The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-01-22

Chicago, Jan. 2l-With a mile and
han "a Il, generous, drifting Ice cut
ting lnem Ou from snOre, al least iilly-
three wOTnuen are included among
the list Oh missing, and the majority
OF these are KNOWN to be dead, as the
result OF a ire which had Its origin in
a powder vault attached. to the inter
mediate crlO in Lake Michigan, used
in the construction OF new water
tunnel connecting with the south side
OF the city, at Seventy-thlrd street.
Ninety-tive wOrkmen were employed
in the eric ana the connecting tunnel
at the time of the fire, but the work
OF the destroying element was begun
SO Unexpectedly and reaped its harvest
of dead and injured with such swift
ness that the contracting firm OF G. W.
Jackson and the rescuers have bcen
unable to arrive at anything like an
accurate list of those who persisted
and others who escaped the flames
or the icy waters OF the lake.
Hospitals Filled With Injured
The hospitals at South Chicago and
In all parts of the south side are filed
with injured and boats are doing their
| best to make frequent trips TO the
scene of the disaster through the
heavy ice foes.
Owing to the difficulty the craft ex-
perienced in reaching the crib during
the winter, the majority of the work.
men employed on the. work, and partic-
ularly those who were without fam
lilies, slept in temporary structures on
the crib, and it was just as these had
been awakened for the days routine
that the explosion and subsequent fire
came. AS nearly as it is possible to
ascertain the explosion had its origin
in a powder house of small dimen'
sions, situated about 100 yards from
the crib structure, in which building
the Jackson company stored just
enough powder and dynamite tor ur-
gent use in the work of constructing
little short of mysterious, the deadly
explosives were put into action.
Escape Is Cut Off.
The dull detonation, muttied as 1t
was by the crunching OF floating ice
against the crib and the atmosphere
laden with heavy fog, simply aroused
the attention of the workmen, accord
ing to survivors, and it was not until
the heat of the flames and the sitting
smoke penetrated the socalled living
room" of the crib and the tunnel be-
meath the waters of the lake that the
full import of the disaster dawned
upon the little colony of workmen cut
off almost completely from human sue
cor. One OF the workmen abandoned
the shouting and frantic group on the
crib platform and made his way
through the smoke to the little enclo'
sure in which telephone communica'
ton had been established with the
shore station. The drowsy attendant
at this point received this message:
THE crib is on fire. For God S sake
send help at once or we will be burned
: alive. Inc tug"
Then the communication ceased and
: an occasional burst OF flame and un
+ mistakable odor of smoke made II
known to the watchers on shore that
a tragedy was probably being enacted
a mile and half out in the lake.
Tug Goes to Rescue.
The tug T. T. Morris, in charge OF
Captain Johnson, had forced its prov
earlier in the morning to an anchorage
within a short distance OF the imper
,, lied crib and this was placed into ser
vice at the outset in the work OF res
cuing the frenzied workmen. The ice
made it impossible for the tug &c
reach the pier, but small boat was
placed in service to carry the injured
,, 10 the steamer and rescue those who
mad plunged into the waters OF the
AXE rather than face the flames ras
ing on the crib structure.
After several hours of rescue work
n which heroism stood forth even {
the heavy fog and drifting smoke
!hirty-nine workmen We're rescued anC
when the tire tug Conway ana it!
crew had succeeded in quenching tn,
danes, tifty-three bodies had been car
ried to the shore and placed il
, morgues in South Chicago awaiting
identification. The bodies of the vic
inns in the majority Of instances wer'
Inrecognizable and the contracting
drm gave out the following list o
missing, which doubtless will be an
. aounced as the Official list of the deat
! when the coroner has completed hi
Investigation:
Barney O'Connor. II. D, Mcdonald