Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-14
10 DIE, II ESCAPE
FROM SEWER FIRE
Firemen and Workers Perish
in Gas and Heat in
Chicago Tunnel.
tcontinued PROM FIRST paee.l

Continued From First Page)
face and threatened the sheds at the
mouth. Suddenly the elevator bell
rang, the cage ran up and the grimy
faces of the first handful appeared.
A tremendous shout went up and
firenen and rescuers surged to the en-
trance of the pit. Again the cage
dropped, brought up another gang,
then q third time to hoist load.
John Yurgen, one Of the tunnel work.
ers, told of the horrible night in the
underground prison. They had sought
refuge in the eastern air chamber when
the fire drove them back from the shaft
last night. There in the little 22-foot-
square room they spent the night, some
praying, singing at times, some even
sleeping despite the stress.
Made Dash for Shaft.
Through the long hours Of waiting
for rescue they had been supplied con-
SANITY with fresh air pumped down
from the surface, and the smoke that
had seeped in at first was forced out,
but toward Q am. the air supply failed
and the prisoners knew they must make
break for the shaft or die Of suffoca-
ton behind the bulkhead.
Making ready, holding their breath
as long as they could, they pushed open
the door and dashed for the shaft, now
clearing of gas. They rang for the ele-
Hator cage and shot up to daylight and
safety.
These survivors were certain all in
their bulkhead had escaped and that
none had taken refuge in the western
safety chamber.
There were two theories rs to the
IL .&.rs. 49,
said he believed that spontaneous COM
bustion in a pile of shavings piled in
front of a bulkhead leading to the
main section Of the tunnel was re-
eponsihle. Timothy Ryan, an Offictal
Of the company building the tunnel
however, gave q different version.
Ryan said that q group of workmen
descended into the tunnel to ind q
leak; summoned Albert Martin, q plas-
terer, who dropped q lighted candle
igniting some sawdust on the door. The
seriousness of the fire was not realized
at 1irst and it was three quarters Of
an hour before f1remea were called.
Capt. James F. O'Neill, commanding
a fire truck company, was the first te
arrive. A thin curl of smoke was COM
ing from the shaft mouth, which is
situated at about the center Of and the
of the tunnel. which has been COM
pleted. O,Neill and his crew hurried
down. Fifteen minutes later three oi
his comrades emerged, half dead. Thif
crew went IN without gas masks, moi
realizing their danger.
Workers Call for Help.
The first tongues Of smoke licked into
the main tunnel section. which forms
the top to the ct" shaped project, about
z or 7:30 pm. The slender night shift
of workers kept on. But as the gases
were set loose, few Of the men stag
gered out, raised the elevator TO the
surface and called for help
Home owners in the crowded neigh
borhood flashed In alarms almost al
the same moment, and crew of IRE
men sped to the scene. Unwarned OF
the peril, they clambered boldly down
the shaft without the precaution Of
gas masks.
New alarms went out. Within three
hours, hrenen by the wundredS, doctors
from all over the town, afabulances
ITespirator equipment were concentrated
on the tiny lot Emergency hospitals
were set up in nearby lumber yard
Masked and In relays the men clam
bered down. Choking and gasping
they would return within 10 minutes
unable to bear longer the smoke that
went back again--two or three times
until they collapsed and waiting
stretcher-bearers carried them away.
Oxygen Supply Exhausted.
The oxygen supply was exhausted
within an hour. Calls for fresh tanks
went out, and soon a stream of them
began TO arrive. Dazed by the acrid
Tunes, some Of the flrenen fought OF
those who tried to help them.
Terrtnc heat developed In the eramp-
co unoerground spaces. Blazing tim
oers fell, pinning some men. Water.
emptied from above to clear the smoke
wnen air pressure failed, eddied 4 feet
oeep and made II impossible to see even
inches ahead in the thick. white mist.
Above, crews were at work with pick
ana shovel. digging down in race to
reach the tunnel and set blowers ia
work from far ends. Two Of them size
eeeded. but the blanketing smoke hard
ly lifted.
Gas masks failed, and men in diving
suits, trailing air hoses connected Ia
the shaft entrance, were ordered In.
They chung to ropes nailed painfully
along the tunnel sides. cropping for
bodies.
Relatives stormed st. Vincent de
Paul Hospital and the county morgue,
where dead and overcome were taken.
Thousands at the shaft entrance re-
NAMED there through the night. jam
med numbly in the glare of search
lights from fire trucks, which focused
on the rescue operations.
All gas mains in the area were shut
Of to prevent an even worse disaster
should heat reach them.
1t was the greatest underground dis
aster Chicago had known.