Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-25

late last night. The dead inclu'
the tunnel when gas exploded al
who attempted to save the men
Rescuers working with oxygen he'll
NETS at 1915 am. had brought eight
bodies from the water works tunnel.
No more have been found alive. The
total number of bodies in the morgues
is now ten.
All of the ten bodies so far recovered
are of members of the first and second
rescue parties. Eleven workmen orig
inally entombed are still buried. Res
cuers believe the tunnel caved in after
the explosion and remaining victims
are buried under tons of mud and may
not be reached for days
OF the dead eleven were in the force
trapped by the explosion. The first
rescue party. 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 nothing.
The second saved one of the first re-
lief expeditions. None has yet reached
any of the original party caught in the
workings. OF the eight rescued who
got 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 tun-
mel at $3.50 and brought out alive Gus
tav c. Van Duzen. superintendent OF
waterworks construction, who had
headed the second relief force. Van
Duzen may die from his experiences
One body was also brought out by the
third rescue party. This was a MEM
ber of the second rescue crew. 1t had
been supposed that Van Duzen had
persisted
--- worked Without Helmets.
The tragic fate of the rescuers in the
hrst and second instances was due to
the fact that they worked without
oxygen helmets. which were unavail-
able.
For those rescued who afterward
died, no pulmotors were at hand for
use in attempting to resuscitate them.
roundly condemned by the rescuers.
and Mayor Harry L. Davis today prom
ised to conduct a rigid investigation
into this shortcoming, as well as into
the catastrophe itself.
The third rescue party was equipped
with helmets which had been assembled
but nearly eleven hours had elapsed
following the explosion before sufficient
equipment to fit out the third rescue
party was at hand to permit descent
The cause of the explosion has not yet
been ascertained. 1t Is supposed that
some workman struck a pocket Of gas
with pick or possibly gas had collect
an electric spark. The tunnel was
equipped with electrically driven ma
chinery for excavating.
Doortender Gives Alarm.
The party Of eleven Iz~orkmen who
were caught by the explosion entered
the tunnel at 8 o'clock last night The
work has been carried on in three
shifts. This shift was in charge of
Harry volkes as shift boss.
First intimation 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 ex-
plosion. This was about $3.50 pm. Dolan
was thrown against the door leading
u.
This door was jammed by the blast,
and deadly fumes poured out of the
tunnel. almost overcoming Dolan. He
finally managed to close IL, and then re-
leasing 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.
Supt. John Johnson summoned volun-
teers and led the first rescue party of
volunteers down the elevator and into
the tunnel. One hundred and fifty feet
from the bottom of the shaft they be-
gan to stumble, crumple and fall. over
come by fumes.
Doian. who had resumed his post in
the air chamber. rushed after them.
He saw fash of light in the dark
ness. 1t proved to be Johnson's fash
light. which he still grasped where
he had fallen. Dolan dragged him to
the bottom of the elevator shaft and
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 which had
been attracted from shore by rock eta
Organizes Rescue Party.
Duzen. who had been summoned from
his home by telephone. organized the
second rescue party on shore and went
to the crib. With his men he descended
into the tunnel. His men found Michael
Keough Of the first rescue party still
alive and dragged him out. They wen,
in again, only to suffer the same fate
which had befallen tho first party
Finally four OF them managed to stag
ger back to safety. The others did no,
como out until the third rescue party
was organized and went after then
1t was then that Van Duzen wa,
brought out.
II became known today that worl
in the tunnel had been suspended thres
days ago because gas was found. The
men sent into the tunnel last nigh,
went to work believing the gas hat
been eliminated.
we should never have gone into th<
tunnel last night" said Dolan today
we never got q report from tht
chemist whether the place was safe
vi OH fIG -