The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-07-26
DOZEN MEN ARE
STILL IN DEBRIS
To Pump Out Gas Before Res
cue Work Is Resumed
Four Investigations

CLEVELAND. O.. July 25.-Federal
officials investigating the water works
disaster which cost % lives. later this
afternoon, ordered all attempts TO
reach the bodies of Il men imprisoned
in the tunnel abandoned until some
time tomorrow.
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 a second explosion. An attempt
will be made to pump out the gas so
that the work Of recovering the bodies
may progress.
All hope that any of the y men
trapped in the tunnel are alive mas
been abandoned. Ten bodies, those OF
members of two rescue parties which
tried to reach the doomed men, but
themselves succumbed to the deadly
gas. are in the morgue. The eight IN
jured men, also members Of the rescue
parties, will recover:
Four Investigations. city, county,
state and federal. will be started to-
morrow to determine the cause Of the
gas explosion near the fTe-mile crib
end of the tunnel last night. which
entombed the twelve men and re
leased the gas which overcame the
two rescue parties. The lack of safety
devices such as gas helmets and pull.
moters at the crib and shore ends or
the $4,000 foot tunnel also VIII be
Investigated
The frantic efforts. Of Gustav c. Van
Duseh 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 pulmoters resulted in
the increase in the death list. The
third rescue party equipped with the
safety devices entered the tunnel and
recovered the rescuers. ten OF whom
were dead.
Van Dusen was among the rescu-
erS who were revived.
Mine Experts On The Job
Headed by J. J. Parker and l.. NJ:
Jones. of the United States Bureau OF
Mines. who arrived here from Pitts
third party Of rescuerS penetrated 2OU
feet into the wrecked tunnel from the
crib end. Five men were with the
two experts and even equipped as they
were with the gas helmets they found
difficulty 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 Ian:
terms they could see at the far end OF
the tunnel that large care-in had oc-
Cured. They did not spend much time
investigating the condition of the tun-
mel at the point OF the explosion as
they were concerned with getting out
the bodies OF the rescuers who were
scattered along the tunnel. They car
ried all the unfortunate men back to
the air lock and finally brought them
up to the crib.
Parker and Jones after consulting
with Walter Commission Jaeger. who
had made Severu: trips into the tunnel
and had made tests OF the gas decided
that it was too risky TO make an at
tempt TO get at the u men still im-
priSoned 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.
Workers Entombed
From what they could learn OF cor.
ditions in the tunnel Parker and Jones
declared their belief that the dozen
'unnel workers bodies are entom5ed
in seven or eight feet of debris and
that it will be. the work Of al least
two days TO dig them out. The federal
and city officials IS we'll as the men,
bers of. the third rescue party left
the crib late this afternoon. it having
been decided 10 abandon work until
sometime tomorrow. The twelve mea
have been given up as dead. II is
declared impossible that they could
be alive.
In the meantime an effort will be
made TO clear the tunnel of gas, SO
the work OF digging out the entombed
men may be begun tomorrow.
According 10 the federal investiga-
tors the electric wiring in the tunnel
was faulty. After they had entered
the tunnel with the rescue party they
ordered the electric power shut oft.
They would not venture an opinion as
TO the cause OF the explosion but most