Show FACE DEATH BY FIRE AND WATER dynamite used in construction of tunnel under lake explodes causing fifty deaths building in the lake a mile and a ha half if from shore Is burned the occupants being forced to plunge into icy waters chicago fifty cireo three workmen aro are lead dead as the result ot of a alro on wednesday that had its origin in a powder vault attached to the intermediate crib in lake michigan used in the construction of it a new water tunnel connecting with the south side ot of lie ho city at seventy third street ninety five workmen were employed empl dyed in the crib and in tho the connecting tunnel at the time ot at the fire the tunnel was being built by tho georgo george IV jackson company tho the first section of tho the tunnel starts from the he shore the crib a ml mile le and a half out marked tile tho beginning of the second section being built still further into info tho lake ako the two sections had not joined each other as yet tho the superstructure of tho the crib was it barn ilko building of two stories it was wag surrounded by a narrow platform cr pier under it a shaft of stool steel and concrete about twenty feet in tor ter ran down one hundred feet altere tho the tunnel proper began normally lacre were from seventy five to ninety filen men employed working in three shifts of eight hours each A tramway consisting or of strong steel steal cables from which lung hung back buckets ets gave physical connection with the shore there was also a telephone in summer the men were taken to and from their work by the tug morford orford Af but in winter this was impossible tho the men inen housed in the crib and took their meals there supplies were sent out by the suspended trolley so far as known the explosion had its origin in a small powder house about y yards ards from the crib structure built on foundations resting on the bottom of the lake the detonation muffled as it was by the crashing of floating lee ice against the crib simply aroused the attention of workmen and it wits was not until the heat of the flames and the stifling smoke penetrated the so called aliv living room of the crib and the tunnel beneath the waters of the lake that the full import of the disaster dawned upon tile the little colony of workmen cut oft off almost completely from assistance the ice fee made it impossible for big vessels to reach the burning building tut it a small boat was placed in service to carry the injured to the tug and rescue those who had plunged into the lake after several hours of work thirty nine workmen were rescued when the fire tug conway had succeeded in quenching the flames fifty three bodies ip s had been carried to the shore and placed in morgues in south chicago awaiting identification |