The evening world., 1909-01-20
Chicago Workingrnen Sur.
rounded by Fire, Plunge Into
Icy Waters and Drown.
CRASH KILLS OTHERS.
Explosion Starts Blaze and
Many Unable to Escape
From the Structure.

CHICAGO, Jan. 20.-Forty men met
death, according to estimates. following
an explosion, presumably Of powder gas
tia; set ahIaze one o, the intake cribs
In Lake Michigan, of Seventy-thlrd
street, to-day. Several OF the victims,
hemmed in by flames, jumped into the
lake and were drowned Others were
killed by the explosion.
A telephone message TO Fire Marshal
Koran from the ruined crib this after
noon stated that twenty bodies had
been recovered from the structure, and
that number estimated a. an ad.
ditIonal twenty, could be seen scattered
among the wreckage in the shaft lead
Ing from the crib down TO the tunnel
proper.
Forty-fve men, many OF them badly
burned were rescued nineteen o, whom
were taken to an other crib ana the re.
ma!nder brought ashore and conveyed 10
various hospitals.
Seventy In the Crib.
From sixty TO sevety-five men were
usually at work in the structure. which
was located one and half miles from
shore out In the lake. The exact number
in the crib when the explosion occurred
to-day, however. il not known. but It is
generally agreed that fully seventy we're
there.
firemen returning from the ruined
structure this afternoon brought raw
OF hope in their expressed belief that II
any of the men had succeeded in reach
ing the depth OF the tunnel they NAV
nave escaped. The air pumping app,-
ratus was declared to be unimpaired
ana work was begun forcing air into the
tunnel
Twenty OF the seventy men at work IN
tne tunnel under the crib, few moving
ABOUT the structure and others asleep In
the'r hunks were suddenly confronted
with death by the explosion, which i'm
mediate!y wrapped the wooden structure
in flames Tiose who were not killed
or injured By the first fiery blasts
rushed but Of doors to find no means ~
escape.
Water on every Side.
On every side were the waters a,
Lake Michigan. its surface almost GOV.
cred by great cakes Of broken ice. A
mile and a half distant, near the shors
OF seventy.third street. lay their only
nope the tug 7. T Morford. II could
be dimly seen through the haze of foe
and smoke. On the shore a dim black
line Indicated the gathering OF crowds
attracted by the flames.
While the crowds were gathering the |
telephone rang in station on the water |
front and the voice OF a frantic man
ca ma over the wire.
The crib Is on fire. For Gods sake,
send help at once or we will be burned
alive. The tug Then the telephone
wire broke and the men on shore heard |
no more.
NaHNs EDWARD Johnson, OF the tug /
at nearby berth, had already
noisted anchor and the sturdy little
craft was bucking the ice The fremen
In the hold worked desperately getting
up a fun head OF steam. From the deck
Of tne boat the crib could he dimly seen.
Black spots appeared. and then disap-
peared into the waters below
Some OF the imprisoned men were
seeking to escape by swimming Some
Of them were seen TO cling to axes OF
Ice for time and then 10 disappear.
Jumped Into Lake.
When The tug reached the scene .
victim, OF the fire, their hair slngel ,
", and their skins ulackeued. were
for ufe IN the water. |
Some oi them fought against their res. /
cuers, only to sink unconscious on deck .
when forced aboard the tug. Others
were clinsing to the edge OF the crib. |
when everybody In sight had been |
taken aboard a second muffled explos-
Ion was heard, probably marking the |