Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-21
ty-Three Bodies Recovere
Others Are Accounted For
ICE H1NDERs WORK OF RES
Tugs Make Their Way Throu
Heavy Floes with Difficulty.
BODIES ALL BADLY BURNED
None of Them Have Been Identified
and official List of Missing
wiz Probably stand for
Death List.

half OF treacherous ice cutting them off
from shore. fifty-three workmen are known
TO be dead, as the result OF fire which
had It's origin today in a powder vault at
tached to the intermediate crib in Lake
Michigan used in the construction Of a new
water tunnel connecting with the south side
OF the city at Seventy-third street Ninety
five workmeu we're employed In the crib
and the connecting tunnel at the time of
the fire. but the work Of the destroying ele-
ment was begun with such swiftness that
the contracting firm Of @. w. Jackson and
the rescuers have been unable to arrive
at anything like accurate list of those
who perished and others who escaped the
flames or the icy waters OF the lake.
The hospitals at South Chicago and in all
parts Of the south side are filled with in
jured, and city fire boats as we'll as the
tugs of the construction company doing
their best to make frequent trips to the
scence Of the disaster through the heavy
ice floes.
Fire starts in Powder House.
owing to the difficulty the craft expert
enced in reaching the crib during the
winter, the majority of the workmen en-
ployed on the work and particularly those
who were without families slept in tempo
just as these had been awakened for the
days routine that the explosion and conse-
quent fire came. As nearly as It is pos
hib.e to ascertain the explosion had it's
origin in powder house of small dimen-
sions. situated about 100 yards from the
Grip structure proper, but at the same time
being part Of the general structure built
on foundations resting on the bottom OF
the lake at this point. In this building the
George W. jackson company stored from
time TO time Just enough powder and dyna-
mite for urgent use in the work of con-
structing the water tunnel and In some
manner, little short of mysterious, the
deadly explosives were put into action.
Fifty-Three Bodies Uncovered.
After several holrs OF rescue, work in
which heroisru stool forth even In the heavy
fog and drifting SMOKE thirty-nine work
me were rescued, and when the fire tug
Conway and It's crew had succeeded in
quenchng the flames flrty three bodies had
been carried to the shore and placed in
morgues in South Chicago awaiting identi-
ficatlon. The bodies of the victims In the
majority OF Instances were unrecognizable
and the contracting firm gave out the fol-
lowing list of missing, which doubtless will
be announced the official list of the
investigation:
IL D MDONAID. tiinekeeper.
J. THORPE, cook
A.. LYNCH. walter.
G. MEiEh, Q .evatot man.
h. yhNNl NGs. elevator man.
fETEk LIlAkE, engineer.
j. z. FlsTlR, carpenters helper
J. KELLY, driier.
j. GAIANDFIS, nucker
%HffRhENs WifffIANs i khtAPEEE tS5EEoIiT mqSker n,,o,,.r
J. MuCRER, nueker.
4 G8oiHsxsA4fb,; 8iss4f,;y mnekftr st..
y y. YHNbR6LtGs. liSt11 tGseASI mSIaeker.
4 KILCoYNp, mucSer.
r NITGAHLL; tramway operator.
]. THOMAS, driller
t. THOMAS, driller.
EDWAIlD SKINNER. driller
{. PATTERSON, driller,s helper.
Il. MafE5FSE HEfSoLbg. f5less GiilIsfgP sslPer helper
J. FADDY, mucker.
4 sTANKts muSker;
G. SOC. mucker.
+. MILLER, mucker.
j DRtsCoLL, nipper.
j. FuTZ, drill foreman.
NJ SHQDIsk. drillers helper.
]. kNbERsoN. mucksr.
NJ. MICkSON, mucker.
i. TAMEUHIs, mucker.
AS the news OF the disaster spread. thou
sands OF ANXIOUS men, women and. childrer
stood shvering on the lake shore, hou
after hour as the tugs laboriously plowe'
their way through the ice floes with thei
cargoes of burned victims. The fire boa
Illinois was compelled to remain some dis
tance from the burning crib. but while pow
erful streams were directed upon tn
burning structure, sman boats made fire.
quent trips and transferred the dead ant
wounded to the Morford. Conway and othe
smaller tugs that succeeded in making al