Part 1: Work: 1910-20 (2)

C. The American Sugar Refinery/The Corn Products Refining Company

The Corn Products Refining Company continued its checkered history of expansions and setbacks.

Toward the end of 1910, the company announced plant to enlarge its plant in order to manufacture Amylin,  “a new product made from corn starch and is finding an extensive use in breweries.” employing an additional 35 people. (99)

By early 1911, the refinery, like the steel mill, was coming out of the “slight depression” of the winter of 1910, with plans to bring the starch plant to full capacity, after an extended slow-down, as well as the sugar refinery, which had also shut down a couple of months before, with rumors at the time that it would never reopen. (100)

Despite this early optimism, 1911 was a very mixed year for the refinery. In June, orders came down from corporate headquarters without warning to shut down the Waukegan plant within 2 weeks “indefinitely.” The local superintendent, Mr. Ebert, denied knowing the reason for the shutdown. It is entirely possible that it was a clear statement to the city, which had recently been complaining of both air pollution from the plant and the amount of water used in its operation; another plant in Pekin was scheduled to reduce their operating hours to five days per week from seven; It was reported that “the board of directors of the company received the report of superintendent Ebert in regard to the water and smoke allegations and immediately the two orders were reversed, the Pekin plant to operate five days per week and the local plant to shut down.” (101) The shutdown was a clear demonstration, in any case, of the instability of worker’s lives at the time, when steady employment could vanish within days. “Many of the employees of the local plant, it is said, are certain that the plant will not re-open, and many are preparing to leave for Argo and other cities.” (102)

By July, word was out that the plant was to reopen, making new products such as “candy, particularly chocolates and breakfast foods.” (103) The delay lasted until September first, with the change in product line being proved false. Still, 600 men were expected to return to work, which was quite welcome news. (104)

The fateful year of 1912 started on a bad note. In February a fire and explosion caused $40,000 in damage to the dry starch mill and the elevated runway connecting it with other buildings in the complex. Fortunately, the dry starch mill was then somewhat isolated from other structures, and the fire which was crossing the runway toward other buildings was put out before more serious damage occurred. Initial reports were inconclusive as to cause. “It is impossible to state just how the fire started but the fact is than an explosion occurred, felt even uptown by some persons. The belief of employees and officials is that some hard substance, such as a nail or a piece of iron, got into the mesh of the mills used in pulverizing the starch, caused a spark and the explosion then followed. The foreigner employed in the room made his escape quickly, sustaining but a few burns on the forehead and arms.” (105)

Less than one month later, a floor loaded with sugar collapsed in the sugar refinery, killed one man and injuring others, including Frank Sacramento and Dominick Buetta. (106)

Work in the older three-story “starch house” at the southern end of the complex of the plant continued throughout 1912. Here, the starch entered the plant as a liquid from other processing houses, where it was placed on trays and dried in kilns; hoppers and conveyors then transferred the dried starch to the mills for grinding into a fine dust and filtered again through screens before being sent on conveyors to the top of the building where it was dumped into large hoppers until loaded into boxcars for shipment out. (107) The average wage for the workers in the starch house in 1912 was 17 cents per hour for a 20-hours shift, or $2.04 per day, or $612 yearly. (108)

On the Monday before Thanksgiving in 1912, the hoppers were filled with 76,000 lbs of dried starch, ready to start being loaded into boxcars. Somewhere in the process, possibly on the final conveyor transporting the starch dust to the hoppers before transport, a spark caused a fire, followed immediately by a tremendous explosion and fire  that obliterated the building; it was the most catastrophic industrial accident in Waukegan history. (109)

Contemporary press accounts described a horrific scene of human carnage.

“The scene about the blazing debris was one of horror. With clothes aflame, men staggered out into the air and collapsed, groaning on the ground. One man wandered about the grounds, pitifully waving the blackened stump of his arm….”

“Joseph Zelanak was blown from a second story window, up over the high railroad embankment, across the tracks and into the Oakwood cemetery 150 feet away. He rose to his feet and attempted to walk away but collapsed….”

“The first two men to be picked up were ...discovered crawling in the cemetery, and it took the combined efforts of half a dozen men to secure them. The two men were crazed with pain and fright and imagined they were still in the burning building…”

“Shortly after the explosion two men were seen to be pinned fast on one of the upper floors. Their screams for help lasted only a moment. It took just that long for the flames to reach them.

One man, after he had been pulled from the ruins and placed on a stretcher cried out that two other men were pinned fast near the place from which he had been rescued.

An attempt was made to search the ruins at that point, but they were still blazing and nothing could be done. Later the rescuers found a human leg in this part of the building….”

“A pathetic scene occurred when the firemen found Matt Hyland, a foreman. His body was badly burned and his features so blackened with dirt that he was hardly recognized. His wife, who had been anxiously waiting in the throng of watchers, pressed forward to look at the man in the fireman’s arms. She shrieked and fainted when she recognized her husband….”

“Many of the men who made their way out of the ruins unaided were so badly burned that they screamed in agony when friends picked them up….”

As a cold wind blew in off Lake Michigan, fireman from American Steel & Wire, just to the south rushed to the scene, soon followed by firemen from Waukegan and North Chicago, as well as 500 workman form the other parts of the plant who joined in the effort to subdue the fire.

“Every automobile and cab in Waukegan was pressed into service to take the injured to the Jane McAllister hospital. Hysterical wives, mothers and children, alarmed by the terrific explosion, rushed to the scene and it required the efforts of the entire police force of the town to keep them back from the flames.

One beautiful young girl, Mona Kirkorwi, became frantic with grief, and tried repeatedly to throw herself into the blazing ruins. It was finally found necessary to carry her away by force and place her in the care of a physician.”

The hospital, modern and well-appointed was soon overwhelmed, not equipped for a catastrophe of this scale. “The furniture stores were called on to supply extra cots and families living near contributed blankets.

As fast as the injured arrived they were taken to the operating room, where their burns were dressed. They were laid on the floor, to be moved to their cots as fast as the attendants could carry them out. Cots stood in the corridors of the hospital and even the front office.”

“Frantic women thronged the hospital insisting on scrutinizing the gestures of the injured. The officials finally had to close the doors. The bodies were laid out at the morgue and all afternoon and evening shawl-hooded women passed in and out seeking their husbands and sons.”(109)

Seven people died the first day. In the coming days the count would rise to 14 as firemen sifted through the rubble or victims succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.  At least 27 people were injured, some severely, from burns. Among the dead were Market street residents Louis Moenopick, 621 Market street; Martin Mapuhuick, 914 Market street and Mike Bunch, 601 Market street, John Kyprichuck of 602 Market street . Others were Joseph Zelenak, , 29, Picadilly Court, Frank Stanley, 27,  North Chicago; John Adams, 32,  Oak street, Peter Dougela, , 36, North Chicago; John Garalin, , Charles Tomalis, , 35,  North Chicago, Oblique, Alex, Tony Wotowski, Frank Trobitz, Joseph Kowlowaki, Martin B Slater.

For the injured, the treatment was slow and painful. “The arms, head and in many cases the bodies of the men are wrapped in bandages so they really resemble bandaged mummies one sees pictured in history….in practically every case, the fingernails dropped off the hands, so terribly had they been burned. Practically every victim will eventually lose all his fingernails….Most of the hospital victims were unconscious a greater part of the time and those who were not unconscious were, without exception, given hypodermics to alleviate their pain….In the case of a greater part of the victims it is now stated that their eyes are closed as a result of being swollen shut, through fire, starch, etc.”  After a time, an eerie quiet descended on the hospital because patients  “were so terribly injured that they could not exert themselves sufficiently to yell.” (110)

In what seemed like a remarkable coincidence, another plant owned by the same parent company , Standard Oil interests, exploded within an hour of the Waukegan explosion. The Union Sulphur Mill in Brooklyn explosion injured 15, (111) and killing up to six. (112)

As the cleanup progressed, one mystery was the supposed discovery of mercury caps (used in touching off dynamite) near the ruins, leading to speculation that this was somehow instigated by the Industrial Workers of the World who had sent representatives to Waukegan a few month previous hoping to establish a branch there. There is no evidence that The IWW engaged in any terrorist activity, but rumors about the mercury caps helped fuel, briefly other conspiracy theories that the plant had secretly buried some corpses or destroyed time cards to minimize the number of fatalities. (113) The company admitted that there had been very little labor unrest at the plant, and certainly nothing that would have justified a terrorist bombing. (A few days after the explosion, when workers at the “upper house” did not show up for work for fear that it was “too danger” In the words of one worker,  their positions were quickly filled by replacement workers.(114) Nothing further developed with the story of the caps, as far as known.

The official investigation that quickly followed placed no “blame” on the Corn Products Refining Company, basically agreeing with the company’s local superintendent Ebert’s explanation that the fire’s cause, though ultimately unknown, was with spontaneous combustion, or a spark on one of the conveyors. One state inspector was highly critical of the company’s methods of dust control, and recommended more advanced vacuums and extraction systems. (115) His was not the only voice critical of the safety measures. Prof. Charles, E. Monroe, “explosive expert of the Bureau of Mines” was quoted soon after the incident that “''there is absolutely no excuse for the existence of such dangerous conditions in modern factories," and that the explosion could have been “easily” prevented by proper handling and chambering of materials as they were ground to dust. (112)

As for the injured or killed, recent state legislation hoped to protect employees and their heirs. “Under the new law the liability and compensation is fixed by statute and the employers will be compelled to pay the families of the men killed four years’ wages and to defray the medical expenses and pay for the time of those injured, with further provision in case the disability is permanent.” (108) That Christmas, Superintendent Ebert won praise in the local press by distributing gift baskets of food and toys for victims with families and tobacco and cigarettes for single men.  (116)

The warm feelings did not last long. By late February, 2013 some of the victims felt they were entitled to more than strictly stated in the law. The insurance companies claimed that the victims were being encouraged by “Shyster” lawyers to sue for as much as they could get out of the company. One injured man was described as refusing to go back to work. “The man simply will not go to work and persists in sitting in a hot, poorly ventilated house eating ravenously...the fellow insists he is going to die. If he dies it will be because he is eating himself to death.”  (117) By May it appears that most of the cases were settled. “Some of the other victims have investigated the situation, it is said, and have found that their only hope lies in settling with the refinery people under the terms provided in the compensation act, despite the fact that everyone concedes that the amount of damages in the case of the blast victims is not nearly large enough.” (118) The initial calculation was that the average annual wage of $612, and 4 years of that wage under the compensation law would come to $2448; despite that, none of the victim’s heirs seem to have received that amount. Louis Mandich seemed to have received the most at $2,132; the families of Alex Oblik and Chas Tarnulis received the least, at $1,200. Only 8 of the deceased were listed in the settlement.  Other injured persons filed suit for larger damages, but their success or failure is uncertain. This would require further research.

