rest Of the message to those shore.
The tux T. T Morford- in charge of CaptaiR
Johnson. had anchored earlier in the morning
x4thin short distance Of the iroperilled crib.
and this boat was the first TO go to the rescue
Of the frenzied Horkmen- The ice made 1t i'm
possible for the tug TO reach the improvised
pier but a small boat was placed IN service 10
rsrrv the injured TO the steamer and to rescue
those who had plunged into the waters Of the
lake rather than face the flames raging on the
crib structure.
After several hours Of heroic work by the res
c1ars thirtv-nine workmen were rescued When
the fire tug Conway and its crew had finally
uuenched the flames fifty-three bodies had been
South Chicago awaiting identification
As the news Of the disaster spread throughout
the South Side OF the city thousands took up
points of vantage along the lake shore and
stood shivering hour after hour as the tugs
aboriously ploughed their way through the ice
with their cargoes Of burned and mangled VIC
tins The freboat Illinois was Obliged to re
main some distance from the burning crib. but
while powerful streams were directed from il on
the burning structure, small boats made fre-
oaent trips and transferred dead and wounded
to the Morford. the Conway and other smaller
tugs that succeeded in making an opening
through the ice.
The scenes on shore and in the morgues in
South Chicago and Grand Crossing We're pa
thetlc. As each boatload of victims was carried
ashore and transferred to waiting ambulances
force was necessary to keep relatives of the
Eorkmen from attempting the task there and
then Of identification
TUNNEL BUILT IN SECTIONS.
The tunnel in the building of which the crib
vas used is being built In sections by the George
W Jackson company. The first section starts
rom the shore. The crib, mile and half out,
marked the beginning of the second section, ex-
ihoing still further into the lake These two
sections had not yet been Joined, and therefore
10 Underground escape 10 shore was possible.
ne superstructure of the crib board
pu'iaihg Of twO stories II was surrounded by
"ai'"N platform or pier Under ii shaft of
S'eei and concrete about twenty feet in diam
NJ ran down one hundred feet TO the tunnel
prOper. Air pressure used in this tunnel.
"u' as the pumping plant became disabled soon
ei'er the discovery Of the fire il is thought Ger
eih that any one who may have been in the
tunnel perished
many OF the survivors. who leaped into the
Aake, kept themselves afioat by clnging to cakes
>" zee II is thought that at least three of those
sno sough, safety in this manner were drowned.
WI most Of them were hauled from the water
sio taken aboard the tug Morford- All had suf-
ipred cuts and burns and benumbed with
the cold
THFate residences were thrown open to the
-'1reo, but few men in need OF physicians and
"Ises We're brought ashore after the tugs had
Oe TWO or three trj'ls.
most Of the boGes taken from the ruins Of the
e We're found near the mouth Of the tunnel
Ne terror stricken evidently rushing TO this
-p"t as last hope the flames crept toward
ueh. Not remnant Of clothing was found on
as mutilated trucks O: the worllmen who per
ated IN the flames
ihe police have already started an investiGa-
- 70 place the responsibility for the disaster.
-in S1reher Hoffman after i-npanelilng july,
~ continue the inquest for a week. In the
-lrcnr. nf