The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-01-28
LAKE FIRE HORROR
ABOUT SEVENTY MEN PERISH IN
CHICAGO DISASTER.
CRIB is A BLAZING TRAP
Workmen Burned to Death or Drowned
In the ley Waters-Many
Rescued by
Tug.

| Chicago.-Death in frighuul 10TH
choice between incarceration or
drowning In the ice-clogged lake-de-
scended on probably 20 men at eight
o'clock Wednesday morning when tire
attacked the temporary crib OF the
new southwest land and water tunnel
mile and half of Seventy-third
street
As nearly as can be learned. 100
men. mostly employees of George w.
Jackson Onc). were in the crib at the
time. or these ~ are known 10 have
been burned to death, as that number
of bodies. SO charred and mutllated as
to make identification practically I'm
possible. were recovered
others Perish In Lake.
Still othors-numbcr unknown and
probably never to be revealed-lost
their lives while battling with the icy
waters which surrounded the blazing
crib, having cast themselves into the
lake in the vain hope that they might
survive till help should arrive
With the exception OF the lroquois
disaster, which stands high In the list
OF world horrors. II was the most ruth
less slaughter Chicago ever has
ever known.
The cause Of the fire and responsi.
bility for the disaster remain undoter-
mined A rigid inquiry has been BE-.
gun by Coroner Hoffman and the po-
lice.
Tug Prompt In Rescue.
Had It not been for the arrival OF
the tug r T. Morford within ten min.
utes OF the beginning OF the fire every
man on the crib probably would have
perished. Some OF the men sprang
naked into the water with portions Of
their bodies burned 10 a crisp. and bat.
tied their way To ice foes. Hero they
dragged themselves up. only 10 freeze
to the foes and to leave strips OF fesh
upon the icy surface when they were
removed by the crew OF the Morford.
Others OF the men endeavored TO
hold themselves suspended by ropes
at an angle from the burning struc-
ture. only 10 be roasted piecemeal or
TO have the ropes budn through, plum.
ging them to death In the water
Many OF these men were OF those
who could not swim and who knew
that to jump into the water was only
to leap TO death.
Death by Slow Burning.
They. therefore. made pltiable at.
tempts TO elude the flames and met a
narrowing death by slow burning Even
10
were not burned suffered terribly from
the cold OF the water and from freez.
ing on the ice foes. Some OF those
who could swim failed to reach a bit
Of ice whereon they could drag them.
selves and died from drowning
Still others OF the unfortunates. and
these were more lucky than their fel.
and not agony. were caught in their
hunks asleep and died almost instantly
In the raging hell Of the crib.
The fire broke out shortly after the
night shift had gone on watch. Some
of the men had gone to bed or we're
preparing to go. and thus were caught
without even clothing. Many OF the
men rescued from the foes by the
Morford were naked or nearly so.
Some OF these. however. had been
fully dressed when the fire broke out,
but had their clothes burned of them.
AnguIshed Women Shrek.
Nor was the agony at the crib by
any means the total u all the anguish
of the time. Eight thousand feet dis
tant on the shore. helpless. shrieking.
hysterical or dumb with horror. we're
grouped women and children and men
the relatives Of those who were dead
or dying.
The news OF the catastrophe spread
as rapidly as the flames themselves.
and In a short time the shore between
Seventy-fifth street and Sixty-eighth
street was lined with human beings
whose mental anguish was as fIightful
as the physical anguish out in the fog
covered lake.
The smoke and the flames could be
seen from the shore. despite the gray
fog bank. Every eye was on the
flames. and each impotent onlooker
realized that those flames meant death
or Understandable suffering TO father,
brother, husband.
The inferno at the crib was in
creased in horror about fifteen minutes
after the beginning of the fire by the
explosion OF dynamite which was used
in blasting. Nearly three hundred
pounds of dynamite were at the crib
and part of this exploded.
There is a conflict OF opinion as to
what caused the fire. One theory is
that one Of the workmen threw a light.
ed match on a small portion of the
dynamite and that 1t burned slowly.
Others declare that the fire was due to
crossed electric wires.