The fate of the victims of this industrial tragedy requires further research. One man, Charles Stebner (Stubler) was seriously injured a second time six years after the refinery explosion while working at the gas works. “Stebner was one of the men terribly burned years ago in the sugar refinery explosion,” and somehow--no one seems to know exactly how--was injured on a ““fantastic” and accident-proof” elevator that had been recently installed, suffering broken ribs, sprained wrists and serious head cuts. It was unknown if he would survive. (119)

Despite the settlements by the refinery, many of the surviving families still endured hardships. The widow of Frank Stanley was jailed in 1915 for inability to pay outstanding bills to settle the estate of her deceased husband, despite having received $2,000 in settlement. “Tears came to the woman’s eyes but she did not break down, walking back to the jail with a firm step.” (120)

In July of 1913 it was announced that the rest of the plant of the Corn Products refinery was to close, permanently. At the time this was blamed on normal market fluctuations and not a direct result of the Starch house explosion. (121) A few weeks later it was said that the closing would be only temporary. (122)

In 1915 the abandoned plant was purchased by Carl E Sayler of Waukegan, offering various buildings for rent to industrial and small manufacturing concerns. (123) The Waukegan Terminal Building at the south end of Market street opened in the fall of 1915 with much optimism. Johnson Machine Company conducted by Napoleon Johnson of Waukegan was one of the first tenants. (124)

As if cursed by its’ location, the Terminal building suffered a terrible fire also, though without the loss of life that accompanied the refinery explosion. In May of 1918 a woman who lived across from the Terminal building went outside to retrieve her young son, who was wandering toward the Northwestern tracks near her home. She noticed a small fire burning in a pile of wood next to the Terminal building. ““There was a man standing nearby and I pointed out the fire to him. He didn’t say anything, but went into the building leisurely. I thought he went after water, but I didn’t see him come out so it looked as if he did not have much interest in the matter….” Before long, aided by wind, the fire spread, threatening the entire structure. In disturbing descriptions, employers minimized the danger to the workers in the building. “It is reported that the heads of the film company felt little concern when the fire first started, even reassuring their girl employees and seeking to hold them in their posts. The employees all fled when the government building nearby began to burn fiercely and when it was seen there was little hope of checking the flames.” Before long, the film company, with its highly flammable stock of films, was engulfed in flames. “There was a real stampede among the 100 girls employed at the Marshall Mattress factory located south of the burning building with but the Manley Motor Company building between. The girls were instructed to resume their work and were told there was no danger. Disregarding this many of the girls screamed and started for the front door. Other girls followed. Immediately it is said that one of the heads of the plant took a position in front of the door and denied the girls egress. “Then we started for the back door,” one of the girl employees told a representative of the Sun. “There we found another man had been stationed to keep us in. We hesitated for a moment and then made a rush for him, pushing him out of the way and making our way outside. There might be no danger, but we preferred to be on the outside anyway.” The behavior is all the more shocking given that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire had occurred in 1911, claiming 146 lives when workers could not escape through locked doors and windows. The damage to the building and business was estimated between $300,000 to $500,000. The “Chicago House” boarding house just north of the Terminal building at 941 Market street was destroyed, leaving 19 roomers homeless. Even the chicken barn behind was destroyed. (125).

D. Wilder Tanning/ Griess-Pfleger

By the spring 1910, major improvements at an estimated cost of $75,000 at the Wilder Tanning facility were nearing completion. These included a new 3-story building equipped with a modern forced-air heating system and a capacity for processing “600 sides and 600 splits a day in the language of the trade.” The company boasted that the new facility would make the plant “one of the most up-to-date tanning plants in the world.” These new buildings were north of the original site at Water and Market, north of the harbor at a larger plot of land at Pershing and Dahringer roads (126)

Another expansion starting in late 1915 included construction of a 6-story building, “what is to be the world’s largest tannery.”(127) Construction continued through the winter and spring of 1916, with the new tannery up and running by June. (128)

The newly expanded tannery was said to be a major employer of Black people in Waukegan. The date of its opening coincides with “the great migration” of Black to the midwest from the south starting in large numbers around 1916. By 1917, Blacks had become a newly noticeable presence on Waukegan streets. The violent disturbances in East St Louis in May and July of 1917 made national news, and Waukegan seemed on edge throughout the summer. In late May of 1917, local police warned of a race riot “brewing.” An incident involving sailors on leave in the city almost escalated into a serious confrontation: “Last night several negroes were walking up Genesee street and one of them accidently bumped into a bluejacket. The Jackie was a southerner and in a second’s time he had chased the negro to the edge of the sidewalk and ordered him into the road. The negroes were ready to fight and so were the boys from the naval station. The police were in the vicinity and their presence alone saved bloodshed for the boys from the south had gathered in large numbers by that time and anxious to “mix it.”...The southerners, it appears, are of the opinion that the northerners let the negroes “walk all over them.” Waukegan assistant police chief Tyrrell was intent on advising commandant Moffett of the Great Lakes Naval Station in North Chicago “to instruct the boys at the station that negroes walk the streets of Waukegan with the same privileges given the whites.” (129)

Despite these efforts to defuse any racial conflicts, the local paper later that summer saw a “new problem in Negro situation.” It was not entirely clear what “the problem” was, since there is little evidence that behavior by black people was problematic in Waukegan; rather their very existence as black seemed to been the problem, due to “the increased number of negroes that are being employed at the Wilder tannery on the flats. The number of negroes has been steadily increasing and it is said to have reached such a number that the negroes have been provided with a different lunch room or different part of the lunch room in the company’s eating house. People seeing the help coming from the tannery nights have noted the great number of colored men, strangers in the city, and reports have it that the men have come here from Chicago having been diverted here after arriving in droves from the southern states.” (130) The tacit admission of segregation in the workplace commons was echoed in the difficulty many blacks experienced in finding housing. The company itself constructed “cottages at the model negro community” in an isolated swampy patch in the northwest corner of the city nicknamed “frog island,” because of the noted presence of the amphibians. “The Wilder plant has called for bids for the construction of 50 cottages at cost $2,500 each.” (131)

[Segregation was officially practiced in the armed forces during WWI. Mingling of drafted black and white soldiers seemed to be a “problem” that required a solution. “The negro men from Lake County who were called in the recent draft will not be ordered to report for service just yet. According to word from Washington, the war department on Monday took the first step toward solving the problem of quartering negro troops recruited through the draft. The calling of all negroes drafted is postponed until after the white troops are mobilized….” with the thought that they would be housed and trained separate from their white fellow soldiers.(132)]

A minor incident in June, 1920 of children throwing rocks escalated into an attack on a negro residence hotel, Sheridan House by sailors and marines from the Great Lakes Naval Station. Like many such incidents, misinformation played a dangerous role in escalating tensions. According to the 1922 report on the disturbances the previous years in Chicago and Waukegan, The Negro in Chicago: a study of race relations and a race riot, by the Chicago Commission on Race Relations, (133) a ten year old George Taylor and his little sister had been throwing stones at passing cars on Sheridan road. One stone broke the windshield of Lieutenant A. F. Blazier, and officer Bicer of the naval station, and later that night a mob of recruits surrounded Sheridan House and broke almost every window. (“On the first floor was a poolroom and soft-drink "parlor," which some of the naval recruits had patronized.”) Guards from the station rounded them up and ended the incident for the night. Two days later, sailors on leave from the station renewed the attack, which was repelled by the local police after some “hand-to-hand fighting.” 

Initial reports quoted Police Chief Tyrell that one of the stones thrown in the precipitating incident struck the windshield of a car driven by a coal dealer, Chas. Bairscow, and injured a woman occupant of the car. Another supposedly shattered the windshield of the car of Lieut. A. F. Blasier,  a naval officer. Mrs. Blasier was cut by flying glass. However, according to the 1922 report, “A story with the implication that a sex issue was involved was the significant feature of the riot between marines from the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, aided by citizens of Waukegan, and the Negro residents of Waukegan. It is entirely likely that the outburst was wholly precipitated by the entirely false report that "Mrs. Blazier, the wife of Lieutenant Blazier," was "attacked" by Negro boys.' Lieutenant Blazier, it developed, was unmarried and had no woman occupant in the car.”

Various reports painted a more chaotic picture of the events, including an attempted attack on the post office, on the home of locally-famous Ike Franklin, and another raid on the home of Edward Dorsey, Negro, at 905 Market Street by local youths on the false report that he held 5 whites prisoners for ransom. Nothing was found at the Dorsey home.

In all, a frightening scene, but no one was killed despite two minor injuries. It is questionable if the incident even qualifies as a “race riot” as the local headlines proclaimed. As Mayor Mayor J. F. Bidinger stated publicly:

“Now it is a definitely ascertained fact that no adult Negro was even remotely connected with the first stone- throwing; that the colored people did not then retaliate and have not since sought to retaliate in even the smallest measure; and that all the episodes have consisted simply of an attack upon people who have been as inoffensive throughout the entire affair as they could well be. All of which I submit stamps this affair as an example of disorderly conduct indeed, but not as a race riot.”

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, hints of darker forces surfaced—“some psychological reasons deeper than those made public”—to explain the events. Great Lakes commandant Frederick Basset doubted that the sailors were entirely to blame, though promised a thorough investigation. “According to the commandant the Marines told him that they had been led into affairs “for the fun of the thing.” The civilians, after instigating the attack on the Sherman house fled in great haste, the commandant was told. It is believed that the sailors and marines were pushed forward by those civilians to destroy the place. Those behind them would escape then all blame.”

City official also pointed blame at the IWW and other “reds,” always an easy target, though without any evidence to support the charge of their influence.

Finally, it was suggested that real-estate interests “would be rejoicing if the building [the Sherman House] was burned,” since it occupied a prime location downtown, at the corner of Genesee and Lake. (134)

It seems fortunate that the incident did not escalate even further, given the potential for more extensive property damage, personal injury and even death. 

The fortunes of the tannery in this decade were mixed. By 1917, the plant had been bought out by the Central Leather company with the Griess Pflager Tanning Company; “Lawrence Wilder is merely there now as an employee of the plant,” that had bore his name. (135) That year also saw continued expansion, with a new “hide house” constructed at the end of 2017.(136) Upon completion, in 1918 the plant was beset by a series of fires in January (137), March (138)  and October, (139)  1918, some of which had potential to be serious, though contained by sprinklers and the hard work of local firemen. Despite those set-backs, by December of 1918, the plant could boast of the completion of the tallest chimney in Lake County, towering 203 feet. (140)

In 1919, conflict between the tannery and the city started to develop. Waste disposal from the tannery clogged the Sand Street sewer line and the city demanded the tannery clear it immediately. The tannery countered that they had plans they had been developing for six month for a sewage disposal plant, pending approval; the city countered that regardless of those large plans, the immediate threat to public health in the clogged must be rectified.  (141) This may have been one of the first public displays of concern over waste and environmental damage associated with the tannery which would plaque it over the course of its long history and even after the plant itself was no longer in operation.

