Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-01-29
CRIB FIRE
COSTS MANY LIVES
Victims, Almost
Helpless to Rescue Them
selves, Saved by Tug.

Chicago, Jan. 22.-Twenty-three men
fost their lives To-Day in a fire which
destroyed the intermediate crib, a mile
and a half from the shore in Lake
M~ichigan. Forty-seven, suffering from
burns and cuts, were escued.
This statement of casualties was
made by George w. Jackson, whose
firm is constructing the intake tunnel
under Lake Michigan.
The dead are supposed to be i'm
prisoned in the tunnel under the crib.
death might have come either from
Hire, smoke, explosion OF dynamite or
the shutting off OF air pipes. Little
hope is held that any of them escaped,
although this cannot be known until
the wreckage blocking the entrance to
the bore is removed.
Forty-fve men were rescued by tho
tug Morford, which was stationed near
the crib. 10 of whom were landed at
the adjacent crib and the remainder
brought to the city n placed in hos
pitfalls, suffering from hurts and burns.
The crib Is a temporary structure
erected In the construction of a new
tunnel into the lake for the ultimate
purpose OF adding to Chicago's water
supply. The crib was used as head
quarters for supplies and living quar-
tiers for men.
The wooden material used in the crib
made 1T easy prey of the fire. Powder
and dynamite used in blasting were
both stored there. Ordinarily from so
to rs men are employed.
A suspended tramway connected the
crib with the shore. Immense buck
cts, suspended from a heavy wire cable
worked by machinery carried supplies
to the place.
When the explosion and flames came,
an attempt was made by a few daring
Spirits to reach shore in the buckets,
but the motive mechanism failed to
work and the attempt was abandoned.
Many Were Asleep.
When the explosion took place, 20
men were at work in the tunnel, a few
moving about the crib, while many
were asleep in their hunks. Flames
Immediately broke forth. The only
means of escape lay in the possibility
of the Icy waters Of Lake Michigan or
the tug Morford, stationed on shore.
The tug Immediately started through
fields Of Ice for the crib. and upon
reaching that structure. the crew met
a sight that made their hearts fairly
stop beating. The frantic victims OF
the fire, their hair singed off and skin
~biackened, were struggling in the water
and ice. Some of them fought against
their rescuers, only to sink uncon-
Scious oil deck when forced aboard the
tug.
When everybody in sight had been
taken aboard, a second muffed explo-
sion was heard, probably marking the
snufing out Of more lives in the tun-
mel.
The Captains Story.
when / neared the crib" said Cap
tain Johnson, Il saw a number of men.
their clothing ablaze. run out of the
blazing structure and jump into the
lake. Others rapidly twisted ropes
about anything they could find and
Jumped into the water TO prevent being
drowned. Others used boxes and
pieces of timber as life preservers.
when we got within so feet OF the
crib we began throwing out ropes and
life belts TO the men in the water
Some men fought us. Others were Sc
cold and stiff from their icy bath
we had to reach over and drag them
in.
Upon reaching the crib we found
la dozen or more men huddled to-
gether on a far section Of pilings,
which had not been reached by the
flames, crying for assistance. When
I'VE bumped against the structure some
OF the men jumped aboard, but others
were SO unnerved that we had to
climb out and drag them aboard. Still
others crawled from different parts
of the crib with their clothing ablaze
Finally, when we could see no more
injured, we departed for the shore. We
had as men aboard, 26 of whom were
injured"