The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-25
WENTY-TW0 ARE DEAD. SIX
 DYING AFTER EXPLOSION OF
 GAS IN UNDERWATER TUBE
Deadly Fumes Overcome Members of Two Rescue Parties Seeking to Save Eleven Workers Caught in Shaft Under Lake Erie.
Cause of Explosion is Un- known Several of Res cuers Are Dragged Out Unconscious, and. None of Workers in Tube Found.

UNCONSCIOUS, and. None Of
 Workers in Tube Found.
 Cleveland, July 25-Twenty-T two men are dead and a half | dozen others dying as the re- suit of an explosion of gas in the waterworks tunnel five miles from shore underneath the Lake Erie last night.
 The dead include wurkmen who were trapped in the tun- nel when gas exploded and members of two rescue parties who attempted to save the mem first trapped. sE =
 Of the dead eleven were of the force trapped by the explo- sion. None of these escaped. The first rescue party consist ed of seven men. Four of them peYished. The second rescue party comprised eleven men. i Six of these lost their lives.
 The first rescue party accom- plished nothing. The second saved one of the first relief sex- pedition. No one hasyet reach ed any of the original eleven caught in the workings.
 Of the eight rescuers who get out , alive two died later. The others may die. Two men were also overcome by fumes, who did not go into the ] tunnel. A third rescue party entered ,. the tunnel at s:30 and brought out alive Gustav c. Van Duzen, superin- tendent of the water works construc- tion who had headed the second re- lief force.
 Van Duzen may. die from his ex- periencss. One body also was brought out by the third rescue party. This was a member of the second rescue party. It had been suppose that. Van Duzen had perished.
 The tragic fate of the rescuers in the first and second instances was duet to the fact that they worked without oxygen helmets. which were not available. The third rescue party was equipped with helmets. The cause of the explosion has net yes been ascertained. The tunnel was equipped with electrically driven ma- chinery for excavation. The party of II workmen who were caught by the explosion entered the tunnel at o'clock last night. About 9:30 p. m.i the explosion occurred. i;
 Deadly fumes almost oyercame r Lock Tender Dolan. He managed to close the lock and then releasing the high pressure from the air chamber. he opened the door leading to the crib above and gave the alarm to men at the surface of the lake.
 Superintendent Johnson summoned villagers and led the first rescue party of villagers down the elevators and into the tunnel. One hundred and fifty feet from the bottom of the shaft they began 90 fall, overcome byl fumes. Dolan wo had resumed his post in the air chamber, rushed after them. He saw a flash of light in the darkness.
 It proved to be Johnson's flashlight which he still \grasped where he had fallen. Dolan dragged him to the bottom of the elevator shaft and theA went back. Almost dead himself. he; dragged Peter McKenna to safety Then he collapsed. Others from the crib took the three up the elevator and they were placed aboard boats. S
 1afa Na r1t Duzen. organized the second rescue party on shore and went to the crib. It was then with his men Ae de- scended into the tunnel. They found Michael Keough of the first rescuo party still alive and dragged him out They went in again, only to suffer, tho same fate which had befalien the first party. Finally, four of them manag- ed to stagger hack to safety. Inc others did not coma nut until the thiru' rescue party was organized and went after them. It became known today that work in the tunnel had been sus- pended three days ago because gas was found. The men sent into the tunnel last night went to work be- lieving the gas had been eliminated.
 The construction job on which the loss of life occurred is being done by the city. The accident is the first of any consequence since the new tun- nel was started in 1914. The tunnel is to cost $1.500.000 and ,hll connect with a fllteration plant designed to give Cleveland pure water.
 Seventy lives were lost in the build ing of Cleveland's other tunnels through which the present supply passes.
 |, All of the ten bodies so far recov- cred \are of members of the first and 'second rescue parties. Rcscuers be- lisve the tunnnel caved in after the explosion and remaining victims are under tons ofs mud and may not be reached for dAyp.
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