 Notes

(99) Plant will enlarge Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun,  Dec 16, 1910, p8

(100) Here’s good news Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Jan 13, 1911, p8

(101) Corn Products to close down, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, June 23, 1911, p8

(102) Corn products stopped work at plant yesterday Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, June 23, 1911, p9

(103) Corn Products opens soon; to make new products here Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, July 21, 1911, p9

(104) Refinery to open September first, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, August 18, 1911, p8

(105) $40,000 fire at corn products plant Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Feb 23, 1912, p8

(106) Floor collapses; one man is killed Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, March 1, 1912, p8

(107) Mystery “cap” to be examined, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 6, 1912, P9

(108) Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 6, 1912, P4

(109) Refinery blast most horrible in city’s history, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P9

(110) Terrible scene at hospital where victims lie prone, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P3

(111) 2 Refineries Blown up in same hour, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P9

(112) EXPLOSIVE EXPERT. CLAIMS .THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THE WAUKEGAN DISASTER THE DAY BOOK -500 SO. PEORIA ST. - 3$8 TEL. MONROE 353 VOL.2,NO,5 Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1912 ONE CENT

(113) Death toll reaches 14,  Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 6, 1912, P1, p6

(114) Tenth victim dies in hospital, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P12

(115) No blame fixed in refinery matter, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 13, 1912, P8

(116) Sugar refinery remembered all explosion victims, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 27, 1912, P12

(117) Blast victims are refusing to accept damages, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Friday March 7, 1913, P1

(118) Settling for the refinery injuries, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Friday May 2, 1913, P1

(119) One of Sugar refinery’s victims again hurt Libertyville independent Jan 24, 1918, P3

(120) Wife of refinery blast victim is sent to co. jail Libertyville independent April 16, 1915, P12

(121) Refinery to close as result of orders received, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, July 11, 1913, p8

(122) Refinery to close but temporarily, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, July 25, 1913, p12

(123) Sayler gets the refinery Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Sept 17, 1915, p?

(124) First plant located at terminal Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Oct 15, 1915, p11

(125) Waukegan visited by costly blaze Libertyville independent May 9, 1918, P3

(126) Will lead as a tanning plant Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, May 27, 1910, p8

(127) 35 carloads of material arrive for Tannery building Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun , Dec 24, 1915, p11

(128) New Tannery in operation within six weeks’ time Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, May 12, 1916, p6

(129) Race Riot brewing; Libertyville Independent May 31, 1917, p11

(130) Waukegan has new problem in Negro situation Libertyville Independent July 12, 1917, p6

(131) Libertyville independent April 11, 1918, P12

(132) Waukegan Colored men to be trained by selves Libertyville independent Sept 13, 1917, P6

(133) RACIAL OUTBREAK IN WAUKEGAN; THE NEGRO IN CHICAGO :A STUDY OF RACE RELATIONS AND A RACE RIOT BY THE CHICAGO COMMISSION ON RACE RELATIONS COPYRIGHT 1922 By The University of Chicago Published September 1922 
(134) Seen in riot: Hint “red” activities, Libertyville Independent Thursday June 10, 1920, p6.
(135) Changes are numerous at tannery on flats Libertyville independent Sept 6, 1917, P10

(136) Another huge hide house is to be built by co.Libertyville independent Nov 8, 1917, P16

(137) Tannery fire damage by water may be $100,000 Libertyville independent Jan 10, 1918, P6

(138) Fire endangers million dollar tannery plant Libertyville independent April  4, 1918, P7

(139) Fire rages in new power-house at the Tannery Libertyville independent Oct 30, 1918, P2

(140) Tallest Chimney in county finished at Tannery, Libertyville independent Dec 12, 1918, P4

(141) Tannery to build $50,000 sewage disposal plant here Libertyville independent, July 24, 1919

Appendix

(99) Plant will enlarge Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun,  Dec 16, 1910, p8

Plant will enlarge

News of good cheer came as a sort of advance Christmas gift from the Corn Products plant Thursday.

A new development for the manufacture of Amylin, a brand new product fresh on the market, will be operation within about sixty days. It will employ about thirty-five men when ready for operation.

Amylin is a new product made from corn starch and is finding an extensive use in breweries. It has not been made at the local Corn Products plant hitherto and a special department with special machinery is being constructed for its manufacture.

The opening of the department will make up for the reported closing of the starch department a few days ago and restore the glucose refinery to its old level.

Announcement of the new department find official confirmation.

Dec 16, 1910

(100) Here’s good news Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Jan 13, 1911, p8

Here’s good news

Improvement in conditions at the mills

News which will be well received with acclaim by many men since the slight depression this winter, now comes from the Corn Products refining company of this city to the effect that the dry starch department of the local works has again resumed operation in about half its capacity, and by next Monday the department will be running at full swing.

This department of the sugar refinery shut down a couple of months ago and at time of the shut down it was rumored that the department would never reopen in the city, the section of the plant taken up in this work being turned into another department. This section of the work employs about seventy men when it is running at full blast and the force in former times was kept working night and day.

The master mechanic of the sugar refinery has been working for some time to get this department into running order again, and yesterday thirty men were put to work. The force of repair men will work the remainder of the week, and it is hoped by Monday of next week that another thirty-five men will be put to work.

Jan 13, 1911

(101) Corn Products to close down, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, June 23, 1911, p8

Corn Products to close down

Cause of indefinite shut sown unknown

It was stated Saturday by superintendent Chas Ebert of the Corn Products Refining Company that it was probable that the shut down of plant would begin about Wednesday of next week and that by the end of the week all employees of the plant would be out of work for an indefinite period.

In regard to the possible cause of the shut down, it was denied by the superintendent that the agitation started among the commissioners to compel the Corn Products Refining Company to pay for all the water they use was not the cause of the shut down and neither was the smoke nuisance. Further than that, superintendent Ebert could not sate any cause whatever for the indefinite shut down.

Orders reversed

It was reported here this week from an apparently authentic source that when the time came for the Corn Products Company as a corporation to shut down one of its many plants that orders were sent to Waukegan to operate the factory five days per week, and orders sent to Pekin to shut down indefinitely.

Immediately after the order, it is claimed, the board of directors of the company received the report of superintendent Ebert in regard to the water and smoke allegations and immediately the two orders were reversed, the Pekin plant to operate five days per week and the local plant to shut down.

It is claimed that barely two hours passed between the time the first orders were received here to operate five days a week, and the second to shut down indefinitely.

Would install meters

When asked about this this morning superintendent Ebert stated that the company was ready and willing to install meters when the city definitely decided that they should, but not until. He claimed that all the water which the plant used from the city mains was for the purpose of fire protection, and that all water used in the actual manufacture of products was furnished by the company.

He stated that the company had installed meters in the upper house of the plant, and that more would be installed as soon as the city could arrive at some definite conclusion in the matter.

Cease work Monday

The plant will cease actual operations Monday, it is said, and the plant will be given a thorough cleaning up from top to bottom. This, it is estimated, will consume at least half if not all of a week, and the men will be gradually laid off as their work ceases. In regard to the opening there is nothing to be said, according to the officials, who claim that orders may be received on short notice to resume operations.

June 23, 1911

(102) Corn products stopped work at plant yesterday Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, June 23, 1911, p9

Corn products stopped work at plant yesterday

Long threatened shut down of local mills stared yesterday afternoon at 5

Two days will be consumed by nearly entire force in cleaning up factory

All men will be laid off by Saturday, at the very latest date

No orders have been received by local officials relative to re-opening plant

(from Wednesday’s Sun)

The long-threatened shut down of the Corn Products refining company’s plant in this city started yesterday, to determine, according to a statement from Superintendent Charles Ebert, indefinitely. Yesterday nearly every wheel in the mammoth factory stopped turning, the corn ceased in its career down the chutes into the hoppers, and the glucose ceased running from the vats.

Clean up started

This morning nearly the entire force of men employed by the Corn Products refining Company were set at work cleaning up the shop, and this work it is expected will consume about two days, at the end of which the huge plant will assume the still refuse has been accumulating about the factory during the few months of operations will all be cleaned up and everything put in ship shape.

No machinery, it is said, will be taken from the local plant, for a time at least. Nothing will be done, it is said, which would show that the plant was merely taking a rest after many months of strenuous labor.

Complete by Saturday

By the end of the week at the latest, 61 men will be out of work. The cleaning up will be completed by that time, and there will be no work for anyone except one day watchman and one night watchman, who will remain on duty to see that nothing about the plant is disturbed.

No orders received

There have been no new orders received at the local plant, relative to an ultimate re-opening of the local shops. As far as the local officials known, there will be no work at the Corn Products for many months to come, even if the shop ever re-opens.

Many of the employees of the local plant, it is said, are certain that the plant will not re-open, and many are preparing to leave for Argo and other cities, to continue either in the employ of the Corn {Products company or to take up some other work.

The shipment of corn for the local plant, it is said, was stopped the latter part of last week, and as the plant was working nearly up to capacity for several weeks there is no corn in the local yards which will have to be shipped to some other plant.

June 23, 1911

(103) Corn Products opens soon; to make new products here Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, July 21, 1911, p9

Corn Products opens soon; to make new products here

Good reports reach this city

Belief is that corn products plant to be refitted with new machinery for candy and breakfast food

Three month is now the outside limit set for the present temporary shut down at the Corn Products Refining Company plant at the foot of Market street.

According to confidences of Corn Product officials to the city commissioners and to inside facts that became public today, the plant will surely be open and running full blast in three month but will make different products than it has up to this time.

The new products will be candy, particularly chocolates and breakfast foods, two products which the big company has long wished to get out. The glucose-making will all be centered at Argo.

According to the story told, the plant will be equipped at once and is indeed being equipped now, with new machinery to handle the new innovation.

The breakfast food part of the story was told some weeks ago to the commissioners by the Corn Products officials, so it is known to be straight.

July 21, 1911

(104) Refinery to open September first, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, August 18, 1911, p8

Refinery to open September first

Report that products are to be changed denied

It is no longer a mere rumor that the plant of the Corn Products Refining company will open here by September 1, it is a fact. Orders were received by Superintendent Charles Ebert from the head of the company to have the plant ready to operate in full swing not later than September 1.

