South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-02
Fifty to Sixty Persons Are
UnaCCOunted For Follow
ing Burning of Chi
CagO Structure.
THOUSANDS FORCED TO
FLEE OUT IN THE COLD
Most of the Tenants in Bed
When Blast Tears Loose.
Noise is Heard For
Several Miles.
international News Service

international News Service
CHICAGO, Feb. Fifty to 60
persons are missing and unaccount-
ed for following an explosion Of gas
and a fire that swept a fiat build
ing at Fourteenth pl. and Newberry
av., early today.
Ten bodies have been recovered
and IA injured are in nearby hos
pitfalls. The police believe bodies Of
many of the missing lie beneath the
ice encrusted ruins.
II was thought possible that many
of those numbered among the miss
ing may have hurried away to the
homes of friends. Fire officials,
however. expressed the opinion six
hours after the explosion occurred
that more than a score c. lives were
lost.
With the thermometer at nine de-
grees below zero and a wintry blast
sweeping over the city, 1900 persons
were driven out into the cold by the
explosion. Scores of them are suf-
fering from the exposure.
Victims Are Foreigners.
The building contained about 30
apartments and housed between 100
and $50 persons, the police were
told. IL stood in the most thickly
populated section of the west side
4
foreigners. The structure had been
condemned some time ago and was
undergoing repairs The janitor
said he believed a leaking gas main.
concerning which he had repeatedly
complained. was the cause of the
explosion.
When police and fremen arrived
the walls were crUmbling. All the
entrances but one in the middle of
the building were blocked by. debris
and many Of the tenants were trap
ped in their demolished rooms.
Water poured on the flames quickly
froze and covered the building with
ice.
When the explosion occurred most
of the tenants were in bed. Those
who were uninjured leaped from
windows and from the roof Many
we're caught in life nets and blank
cts Several babies were thrown into
the arms of policemen and specta-
tors by their frantic parents. Con-
sidering the number who jumped
the list Of known injured is rela-
tive small.
Recovery of Bodies Slow.
Recovery of the bodies necessar-
lily will be slow because of the ice.
Already. however, scores of volun-
teers are using picks and axes on
the debris in the hope that behind
il some of the imprisoned people
may be found alive. The police,
however. are dubious.
Il believe more than 50 are dead, -
said Lieut.. John Maxwell. who is
familiar with the district. and who
was one of the first police COM
manders on the scene. The build
| ing was thickly populated Six 10
| 10 persons slept in a room and it
I is unbelieved that many of them
have escaped"
Several children. stark naked.
rushed into the street only TO face
the biting zero blasts. They ran
about wildly. screaming in pain until
Ineighbors rushed 10 their aid with
| blankets.
Girl Dies i'm Hospital
Eleven injured were rushed TO
| the county hospital Charlotte
| Spitzley died few moments after
her arrival The slightly injured
we're cared for in a nearby barn.
The explosion not only wrecked
the building but tore a great hole in
the middle of the street. Through
/ this assure loaped a blue flame OF
gas that cast a weird light upon the
/ burning debris and the groups of
sobbing half-clad men, women and
4 children.
/ Windows were shattered in every
building within a radius OF three
blocks The noise Of the blast was
/ ho.-a s-s,-eroT r,,f1as away