The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-21

J. Miller, driller's helper. l w. Reynolds, driller's helper. J. Paddy, mucker.
 J. Barnots, mucker
 T. Stankus, mucker. J. Mulholan, mucker. c. Soc, mucl1er.
 T. Gavel, mueker.
 F. Miller, mucker.
 J. Driscoll, nipper.
 J. Fultz, drill foreman. M. Shodisk, driller's helper. T. Brannan, mucker. J. Anderson, mucker. M. Mickson, mucker. F. Tameaunis, mucker
 News Spread Rapidly. As the news of the disaster spread | throughout the southside of the city thousands of anxious men, women and children took up points of vantage along the shore of the lake and stood shivering hour after hour as the tugs laboriously plowed their way through the ice foes With their cargoes of burned and mis- shapen victims. The freboat Illinois, command of Lieut.. William Dillon, was obliged to remain some distance from the burning crib, but while powerful streams were directed upon the burning structure, small boats made frequent trips and transferred the dead and wounded to the Morfard, Conway and other smaller tugs that succeeds in making an opening through the ice
 The scenes on shore and in the morgues In South Chicago and Grand Crossing were rife with sorrow and desolation Women wearing scant attire and their heads covered with shswls offered fabu- lous prices to owners of small boats to be taken to the scene of the disaster.
 As each boat load of victims was car ried ashore by the police and transferred to the waiting patrol wogons and ambu- lances, force became necessary to keep the bereaved multitude from attempting the task of Identification there and then.
 Tunnel Being Built.
 The tunnel, of which the crib is part of the construction work, is being built by the George w. Jackson company. The first. section of the tunnel starts from the shore. The crib, a mile and a half out marked the beginning of the second sec tion being built still further into the lake. The two sections had not joined each other as yet, although favorable progress was being made. The superstructure of the crib was a barn-like building of two stories. It was surrounded by a narrow platform or pier. Under it a shaft of steel and concrete, about 20 feet in diam- eter, ran down 100 feet where the tun- nel proper began. Normally there were from 75 to 90 men employed, working in three shifts of eight hours each.
 Housed In the Crib.
 A tramway, consisting of strong steel cables from which huge buckets were suspended. gave physical connection with the shore. In summer the men were taken to and from their work by the tug MOrfnr6 n W i'm possible. Then men were housed in the crib and took their meals there. Sup plies were sent out by the suspended trolley.
 Until such time as the rescuers are able to enter the water tunnel, which connects the shore with the crib, 1t will not be known how many perished below the surface of the lake. Air pressure was used in this portion of the work and as the generating plant became disabled soon after the discov- cry of the fire it is thought certain that those who were at work in the tunnel must have perished. The volumes of smoke which filled the tunnel would be sufficient to make breathing next to impossible.
 The foreman In charge of tl.e work is not certain, however, if any of the workmen had proceeded far enough into
 
 possible when the alarm was given.
 Cinging to the Ice.
 Many of the survivors kept them selves afioat by clinging to the ice aft CT they had jumped from the burning crib. It is known that at least three who had sought safety in this manner were drowned, but the majority were taken aboard the tug Morford The Tuh al m Ia fri n the shore and 19 of the suffering pas sengers were disembarked at the near by intake station of the water works system. All were suffering from cuts or burns and benumbed with the cold. Tho ose who remained on the tug were taken to South Chicago, where the sur vivors for the first time had a chance to identify each other.
 The entire south shore was trans formed into a series of receiving hos pitals for the care of the injured.
 Private residences were thrown open by the residents of the vicinity, but un- fortunately the need of physicians and nurses was comparatively small after the tugs had made two or three trips to the shore.
 From that time until darkness the boat loads consisted of silent forms piled in heaps upon the ice-coated decks.
 Investigation Started.
 According to the records of the con- struction company 46 men are missing, the estimate being made from the latest payroll When informed that 53 bodies had been recovered. the construction com- pany explained that extra men are hired from day to day. This, 1t Is said. will account for the seven additional dead.
 Acting on report that men have been clingng to ice foes some distance from the scene of the disaster Fire Chief Horan has ordered the fire tug Illinois to patrol the lake during the night in the hope of rescue.
 The police already have started an in- vestigation with view to placing the responsibility for the disaster and Cor cner Hoffman, after impanelling jury, will continue the inquest for week. In the meantime George W. Jackson, presi- dent of the construction company, has made arrangements to provide burial plots for the victims, the majority Of
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