There will be no change in the output of the factory, according to a statement of Superintendent Ebert today. The report that the local plant was to cease the manufacture of glucose and manufacture hereafter candy and breakfast foods was denied by Mt Ebert.

The plant will not be gradually opened, but by the first of September every department of the factory will be operating at full blast. Nearly all of the men who were employed by the company prior to the shut down will be taken back, and the men who have left the city for other fields will be replaced by others.

No news could have been more welcome to Waukegan as a city than the news that the Corn Products was to open again. At the time it was first closed down several months ago, it was feared the plant never would re-open again, and many men formerly employed at the plant left for other cities. Now the assurance that work is to be resumed there comes at a very welcome time, due to the approach of winter.

From reports emanating from the plant fo several weeks, it has been reported that the plant was to resume. Millwrights and mechanics of all descriptions have been taken on, and many changes were made in the plant. It is expected that about 600 men will again be working at the Corn Products by or shortly after September 1.

August 18, 1911

(105) $40,000 fire at corn products plant Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Feb 23, 1912, p8

$40,000 fire at corn products plant

Early morning blaze Tuesday cause heavy loss

Supt Ebert of the Corn Products company at 3 o’clock Tuesday made a statement that the loss will likely aggregate $40,000 through today’s fire, $20,000 on the building and $20,000 on the machinery and so forth.

He added: “It will not interfere with operations of the plant and by midnight we expect to have the dry starch house running as usual. I can say nothing about rebuilding the starch mill for there are some plant where our company makes dry starch but does not pulverize it and they may decide not to rebuild here. I am not in position to say one way or another.”

The refinery firemen assumed charge of the fire at 7:15 when the city department returned home, being first served with coffee by Mr Ebert. The fire was under control by 6:30.

Fire, due to an explosion in the tower of the dry starch mill at the plant of the Corn Products company on Market street caused the partial destruction of the mill Tuesday morning at 4 o’clock, entailing a loss which it is stated will be under $40,000 fully insured.

The fire will not interfere with the operation of the remaining of the big factory—it will merely prevent the local plant turning out dry starch for the time being.

One man, a foreigner and the only one working in the tower of the building, was burned about the head and hands, but not seriously.

The building stood on the edge of the lake, east of the E,J & E tracks, and was quite isolated from the main building of the plant, a long runway, elevated about twenty feet connecting it with the dry starch house about 200 feet to the west.

Sprinklers save runway.

The quick work of the sprinkling system of the factory saved the runway between the two buildings, for, while the fire started to travel across the runway to the starch house, the sprinklers checked it until the firemen were able to turn in and fight it more effectively. The dry starch building caught on fire once, but was extinguished and the city firemen and the factory’s local department devoted their efforts to saving this building as well as the dextrin plant, which stands [along?]. heir increasing efforts spoiled [?] much for the sparks flew about the place in great quantities as they were thrown off the burning structure. It seemed quite remarkable that more serious results did not occur, considering the way the flames shot up and the sparks were carried about the grounds. The building standing right on the edge of the lake was right where the winds sweeping off the lake caught the flames and carried them a long distance.

Plant keeps running

That system prevails in a large plant like the sugar refinery was evidenced when it was noticed that the remainder of the huge refinery was kept running despite the bad fire in another portion of the grounds. Supt Ebert was remarked to on this feature and he replied: “it would be very dangerous to shut the rest of the plant down suddenly; the breaking of the steam or water pipes might cause great damage so the only thing to do is to keep going.”

Thus, while the whole plant was in a glare of light coming from the burning building, men were seen going to and from their work in other buildings and operations were not interfered with in any department excepting the dry starch and the dextrine plants.

Burned once before

The dry starch mill is one of the departments which sustained a complete destruction in the big refinery fire a few years ago. It then stood further inside the grounds, the whole plant then being far smaller than now. When it was rebuilt it was built on the lake shore and isolated from the other buildings, a provision necessary as there always seems to be more or less danger in that particular building because of the grinding apparatus used.

How it started

It is impossible to state just how the fire started but the fact is than an explosion occurred, felt even uptown by some persons. The belief of employees and officials is that some hard substance, such as a nail or a piece of iron, got into the mesh of the mills used in pulverizing the starch, caused a spark and the explosion then followed. The foreigner employed in the room made his escape quickly, sustaining but a few burns on the forehead and arms.

Partly destroyed

The starch mill is a peculiarly shaped building, consisting of a long one story building of about 300 feet at the south end of which was the tower in which the fire started and which was destroyed. The tower was possibly seventy feet square and five or six stories high. The tower burned to the ground but the one-story part of the structure was not greatly damaged. In the starch mill were the mills which are used to grind the starch into powder. These pieces of machinery are valuable and all are lost.

(work 38) $40,000 fire at corn products plant Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Feb 23, 1912, p8

(106) Floor collapses; one man is killed Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, March 1, 1912, p8

Floor collapses; one man is killed

Three other injured in Sugar refinery accident

One man was killed, one man seriously injured and a third slightly hurt when a floor carrying a huge pile of sugar collapsed in the sugar refinery Friday morning at 10 o’clock.

The dead:

Tony Toni, aged thirty-seven years, body at Conrad and Hart’s.

The injured:

Frank Sacramento, now in McAllister hospital; bad cuts on head, side and face, not considered critical.

Dominick Buetta, hands and face cut severely but not fatally; was able to be about after head was tied up by Dr Gourley.

_________________, foreigner, injured but slightly. Not taken to hospital. The men who were hurt were on the floor which caved in.

The incident was due to the collapse of a floor which held a large amount of sugar. It is stated that the beams which held it had rotted, allowing the heavy weight to make it cave. The man who was killed was on the main floor below and the sugar and beams imprisoned him beneath, other workingmen rushing to his rescue but too late to save him. He was badly cut and bruised.

The dead man leaves a wife and children in the county. Inquest at 7 o’clock Saturday evening.

March 1, 1912

(107) Mystery “cap” to be examined, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 6, 1912, P9

Mystery “cap” to be examined

Cap said by some to contain fulminate of mercury will be examined in the presence of coroner’s jury; Subpoena Kenosha firemen. Supt Ebert gives his theory on fire and explosion. Inquest continued.

The mystery “cap” said by some to contain fulminate of mercury picked up at the edge of the ruins of the “starch house” by Fireman Michael Jacobs of the Kenosha department promises to play a prominent part in the probe of the blast now being conducted by state inspectors.

The inquest held over the remains of the fourteen victims was continued until Friday morning at the request of the state inspectors in order that Jacobs might be subpoenaed.

Ebert first witness

Charles Ebert, superintendent of the Corn Products Refining company, Waukegan plant, was the only witness who took the stand Wednesday morning.

Supt Ebert gave his theory of the fire and the subsequent explosion, and related for the benefit of the jurors every step in the process of starch manufacture.

Take prominent part

Three state inspectors were present and repeatedly during Mr. Ebert’s testimony they “cut in” and requested a more fuller explanation. The three inspectors were Harry C Moritz, John Fitsimmons and Dr. George L Apfelback.

Theory of fire

Mr. Evert’s theory of the fire and explosion:

“The distress of the walls and the way they lean causes me to believe that the fire first started on the main floor of the “starch house.” I believe the fire started in one of the conveyers in the basement. A foreign agent—a piece of metal, a nut—or a washer probably struck a spark in the conveyer igniting the starch. I think the fire carried up the conveyer or elevator shaft into the hoppers in the cupola and the explosion that went the building followed. I do not believe that the fire or the explosion took place in the kilns or the mills. The walls of the kilns are still intact, and I find that but one kiln door is open—that door, I believe had been open by an employee.”

Under cross examination by state inspectors Supt Ebert admitted that approximately 50,000 pounds of dry starch—the finished product—had been stored in the hoppers in the cupola. He admitted that he had been unable to locate on piece of wood that formed the hoppers in the cupola.

Mr. Ebert was the only witness who took the witness stand Wednesday morning.

The starch, according to Mr. Ebert, enters the “starch room” in a liquid nature. It is first filtered then placed on trays and placed in the kilns to dry. After it is taken from the kilns it is dumped into a hopper from which place it is carried to the mills by means of a conveyer. The starch is ground to dust, and all foreign matter extracted by means of magnets and screens. After it is ground to dust, it is carried by a conveyor to the top of the building where it is stored in large hoppers. During the milling process must starch dust is liberated. The starch dust is arrested by special devices and is again sent through the milling process. Mr. Ebert admitted that a small quantity of starch dust escaped from the machinery during the milling process. Special devices, such as suction and force fans, had been installed to arrest the starch dust. Mr. Ebert claims that all the latest devices and invention to keep the room free of starch dust had been installed at this plant. He claims he prefers the system used to arrest the starch dust at the Waukegan plant over the machine in use at the world’s largest plant at Argo, Ill.

He told the jurors that the starch house had been shut down the 7th day of November because of a shortage of orders. The machinery in the starch house was overhauled and the walls and floor swept clean when the plant was shut down. He told of the many devices that had been installed to collect the starch dust.

John Fitsimmons, a state inspector, asked Mr. Ebert if he did not think that a suction cleaning system could be installed to collect starch dust, and thus tend to lessen explosions of a nature similar to the one that brought death to fourteen last week. Mr. Ebert said that he did not think that the starch dust in the building would be explosive. He said he was of the opinion that the explosion was caused by the fire which had its origin in one of the conveyers. The state inspectors accepted Mr. Ebert’s theory of the fire, but attempted to show that a more modern system of dust collection could have been installed.

The inspectors, it is learned, have visited a number of starch plants in Illinois during the past few days, and before the inquest closes they will attempt to prove that machinery could have been installed that would have prevented the explosion.

They insisted that Mr. Ebert give his theory, and it is generally believed that they will attempt to prove that the fire in the conveyor could have been prevented. Whether they will succeed in introducing such proof is a question.

Supt Ebert still contends that there was no large quantity of starch dust on the floors of the building.

Mr. Ebert talked to the point at all times. Answered every question put by the coroner or inspectors and gave one of the best talks on starch manufacture ever heard in Lake County.

There can be no question that Charles Ebert knows whereof he speaks. He can tell the exact dimensions of every piece of machinery in the building; can give convincing reasons why the machinery at the local plant was more efficient then machinery in other plants and can relate every step in the process of starch manufacture. He has officiated as superintendent of the local plant for four years. He knows the dimensions of every room in the plant, the style and make of each piece of machinery, and when the piece of machinery was installed. Without reference he can give an inventory of the stock on hand and the number of men working under his direction.

John Fitzsimmons, a state inspector, paid Mr. Ebert a most glowing tribute. “He is without question the best versed starch manufacturer in America,” said Fitzsimmons.

The company’s chief chemist will be the first witness to take the stand Friday morning. Representatives of the large insurance companies were present throughout the hearing Wednesday.

