Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-27
TUNNEL DISASTER
At CLEVELAND COST
TWENTY.TW0L|vE
Twelve Men Still Imprisoned
Thought Now That All Are
Dead-Rescue Work Post
pOned.

Cleveland, Ohio. July 25-Federal off.
Gals investigating the waterworks tun-
mel disaster which cost % lives, late this
afternoon ordered all attempts to reach
the bodies OF u men imprisoned in the
tunnel abandoned until some time to-
morrow
This action was taken because tests of
the gas in the tunnel through which the
rescuers had to pass, showed that 1t Is
highly explosive and the officials feared
second explosion. An attempt will be
made to pump out the gas so that the
work of rescue may progress.
All hope that any of the IL men trapped
In the tunnel are alive has been
abandoned. Ten bodies, those of mem
bers of two rescue parties which tried
to reach the doomed men, but themselves
succumOed to the deadly gas. are in the
morgue. The eight injured men, also
members of the rescue parties are in the
hospital
Four Investigations, city. county. State
and federal, will be started tomorrow
to determine the cause of the gas OK
plosion near tho five mile crib end of the
tunnel last ilA<flt which entombed the T.
men and released the gas which over
came the two rescue parties. The lack
Of safety devices such as gas helmets
and pulmotors at the crib and shore ends
Of the 1900 foot tunnel also will be in
vestigated.
The frantic efforts of Gustav G. Van
Duzen, superintendent of water works
construction, and the members of the
two rescue parties to reach the men
imprisoned by the explosion, without gas
helmets or pulmotors resulted into tie
increase in the death list. This morning
third party equipped with safety de-
vices entered the tunnel and recovered
the rescuers. ten of whom were dead.
Van Duzen was among the rescuers who
were revived.
Headed by d ]. Parker and L. NJ Jones,
Of the United States bureau of mines, who
arrived here from Pittsburg at the mine
rescue car. the third party of rescuers
penetrated 200 feet into the drecked tunnel
from the crib end. Five men were with
the two experts and even equipped as they
were with the gas helmets they found diff
ficulty in making their way so heavy was
the gas. They found that the force of
the explosion had torn up the small car
tracks on the bottom of the tunnel and
had twisted air and conduit pipes. With
their safety lanterns they could see at the
far end of the tunnel that large cave-in
had occurred They did not spend much
time investigating the condition OF the
tunnel at the point of the explosion as
they We're concerned with getting out the
bodies of the rescuers who were scattered
along the tunnel. They carried all the I'M
fortunate men back TO the air lock ard
finally brought them M to the crib
Parker and Jones after consulting
with Water Commissioner Jaeger, who
had made several trips into the tunnel
and had made tests of the gas, de-
cided that it was too risky to make
an attempt to get at the IL men still
| Imprisoned In the tunnel until the gas
had been forced out. Tests showed the
gas to be highly explosive and it was
feared that the rescuers would be en-
tombed by a third explosion.
From what they could learn of con-
ditions In the tunnel. Parker and
Jones declared their belief that the
dozen tunnel workers bodies are en-
tombed in seven or eight feet Of debris
and that II will be the work of al
least two days to dig them out