The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-07-25
Two Rescuing Parties Without
Oxygen Helmets Also Meet
Tragic Fate.
TWENTY-FIVE MEN DEAD
Party Of Trained ReSCuerS from
the Bureau of Mines in Pitts
buru RuSheS to the Scene.

CLEVELAND, O., July 25-Twen-
rv-tvo men are dead and half doE-
en- others are dying as the result Oh
an explosion of gas in water"orkS ,
tunnel five miles from shore under
meath Lake Erie late Monday nlshl'
The dead include workmen VINO
we're trapped in the tunnel when the
gas exploded and members OF Two
rescue parties who attempted to save
the men first trapped.
or tho dead eleven were in the
force trapped by the explosion None
of these escaped. The first rescue
partv consisted of seven men. Four
Of them perished and three were
saved. The second rescue party COM
prised eleven men. Six Of these loSt
their lives and five escaped. the
first rescue party accomplished noth
ing. The second saved one OF the
first relief expedition. No one mas
vet reached any Of the original eleN-
en- caught in the working. or the
eight rescuers who got out alive two
died later; the others may die. Two
others who did not go into the tun-
ned were overcome by fumes.
A third rescue party entered the
tunnel at $50, and brought out
alive Gustav c. Van Duzen, super
intendent of waterworks construc-
tiion, who had headed the second re-
lief force. He may die from his eX--
perience. One body also was brought
out by the third rescue party TINS
was a member of the second rescue
Van Duzen had perished.
The tragic fate of the rescueTs in
the first and second instances was
due to the fact that they worked
without helmets which were unavail-
able. or those rescued who after
ward died no pulmotors We're at
hand for use in attempting to resus-
cItate them. This lack Of rescue ap-
paratus was roundly condemned by
the rescuers and Mayor Harry h.
Davis Tuesday promised to conduct
a rigid examination of this short
coming as well as into the catastro-
phe itself.
The third rescue party was equip
ped with helmets which mad been as
sembled but nearly eleven hours had
elapsed following the explosion be-
fore sufficient equipment to fit out
the third party was at hand to per-
nit a descent into the tunnel.
The party of workmen caught by
the explosion entered the tunnel at
s o'clock Monday night. First inti-
nation of the disaster came when
William J. Dolan, lock tender in the
air chamber at the entrance to the
tunnel, heard the dull boom Of an
explosion. This was about $50 p, NJ.
Dolan was thrown against the door
leading from the air chamber into
the tunned. This door was jammed
by the blast and deadly fumes pour
I'd out OF the tunnel almost oyercom-
Ing Dolan. He finally managed to
close it 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. SuDerin-
tended John Johnson summoned vol
unteers and led the first rescue par
ty of volunteers down the elevator
and into the tunnel. One hundred
and fifty feet from the bottom Of
the shaft they began to stumble,
crumple. and fall, overcome by fun
as. Dolan, who had resumed his post
in the air chamber, rushed after
.hom. He saw a flash Of light In the
arkness. it proved to be Johnson's
'lashlight which he still grasped
where he had fallen. Dolan dragged
him to the bottom of the elG-~r
and then went back. Almost dead
himself, he dragged Peter McKenna
10 safety. Then he collapsed. Others
from the crib took the three up the
elevator and they we're placed
aboard boats which had been at
.racted from ashore by rockets.
1t was two hours later than Van
Duzen, who had been summoned