Mr Ebert brought plans which gave the exact locations of the machinery in the building. He made diagrams to illustrate his talk of starch manufacture.

The testimony was taken down by two short-hand reporters.

On Tuesday morning last, M Jacobs of the Kenosha department picked up a large cap near the ruins. He cap looked like a large dynamite cap. It was about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Jacobs came to Waukegan to inspect the ruins with Chief Issermann of the Kenosha department.

The three state inspectors who are probing the blast that brought death to fourteen and injured 22 others are at the [plant at this time. The three men at the invitation of Supt Ebert went to the plant directly after dinner and inspected the upper starch house. Mr. Ebert claims that the upper and lower plants were of somewhat similar nature.

Dec 6, 1912

(108) Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 6, 1912, P4

The explosion in the Corn Products  Refining company is the first serious accident accompanied by wholesale fatalities in the state since the compensation law of Illinois went into force. As the Corn Products had a similar explosion nine years ago, an effective contrast will be given of the effect before and after the passage of a compensation law. The first explosion also was a dust explosion but the company escaped liability on the ground that the workmen had accepted employment knowing the hazards of the business and that it therefore had no legal liability.

Fixed by statute

Under the new law the liability and compensation is fixed by statute and the employers will be compelled to pay the families of the men killed four years’ wages and to defray the medical expenses and pay for the time of those injured, with further provision in case the disability is permanent.

No contest on claim

The fire insurance on the starch house is placed largely in stock companies through Johnson and Higgins of New York, who control the line. Although the building was destroyed, fire started afterward, the companies expect to pay the loss, judging from experience in similar explosions, on the ground that the explosion must have been due to fire, if only a spark. The liability risk on the plant was carried by the Maryland Casualty company with a limit of $15,000 on any one accident.

Must pay $80,000

According to a conservative estimate the Corn Products company will be obliged to pay approximately $80,000 to the families of those killed in the explosion and to those who were burned.

The compensation law provides that in case of death by accident, the family of the deceased shall receive an amount equivalent to four years pay, providing that this is not less than $1,500 nor more than $3,500.

The law provides further that beginning with the eighth day after an accident, the victim shall receive one-half salary, which amount may not be less than $5 a week nor more than $12 as long as he is incapacitated for work, providing the aggregate shall not be in excess of the amount that would have been paid in case of death.

The law provides also that the company must pay the hospital bills and medical attendance for eight weeks if necessary, providing the amount of care does not exceed $200.

In case of disfigurement of face or hands, the law provides that the victim shall come under the arbitration clause of the law, which permits him to receive an amount equal to one year’s pay, or one fourth of the death claim.

What it will cost.

At the present time it is known that eleven are dead, ten bodies having been recovered and one still being buried under the ruins. The average wage received by the dead men was 17 cent an hour. For a twenty hour day this amounted to $2.04 per day. Three hundred working days constitute a year under the  compensation. The yearly salary thus amounted to $612.  For four years the amount is $2448, or the amount of each death claim.

Twenty-eight men were removed to the Jane McAllister hospital, but some have since died. It is conservative to estimate that twenty of the victims will remain there the entire eight weeks if they do not die in the meantime. This would bring the total hospital bill to about $4,000.

In case of total disability or death (which is not unlikely) of the twenty victims in the hospital, it would mean an additional expense of $48,960 on the part of the company.

Adding these amounts together it is seen that the amount equals $79,888. These figures do not include the many other expenses that are sure to come up. In case the twenty victims all recover, which is not very likely and are not totally disabled but are simply disfigured for life, which all of them are, the expense to the company would be somewhat less, for instead of being obliged to pay the $48,960 which they have to do in case of total disability, they would be obliged to pay only one-fourth of this amount.

Law effects changes

The compensation law is a radical change from the old law on liability. Under the old law, the employee had three avenues of escaping liability, namely:

1. Assumed risk. Under that clause it was provided that the employee could receive no compensation if he previously had been warned of the danger and assumed the risk despite this.
2. Negligence of fellow employee. Under this clause it was provided that in case one workman was injured through the negligence of a fellow employee, the employer could not be held liable.
3. Contributory negligence. If it could be shown that a workman had contributed in any way to an accident which injured him, no matter if he was engaged in the discharge of his duties, the old law held the employer without liability.

These points are all eliminated in the new compensation law. Another valuable point in the new law is that the company cannot contest the claim and carry it into the courts in which instance the litigation might be carried on for years and the lawyers finally get the bulk of any little verdict that might be awarded by the jury.

Dec 6, 1912

(109) Refinery blast most horrible in city’s history, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P9

Refinery blast most horrible in city’s history

The dead

Slater, Martin—34 years old, resident of Peoria, Illinois, was studying plant at Waukegan preparatory to taking charge of company’s plant at Pekin, Ill; leaves a wife and six children; had been in Waukegan three months; died at hospital; body so badly burned that flesh was cooked

Zelenak, Joseph—29 years old, resided on Piccadilly Court, Waukegan; single; has father, mother and two sisters remaining in Waukegan; died in hospital

Stanley, Frank—27 years old; laborer; body identified by wife; lived on South Victoria street, North Chicago; leaves a fifteen month-old child

Adams, John—32 years old; laborer; 452 Oak street, Waukegan; single; body burned to a crisp

Dougela, peter—36 years old; laborer; resided in North Chicago; body identified by wife; also leaves three children

Garalin, John—died early Wednesday morning

Tomalis, Charles—35 years old; North Chicago; died at hospital; body badly burned.

Unknown Man—body taken from ruins at 3:00 o’clock Tuesday; too badly burned for recognition

Oblique, Alex—died at hospital Wednesday at 4 o’clock

Unknown man—Body found Thursday morning at refinery; burned beyond recognition

The missing:

Bunch, Michael

Matachuk, Martin

Monday, Louis

Perodski, Joseph

The Injured:

Broderick, Frank

Checenoski, Y.

Debasicisis, John

Graham, Tobert

Goran, M, Sr

Gorman, M Jr

Gobitz, Frank

Godonius, Joseph

Grobelch, F.

Hyland, Mathew

Jun, Michael

Kalomski, J.

Kohler, Willis

Matachuk, John

Monorick, Michael

Pedershi (?), S

Sam, Joseph

Shimbrus (?), Charles

Sheyerski, J.

Simonek, Joseph

Veach, Happy

Wetosky, Tony

The building that blew up was three stories high and 125 feet square. A two story frame copula surmounted the roof.

It stood at the south end of the great plant. When the men employed in the starch house went to dinner there was 75,999 pounds of starch in the structure. It was Shipping day and the regular force had been doubled to hasten the filling of the boxcars. At 1:25 o’clock when the afternoon’s work was well under way, every cubic inch of air in the building blazed red. The brick building was lifted into the air. Had the starch been dynamite the destruction could have been little more disastrous.

Either the starch became overheated or a spark was struck in the machinery. Hey dry air, laden with particles of starch, is as explosive as gunpowder.

The roof went up, the walls went out and down, crumbling; the freight cars were blown on their sides and then everything burst into flames.

Josph Zelanak was blown from a second story window, up over the high railroad embankment, across the tracks and into the Oakwood cemetery 150 away. He rose to his feet and attempted to walk away but collapsed. He died later in the hospital with a fractured skull.

Harry Veach, a boy eighteen, was also at work on the second floor.

“The last thing I remember was laughing at something one of the men had said,” he told later at the hospital,” and then slam! I hit the floor. When I woke up I was pinned between a beam and a hot pipe. I tried twice to get loose, but failed. I thought it was all up with me. But I made a last try and got to a window. From there I slipped to the ground.”

When the rescue workers picked up Veach his clothes were afire.

The scene about the blazing debris was one of horror. With clothes aflame, men staggered out into the air and collapsed, groaning on the ground. One man wandered about the grounds, pitifully waving the blackened stump of his arm.

Every automobile and cab in Waukegan was pressed into service to take the injured to the Jane McAllister hospital. Hysterical wives, mothers and children, alarmed by the terrific explosion, rushed to the scene and it required the efforts of the entire police force of the town to keep them back from the flames.

One beautiful young girl, Mona Kirkorwi, became frantic with grief, and tried repeatedly to throw herself into the blazing ruins. It was finally found necessary to carry her away by force and place her in the care of a physician.

Firemen were summoned from North Chicago to aid the fighting of the flames. Work in all departments of the big factory was discontinued and 500 workmen joined the rescue work. Hundreds from the plant of the American Steel & Wire company also gave assistance.

The accommodations at the hospital were found to be inadequate to care for the large number of injured. The furniture stores were called on to supply extra cots and families living near contributed blankets.

As fast as the injured arrived they were taken to the operating room, where their burns were dressed. They were laid on the floor, to be moved to their cots as fast as the attendants could carry them out. Cots stood in the corridors of the hospital and even the front office.

Twelve of the injured were Lithuanians. One was a Greek, another a Turk, and there were several Russians and Americans. The Rev. Michael Kruszas, a Lithuanian priest ministered to the members of his church. Father Gavin, a Catholic priest also remained at the hospital most of the afternoon, comforting the sufferers.

The first two men to be picked up were found by Lloyd White of the firm of White & Tobin, Waukegan. They were discovered crawling in the cemetery, and it took the combined efforts of half a dozen men to secure them. The two men were crazed with pain and fright and imagined they were still in the burning building.

A pathetic scene occurred when the firemen found Matt Hyland, a foreman. His body was badly burned and his features so blackened with dirt that he was hardly recognized. His wife, who had been anxiously waiting in the throng of watchers, pressed forward to look at the man in the fireman’s arms. She shrieked and fainted when she recognized her husband.

The plant of the refining company stands close to the lake shore. A cold wind blew from the water and added to the agony of the injured

Shortly after the explosion two men were seen to be pinned fast on one of the upper floors. Their screams for help lasted only a moment. It took just that long for the flames to reach them.

One man, after he had been pulled from the ruins and placed on a stretcher cried out that two other men were pinned fast near the place from which he had been rescued.

An attempt was made to search the ruins at that point, but they were still blazing and nothing could be done. Later the rescuers found a human leg in this part of the building.

Many of the men who made their way out of the ruins unaided were so badly burned that they screamed in agony when friends picked them up. The medical and surgical equipment of the nearby plant had been brought to the scene and the men were drenched in oil and bandaged before being sent to the hospital.

Dead almost recognizable

Considerable difficulty was experienced by officials of the Refining company in identifying the dead and injured. Nearly all the men were foreigners and the clothing of most of them had been burned off so that their number checks had been lost.

Frantic women thronged the hospital insisting on scrutinizing the gestures of the injured. The officials finally had to close the doors. The bodies were laid out at the morgue and all afternoon and evening shawl-hooded women passed in and out seeking their husbands and sons.

