The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-01-21
STRUCTURE STOOD IN LAKE;
MILE OF ICE TO SHORE WARD
Used BY Workmen Constructing Water Tunnel in
South Chcago-.Not Known How Many Are
Dead in Tunne---Imp For Team
Craft to PIow Through Ice.

Chicago, Jan 20.--With over a mile
of treacherous drifting ice cutting
them off from the shore and ready
communication, at least fiftythree
wOrkmen are included among the list
of the missing and a majority of these
are known to he dead. as aresult of
fire which had its origin today in a
powder vault attached to an inter
mediate crib used in the construction
of the new water tunnel connecting
with the south side of the city at
Seventythird street.
95 Were in Crib and Tunnel.
II Is wnokn that ninety.fiee work
men We're employed in the crib and
the connecting tunnel at the time OF
the fire, but the work of the destroy
ing element was begun so unexpected
ly and reaped it's harvest of the deed
and injured with such swiftness that
the contracting firm of George w.
Jackson, and the rescuers have been
unable to arrive at anything like an
accurate list of those who perished,
and others who escaped the flames,
or the icy waters of the lake.
Many Slept in Crib.
Owing to the difficulty of small
steam craft TO reach the crib during
the winter the majority OF the work
men employed on the work. aud par
ticularly those without families, slept
in temporary structures. and it just
as these had been awakened for the
days routine that the explosion and
subsequent fire caused pandemOnium
which resulted in the loss of at least
fifty lives.
As nearly as the investigators
have been able to ascertain the eX-
plcsion had its origin in he powder
house situated about 100 yards from
the crib structure proper, but at the !
same time being part Of the general I
structure resting on the bottom of
tho lake at this point
Noise Did Not Awaken Them.
Ir some manner, little short OF
mysterious. the deadly explosives |
were put into action. according to
the survivors. and it was not until the |
heat of the flames and the sitting |
smoke penetrated the so-callod "liv /
ing room" Of the crib. and the tunnel /
beneath the waters of the lake. that Z,
the iull import of the disaster dawned |
upon the little colony OF workmen /
cut off almost completely from human
succor.
Telephoned For Help.
One of the workmen made his way
through the smoke to the enclosure :,
I'm which telephone communication
ha been established with the shore
station and gave the alarm. Throrgh /
the fog an occasional burst of flame
and the unmistakable smell of smoke
male it sure to the watchers on the
shore that tragedy was probably
being enacted mile and half ont
In the late. 4 tug. the T. ] Murford
had forced its prov earlier in the /
morning to anchorage within a short
distance nj the imperiled crib AMI IFS
crew SGT to work to rescue the men
in the crib
After several hours work thirty
nine workmen were rescued and when |,
succeeded in quenching the flames
hftythree bodies had been carried
ashore and placeI in the morgues in
South Chicago awaiting identifica
tion.
List % Nissinr.
The trunks of the victims in ma
inrity Of instances are unreCoguizablel
and the contracting firm gave ont the
following list Of the missing.
Barney O'Connor. fireman.
n d. Mcdonald. time keeper. ID
=. Thorpe.
= Ivuch
G. Never.
r Jennings
Peter Blake
William Kelley.
= Pfster. i
J. KELLEY.
Efwsrd Niece
Charles KrspeI. Il