The Body of Frank Stanley was the third taken out of the ruins and the first to be identified. At 5 o’clock his widow appeared at the morgue. The man was so badly burned that she identified him only by the right hand, the second finger of which was missing.

The first of the rescued to die was Josph Zalenak. Then Charles Tamalis died, also at the hospital. The next to die was Martin Slater, assistant superintendent of the plant.

Slater was picked up badly burned like the others. His home was in Peoria and he had been sent to the plant in Waukegan to prepare to take the superintendence of another plant owned by the company in Pekin. He had left his wife in Peoria. On his way to the hospital, Slater roused and called for her. She was on her way to his side, but she received a message not to come from Peoria, their home.

Nearly all the men killed or injured worked for 17 cents an hour on twenty-hour shifts. This means they received $2.04 per day.

Slater last to die

Martin B Slater, assistant superintendent, was the last to die. He was at the plant and a few minutes before the explosion rushed into the building. Three minutes later he was hurried to his home in a dying condition. The fact that Slater entered in haste just before the accident led to the belief that a warning of danger had been sounded and he had gone to investigate.

Mrs. Sklater, with her five children, is in Peoria. She was to start today to join her husband in Waukegan,. A minister in Peoria broke the news to the wife of her husband’s death last night. Slater came here to make a study of starch manufacturing, after which he was to take entire charge of a plant in the east.

Nov 29, 1912

(110) Terrible scene at hospital where victims lie prone, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P3

Terrible scene at hospital where victims lie prone

Men bandaged from head to foot lie helpless in care of nurses

Sight ne’er to forget

All men are kept in an unconscious state to alleviate their pain

People generally in the city have no idea what an awful catastrophe the refinery explosion was. The one place of all where the awfulness of the affair impresses itself is the McAllister hospital where the injured men are lying on cots and beds in all vacant places in the hospital. There these poor men, bandaged in such a way that one can barely see their noses and lips, lie helpless, depending on the good nurses who are attending them.

The one danger which all face is the condition of their kidneys and in each case Tuesday and today it was necessary to exert extreme care in this regard.

The arms, head and in many cases the bodies of the men are wrapped in bandages so they really resemble bandaged mummies one sees pictured in history.

Eyeball turned about

In the case of Hyland the man so terribly burned and who was shown every attention at the hospital, it developed that his blindness was due to the fact that his eyeballs were turned about in his head, turned in such a manner that they faced toward the back of the head.

Fingernail drop off

Another thing which showed the terrible condition in which the victims lay in the hospital was that, in practically every case, the fingernails dropped off the hands, so terribly had they been burned. Practically every victim will eventually loose all his fingernails.

Most of the hospital victims were unconscious a greater part of the time and those who were not unconscious were, without exception, given hypodermics to alleviate their pain.

Little violence shown

Perhaps never has there been an accident in the state where so many men have been terribly burned or injured that the hospital where they were cared for witnessed such an absence of violence and noise. The patients did not raise any disturbance as one would suppose would be the case when so many were writhing in pain but the explanation is that they were so terribly injured that they could not exert themselves sufficiently to yell.

Eyes all closed.

In the case of a greater part of the victims it is now stated that their eyes are closed as a result of being swollen shut, through fire, starch, etc. Just how many men’s sight has thus been affected is not known, but it is feared that after they begin to improve and the swelling goes down some may be found to have lost their sight entirely.

One victim’s lips seem affected more than the others. They are swollen until it is estimated they would measure an inch and a half in thickness.

Another victim, his legs from the knees down has no circulation at all, his limbs being entirely black.

Took nurses blankets

Monday night it looked for a time as if the nurses who live in the nurses home west for the hospital would have to sleep without blankets for, when the victims were taken to the hospital every blanket in the hospital and the nurses home was needed to cover the men.

However, neighbors heard of the nurses sacrificing their own bed coverings and they at once brought blankets to the home for use of the young women when they came to retire.

Some sent home.

When the rush of the burned victims to the hospital Monday afternoon Spt. Heil at once ordered four patients home who were in such a condition that they could give way to the more seriously injured victims of the refinery. The fact is that the hospital was full to capacity before the 27 refinery victims were carried there.

Nov 29, 1912

(111) 2 Refineries Blown up in same hour, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P9

2 Refineries Blown up in same hour

New York, Nov 25:

Two plants of the Corn Products Refining Company, owned and controlled by Standard Oil interests were destroyed by explosion and fire today. One was in Brooklyn, one in Waukegan, Ill, but the blasts that wrecked them came within a single hour. Formal statements say that each plant was destroyed by an accident. There is no knowledge of any labor trouble involving the company.

The Brooklyn plant was the Union Sulpher Mill. That in Waukegan was the company’s dry starch house.

In the Waukegan explosion seven men were killed, four missing and twenty-four injured.

In the Brooklyn explosion fifteen men were crushed and burned, but luckily none lost their lives.

Nov 29, 1912

(112) EXPLOSIVE EXPERT. CLAIMS .THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THE WAUKEGAN DISASTER THE DAY BOOK -500 SO. PEORIA ST. - 3$8 TEL. MONROE 353 VOL.2,NO,5 Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1912 ONE CENT

EXPLOSIVE EXPERT. CLAIMS .THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THE WAUKEGAN DISASTER

Washington, Nov. 26. "There was no excuse for the explosion in the Corn 'Products Refining plant at Waukegan, Ill., yesterday." This was the emphatic declaration of Prof. Charles, E. Monroe, explosive expert of the Bureau of Mines, today. "Such explosions 'come from the presence in the factory atmosphere of finely-divided inflammable material flour, sugar, starch and the like," he said. "They may easily be prevented by keeping such material in chambers where it is not exposed to the air while being reduced to powder. The presence of electricity in such dangerous places can easily be avoided ''There is absolutely no excuse for the existence of such dangerous conditions in modern factories."

The Standard Oil company's death toll-of one day: At Waukegan: Six known dead; three dying; four ,with small chance of 'recovery; two to five missing. At Brooklyn: Fifteen burned and crushed, five fatally;' six reported killed..

A death list of fifteen was the largest, admitted today by the officials of the Corn Products Co., of Waukegan, whose plant was destroyed by fire after an unnecessary explosion yesterday. But the death list, when, all are, accounted for, may be much greater. ' Hundreds of volunteers are working among the ruins today, desperately digging in the hope of finding someone still alive, . And round the ruins has gathered a frenzied crowd of women relatives of the missing. , Coroner John L. Taylor of Lake County has started the investigation to fix the blame for the explosion. He impanelled a jury of merchants to find out the cause of the explosion in the Standard Oil Co.'s $80,000,000 starch company. The jury inspected the ruins today; then adjourned until after the funeral of the victims.

Nov. 26, 1912

(113) Death toll reaches 14,  Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 6, 1912, P1, p6

 Death toll reaches 14

Three more victims succumb to injury at hospital

Refinery to return fund

General manager Moffett will remunerate all donors

The death of three more victims at the Jane McAllister hospital has swelled the death list from the refinery blast to fourteen. The names of those who have died since last Saturday are:

Tony Wotowski—passed away on Sunday afternoon, about 3 o’clock

Frank Trobitz—died at an early hour this morning

Joseph Kowlowaki—died at an early hour this morning.

Trobitz was a married man and leaves a wife and three children who reside on Caroline place. The residence of the other two victims has not yet been secured. Their condition has been very serious from the first and it was known that their chances for life were very slim. There are several more at the hospital who are in a serious condition and may die at almost any time.

The funeral of Wotowski probably will be held tomorrow morning, but the funeral arrangements for the other victims have not yet been made, It had been intended to start the coroner’s inquest this morning but because of the new deaths and because of the possibility that more will die, the inquest has been postponed to the middle of the week and may again be postponed at that time in case there are any new deaths.

Burns agency investigating

Inferring that labor troubles occasioned by activity of the International Workers of the World, the labor association headed by W D Haywood, the western man once tried for (?) and conspiracy had caused the explosion of the refinery building this week, the Sunday Tribune printed a front page article stating that the W J Burns detective agency had been retained either by the sugar refinery or the insurance company to investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion.

This statement, together with the statement that fulminate of mercury caps were found near the ruins (near?) the explosion created a (rumor?) Supt Evert declares the (inferences?) are important and have attracted much interest. But the fact is that Waukegan has been free from labor trouble for some time and as far as is known there is no branch of the Industrial Workers of the World here.

Sensational reports have been (passed?) about the plant since the search for bodies continued. One of (Saturday?) was that bodies of far more men were reported found had been found and buried on the refinery grounds, secretly. Supt Ebert scoffed at such suggestions.

Another report was that immediately after the explosion took place some of the time checks of the men employed in the starch house were destroyed in order to cover up the real number of the dead. Mr. Ebert denied this report with emphasis, adding that the list of dead and injured today checked up absolutely correct.

Insistent reports are current about the plant that it was the explosion of the Fouch mill which caused the disaster, the explosion of a mill of the character having caused the terrible explosion nine years ago. Mr. Ebert denies this, insisting that while it is merely his theory, he believes the explosion came from friction on a (structure’s?) conveyor caused a spark to ignite the starch with the subsequent explosion. Mr. Ebert says if special investigators have been at the plant this week he did not know it as he has seen no one. The only investigators he says he has seen are casualty men.

Asked about the report in Chicago that fulminate of mercury caps (used in touching off dynamite) were found near the factory, Mr. Ebert (denied?) the report, adding that he never heard of it. He said the company has not had any labor troubles of any kind. The plant is not organized although in years past several attempts have been made to form labor unions among employees, a course which has always met stern resistance by the company. A number of steam fitters are employed in the plant. They have a special permit from the Lake County Plumbers-Steamfitters by which they can work for satisfactory wages to themselves in the mill but when outside must get union scale.

Sought branch here

A local contractor today stated that he had been told that the Industrial Workers of the World some two month ago had sought to get a hold in Waukegan, representatives having been sent here and literature having been mailed to labor men of the city. Further than this, information as to progress made is lacking.

Supt Ebert declared the company will not rebuild the destroyed structure because they have a duplicate building in another part of the yards.

Deny hiring Burns men

Officials of the Corn Products Refining Company and coroner J L Taylor of Lake County emphatically denied that the W J Burns detective agency had been retained to investigate the explosion.

“There is positively no truth in stories published to the effect that the Burns agency has been retained to investigate the starch mill explosion,” said Charles Ebert, manager of the Waukegan plant. “There is nothing for any detective agency to investigate. We are convinced that the explosion was one of those accidents that frequently occur in mills of this sort.

“We have no labor troubles and only recently raised the pay of all employees, without any request from them to do so. We pay good wages because the work is more or less hazardous.”

No detectives on case

“T M Moffett of New York, the general manager of the Corn Products Refining company was in Waukegan last Friday and looked over the field. Like myself, Mr. Moffett was satisfied that the explosion was an accidental one, and would not employ detectives to work on such a case.”

Coroner J L Taylor also expressed doubt whether detectives had been hired and asserted that he knew nothing of the matter. “I do not think that any detectives have been employed by the company,” he said. “I know I have not employed any.”

Dec 6, 1912

(114) Tenth victim dies in hospital, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Nov 29, 1912, P12

Tenth victim dies in hospital

John Garalin succumbed following hard battle—searching of ruins for bodies still continues—many harrowing scenes now recounted; employees of north starch house, alarmed, quit jobs

Waukegan, Wednesday November 28—

The tenth body was found early Thursday morning at the refinery, burned beyond recognition.

Alex Oblique, the ninth victim died Wednesday at 3 (?) o’clock.

John Garalin, check number 2436 the eighth victim of the refinery explosion, died at 2:30 this morning in the hospital. This makes the fourth victim to succumb after being taken to the hospital, the four other victims having been taken from the ruins of the plant.

Garalin is the man whose condition had been considered very critical all along and few hopes were entertained that he could pull through. His eyes and lips were swollen terribly.

Eight are dead, three are dying and two bodies remain to be taken from the ruins of the “starch house” destroyed by the fire and explosion Monday.

Frank Garalin died at 2:30 Wednesday morning. Two men are hovering between life and death today. The imminent danger today is internal hemorrhage. One doctor made this statement: “Internal hemorrhages will set in. This is caused by ‘dead blood clot.’”

Five additional nurses.

Captain Fullam, commandant, US Training station, sent 5 hospital nurses to the Jane McAllister hospital last night. The nurses at the hospital are waging a valiant fight to save the injured.

The doctors from the training station who went to the hospital Tuesday night to assist in caring for the victims were: Dr. Fields, Dr. Stoops and Dr. Koltes. They directed the work of the navy nurses and the latter also remained at the hospital today. The station dentist was one of the first men on the scene after the explosion and rendered first aid to many of the injured.

Men leave their work

Terror-stricken, a number of employees of the “upper”—the new starch house—resigned their positions Tuesday morning. Tuesday night when the night shift reported for work, it was found that one or two did not put in an appearance. “Too danger” said one foreigner in explanation. The places of the missing men were soon filled by the superintendent.

Mayor J F Bidinger has announced that the search for the remaining victims of the Corn Products Refining Company’s explosion and fire will be continued until their bodies have been recovered from the ruins, or until it is established beyond the question of a doubt that they either are not there or that their bodies are so charred that they cannot be located.

The gang of men, including employees of the street department, as well as some of the local firemen who were put to work Tuesday in an effort to find the dead bodies of the victims were put to work early this morning and the search which was discontinued on account of darkness Tuesday night, was continued.

Vigorous search made

Spurred on by the finding of the seventh body, the workers continued their efforts until darkness made it impossible for them to continue longer. Superintendent Ebert of the plant for a time considered the plan of installing powerful searchlights or the placing of arc lights at various points of vantage but finally gave up the matter as impractical. Had he been able to put the plan into execution it would have made it possible to continue the search all night.

The search for the victims is being made in a very thorough manner. Workmen started at both ends of the wrecked building and began to remove all the brick and wreckage.

Will remove everything

The plan is to remove every portion of the wreckage if necessary to locate the dead bodies. By starting at each end it is figured that the men can work toward the center and thereby expedite matters greatly. Some of the timbers and steel work are so heavy that it may be necessary to bring a hoisting engine here to remove them.

Those who are directing the work of removing the bodies have no idea of just where the bodies are located, but they are working on the theory that they may be located in the south-east part of the building because several men are known to have been working there when the blast occurred.

Fullam offers help

Captain W F Fullam, commander of the Naval Training station called up mayor Bidinger on Tuesday afternoon and proffered his services.

In speaking to the Sun he said:

“I hesitated at first about offering my services because I did not wish to appear in the lighting of butting in on something but as soon as I learned that assistance was needed I informed mayor Bidinger that I stood willing to do anything in my power. If surgeons are needed, my staff are at the disposal of the McAllister Hospital. Anything else that lies within my power, I will gladly do.”

Mayor Bidinger thanked Captain Fullam for his kind offer ad informed him that he would investigate and find whether or not his aid is needed. He informed him that his offer was appreciated whether it is accepted or not.

Many pathetic features

There are many pathetic features which have just come to light. One of them occurred shortly after the explosion. Martin Hyland, foreman of the starch house, whose eyes were practically burned out who was injured so severely that he may die, when being removed from the point of danger, besought his rescuers to leave him alone and return to the building and save Martin L Slater, the assistant superintendent of the plant. He said that Mr. Slater was imprisoned in the building and could not make his escape without assistance.

Mr. Slater had been here but three months and his family still reside in Peoria. He had intended to return to his home to spend Thanksgiving with his family and to his friends at the plant had confided that he scarcely could wait for the time to arrive.

May not rebuild plant

It is rumored that the Corn Products company may not rebuild the destroyed starch plant. Several reasons are given for this.

In the first place the building that was destroyed was a portion of the old sugar refinery, the part that the wire mill for a long time sought to purchase. It had been operated recently merely to grind out a certain kind of corn product, which could not be made in other departments of the plant because they were running to capacity making other products. Thus, it was in the nature an auxiliary plant

On the other hand the company has been enlarging it Pekin plant and soon can make this special kind of starch there. The destruction of this department in no way hinders the full operation of the other departments in the plant her and in all probability the entire plant will continue to run without interruption.

Search renewed today

At daybreak Wednesday the task of searching the ruins for the dead was renewed. Robert Smart and his men are assisting Assistant Supt Dehart in the work. Mayor Bidinger went to the plant several times today to note the progress made.

Relatives of one missing man went to the refinery today to assist in the work,

Supt Ebert is keeping a record of the number of Waukegan men who are assisting in this work. At 5 o’clock Tuesday night he asked Mayor Bidinger to furnish him with a list of the men Smart had brought to the refinery. He was also given a list of the firemen who assisted in the work.

The corpse of the last man taken from the ruins was packed in a small soap box. Charred beyond recognition, it was a difficult task for the men who found the corpse to take from the ruins.

Nov 29, 1912, P12

(115) No blame fixed in refinery matter, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 13, 1912, P8

No blame fixed in refinery matter

“we the jury find that the deceased came to death by an explosion and resulting fire in a building known as the “lower starch house” owned and operated by the Corn Products Refining company of Waukegan on the 25th day of November.

“From a careful consideration of all evidence available, we the jury believe the initial explosion took place from a spark of unknown origin in one of the conveyors or elevators.

“We the jury further find that said building was constructed of good material throughout and the means used in getting rid of starch dust was the same as used in other factories in the United States, but we believe the suggestion of State inspector John  Fitzsimmons in regard to the installation of vacuum cleaners is a practical idea and endorse the same, and we also recommend the substitution of iron cars as is now being worked out by the company in place of the wooden trays now in use.

“Signed, S E Arnold, Foreman, Joseph Parker, A P Conrad, Theo Meyer, Fred Buck, William Watrous.”

The six Waukegan men impanelled by coroner John L Taylor to inquire into the cause of the death of fourteen men killed at the Corn Products Refining company plant on November the 25th returned an “open verdict” Sunday at noon.

The big corporation was not exonerated of blame and was not held responsible for the death of the fourteen men.

Acting on the advice of John Fitzsimmons, a deputy state factory inspector, the jury recommended the installation of a vacuum cleaning system in the plant to rid the working rooms of starch dust. The jury also recommended that the company take immediate steps to substitute iron dumping carts in place of the wooden trays now used to remove the starch dust from the kilns to the hopper.

The jury found that them men met their death by an explosion and a resulting fire. Supt Ebert’s theory that the explosion was caused by a spark of unknown origin in one of the conveyers or elevators. The spark carrying the flame into the large vats where the starch dust was stored causing the explosion that laid waste the building.

The jury met at 10 o’clock Sunday morning and it s was nearly 1 o’clock when they reported that they had reached a verdict.

Supt Charles Ebert and chemist Theo Bryer were the only representatives of the big corporation who were at the Conrad & Hart establishment when the verdict was returned.

A copy of the verdict has been forwarded to Chief factory inspector W Davies. What action the state will take in the matter is not know at this time.

Dec 13, 1912

(116) Sugar refinery remembered all explosion victims, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Dec 27, 1912, P12

Sugar refinery remembered all explosion victims

Overflowing baskets sent to homes of every victim for Christmas gift

Ebert entertains children

Food for reflection seen action of refinery people in spreading cheer

Superintendent Evert of the sugar refinery individually and his company as a corporation through him, established an enviable record Christmas for showing consideration for employees who met injury and their families as a result of the sugar refinery explosion.

Christmas eve, as has been his practice for a number of years, Mr. Ebert had seventeen little boys and girls, children who come from families which might not have suitable Christmas, at his home on Julian street. At 7 o’clock he served them a sumptuous feast and it was served in all the style of a regular hotel banquet with all the home accompaniment. Neighboring women assisted Mr. Ebert in serving the little folks.

The  after the feast the children went to the parlor where a lighted Christmas tree laden with presents in shape of toys, etc, held them in amazement for some time. They then played games and, after receiving their gifts, left for home, seventeen little hearts again made glad through this good man’s generosity and consideration.

Besides these seventeen, Mr. Ebert sent baskets of toys and goodies to three other little children who were unable to be at his home.

What refinery did

And here is how the sugar refinery company remembered that it was Christmas and sought to make it as happy as possible for the families of the men who lost their lives in the explosion or of those who were injured:

Christmas morning a Christmas tree was erected in the ward at the McAllisteer hospital where the remaining eight refinery victims were being cared for—two of the ten left for home Tuesday morning.

About the tree were presents of various kinds for the patients and the company had also sent cigars, candy, etc. to cheer them up.

The hospital attendants were also guests at the tree which the refinery people planned there and also received gifts of various kinds.

Baskets to homes

But here w=is what the company did for the homes of the victims: they sent boxes to every home of a man hurt or killed in the accident. These boxes contained food enough to last two weeks, they contained clothing, toys for the children and delicacies for the older ones. Where the victims were single, the company sent tobacco, cigars and cigarettes. They tried to overlook none and the belief is that none who were entitled to this attention were missed. Each home was given a duck for Christmas dinner.

Dec 27, 1912

(117) Blast victims are refusing to accept damages, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Friday March 7, 1913, P1

Blast victims are refusing to accept damages

Representative of big insurance company seeking to effect settlements

Meeting with difficulty

Says shyster lawyers have created wrong impression of liability law

Waukegan, February 28, 1913—

A representative of the Maryland casualty company spent the day in Waukegan today seeking to adjust the claims of the victims of the Corn Products Refining company explosion but asserts it is almost a hopeless task because of a mistaken conception of the liability law on the part of the families of the dead men and of the men who were injured. Few, if any of the victims, he said, have accepted the money which is coming to them under the compensation act, as they seem to have gained the impression that they can secure much more by waiting.

Shyster lawyers and ambulance chasers from Chicago are blamed by him for causing this feeling of dissatisfaction on the part of the victims. He says that the shysters have been telling many things which are not true in order that they may get a part of the settlement and because they speak the same language as the victims gain a ready audience.

“All of the victims seem to think that they are entitled to much more under the compensation act than really is the case,” he said. “The men who are confined to the hospital have steadfastly refused to accept the money that is coming to them each pay day, and it has been allowed to remain untouched in the company’s office in Waukegan. It is impossible to reason with these men because they say there must be some way to get around the compensation act so they can get more damages.

“As a matter of fact, the compensation act is very clear on this matter. In case of death it provides that the families of the victims shall receive an amount equivalent to four times their annual salaries. In the case of the men killed in the explosion the amount of liability which the company is responsible varies from $1500 to $3500. Slater is the only man who was receiving sufficient salary to entitle his family to $3500, which is the maximum amount of damages no matter how large the man’s salary may be. The average amount of liability in the case of the men who were killed here in the blast is $2200.

“In the case of the injured men the compensation act provided that beginning with the eighth day after the accident, in the case of total disability they shall receive one-half of their salaries every pay day up to the time the total disability end. In the case of permanent disability they will receive the same amount that would be paid to their families in case they had been killed.

“There was a mistaken idea among some of the men with regard to the damages they are entitled to in the case of permanent disfigurement to their face and hands, The law provides that in case of this disfigurement does not disable them more than the eight day period that they are entitled to damages not exceeding one-fourth of the damages that would be paid in case of death. In case they are disabled over the eight-day period they receive compensation differently and are not entitled to damages for disfigurement. This may be a rather heartless way of looking at it, but it is all provided for in the compensation law. However, the refinery does not intend to live up to the letter of the law and in cases of severe disfigurement will pay additional damages. I only wish I could convince these victims that the law is very plain on the matter for until they become convinced of this fact, it will be impossible to make a settlement with them.”

He then referred to a case which was noted in the Sun several weeks ago of a man injured who was discharged from the hospital as able to go to work. He says the man simply will not go to work and persists in sitting in a hot, poorly ventilated house eating ravenously. He says the fellow insists he is going to die. If he dies it will be because he is eating himself to death,” he said.

These statements from the representative of the insurance company which carried the risks on the refinery explosion throw an entirely new light on the matter and if his claims are true there are many of the victims who will be sorely disappointed because they have been figuring on getting large damages from the company.

Friday March 7, 1913

(118) Settling for the refinery injuries, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Friday May 2, 1913, P1

Settling for the refinery injuries

Fear that if the law were to be declared invalid court might not give damages

In former blasts here victims got nothing—company settling with victims.

Despite the fact that the settlements made with some of the victims seem rather small under the circumstances James G Welch, a Waukegan attorney who is attending to the claims of several of the refinery blast victims does not think that any of the victims will seek to test the constitutionality of the recently passed Workmen’s compensation act on the grounds that they might be able to recover larger damages by carrying their cases into court and seeking to secure larger damages.

“These men are willing to be guided by precedent,” he said. “On a former occasion when the local refinery blew up, some of the injured employees filed damage suits as the compensation act had not been passed. The court who was on the bench here at the time ruled that they were not entitled to any damages on the grounds of assumed liability. He pointed out that these workmen knew the danger when they went to work at the plant and by accepting the conditions they assumed the risk of injury in case an explosion took place. They were not given a penny damages.

“Now, if a test case were to be made of the compensation act and if it were  to be declared invalid the workmen at the local refinery would be obliged to adapt the old plan of suing for damages and they would stand the chance of getting nothing if the court were to hold again that they assumed the liability when they consented to work in the plant.”

Some of the victims in the blast have made settlements with the company. One of these is harry Veach who has settled for $500. Another of the victims has settled for something over $2400. He says the injuries he received in the explosion prevent him from doing many kinds of work and for that reason he intends to buy a team of horses and do all kinds of teaming work.

Some of the other victims have investigated the situation, it is said, and have found that their only hope lies in settling with the refinery people under the terms provided in the compensation act, despite the fact that everyone concedes that the amount of damages in the case of the blast victims is not nearly large enough.

Friday May 2, 1913

(119) One of Sugar refinery’s victims again hurt Libertyville independent Jan 24, 1918, P3

One of Sugar refinery’s victims again hurt

Charles Stebner meets terrible injuries at work:

May prove fatal

Waukegan Jan 19

Believing that a nemesis is following him, Charles Stebner (or Stubler as he is listed by his employer) who was severely burned years ago in the sugar refinery explosion was again the victim of an accident while at work this morning in the gas works on the lake shore.

He is now in the Jane McALister hospital and may die as a result of being caught in some inexplicable manner in a modern elevator which it is believed was so safe that no one would ever be hurt in it.

Here is what happened to Stebner, according to a report on his case at the hospital:

Possible puncture of lung

Two ribs broken

Both wrists sprained

Head badly cut

Otherwise he escaped unhurt.

If the lung is found to be punctured the chanced are he will not survive.

The accident occurred this morning at 5:30 o’clock when Stebner and a friend were on the elevator which was installed a year ago and which was supposed to be “fantastic” and accident-proof. How it happened even the man in the elevator with him does not know. He happened to turn around and saw Stebner (?) on the floor of the elevator.

Stebner was one of the men terribly burned years ago in the sugar refinery explosion. He was (?) state for a time but the (?) and while he has (?) experience, he had no (?) physical effects of it. Naturally (?) believes fate is against him.

Jan 24, 1918

(120) Wife of refinery blast victim is sent to co. jail Libertyville independent April 16, 1915, P12

Wife of refinery blast victim is sent to co. jail

Widow of Frank Stanley sent to jail on contempt of court charge.

Estate not closed

Received $2,000 under compensation—has failed to settle claims

Waukegan April 14

The widow of Frank Stanley, who was killed in blast at the Sugar Refinery a couple of years ago was arraigned in county court this morning and asked to show cause why she should not be cited for contempt. She was unable to give any satisfactory reason and was remanded to the custody of the sheriff. She was obliged to remain in jail until she produced money to dispose of the claims attendant upon the death of her husband.

Under the compensation act the heirs of Stanley received about $2,000 from the refinery. Of this the widow was entitled to one-third and the infant child was entitled to the other two-thirds. The widow was named as administrix.

Last fall she had neglected to pay certain debts and thus close the estate and was cited into county court to explain why. At about that time she promised to do so without more delay.

Time dragged along and she made no effort to close the estate. On Monday she was cited into court and was given until this morning to show cause why she could not be held in contempt of court. She spent the night in county jail. Her three year old child who had accompanied her to the county jail was taken home by other relatives.

This morning, when arraigned in court the woman declared that she did not have the money, but did not seek to explain what she had done with the $2,000. It was plain to see that it was a most disagreeable duty for Judge Persons to perform when he committed her back to the county jail. Tears came to the woman’s eyes but she did not break down, walking back to the jail with a firm step.

Recently the woman was married but her husband did not take sufficient interest in her case to be present at court this morning. The woman will be obliged to remain in jail until sufficient money is raised for her to pay off the claims against the estate of her late husband.

April 16, 1915

(121) Refinery to close as result of orders received, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, July 11, 1913, p8

Refinery to close as result of orders received

Superintendent gets word to close down plant but no details are known

Waukegan, July 5.

Orders have been received by superintendent Ebert of the Corn Products company to close the plant as soon as he can get rid of the present supply of corn. Accordingly he has started in “grinding out” what he has on hand and to the Sun today stated that he believed the plant would be idle by July 20.

Mr. Ebert admitted that the order was to close permanently but recalled the fact that twice before a similar order has come down and each time it was later rescinded and orders given to renew operations full force.

The fact that the Argo plant and the Pekin plant have been enlarged and remodeled lately and the total capacity thus increased led employees of the plat to believe for some time that these orders were due almost any day, especially as this is the very dull time of the year.

No orders have been received to dismantle the Waukegan plant hence that is encouraging to employees and others who look upon the recent orders as a possible repetition of former years when the plant closed only during the dull season and then resumed when business picked up. It has always been figured that the company just had to operate the Waukegan factory because of the huge investment they had here, therefore it does not seem reasonable to think that they will allow it to lay idle long, although the orders now are for a permanent shut-down. Nothing has yet been said to where foremen of the Waukegan plant will be sent and this leads to the further belief that perhaps a mere repetition of former years may be seen this time. It is recalled that once before heads of departments were assigned to different places and some even packed their household goods prepatory to shipping them when all of a sudden came new orders that the local plant would again be opened full force and they had to unpack.

Five hundred men are now employed at the plant.

July 11, 1913,

(122) Refinery to close but temporarily, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, July 25, 1913, p12

Refinery to close but temporarily

President of Corn products makes official statement on closing

E T Bedford, president of the Corn products refining company said yesterday the closing down of the glucose plant at Waukegan was not due to the effects of the new tariff but solely to the usual summer dullness.

The above item appeared today in the financial column of one of the Chicago morning dallies and it would indicate that after all the closing of the sugar refinery may not be for such a long period as many feared and as local employees expected.

As stated to the Sun last evening, Supt Ebert has not received any orders to dismantle the factory, his only order being to close it pending further orders. Thus the statement of Mr. Bedord is rather important as it indicates no intentions of permanent closing of the plant but a mere temporary shut-down as was done many years during the dull season

July 25, 1913

(123) Sayler gets the refinery Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Sept 17, 1915, p?

Sayler gets the refinery

Biggest factory deal in history of the city is closed in a way that insures big industrial activity—many factories for future are made possible

The old abandoned plant and property of the Corn Products Company in Waukegan has been sold. The deal which Carl E Sayler of Waukegan and North Chicago has been negotiating for some time past has been consummated and Mr. Sayler now is in possession of the big property, Waukegan’s second largest factory property.

Mr. Sayler’s letter to the Sun is self-explanatory and follows, showing as it does that he swung the biggest factory deal in Waukegan in the way of a sale under contract or any other way, that is, of property already standing as a plant ready for use:

“North Chicago, Ill, Sept 13, 1917

“Editor Waukegan Sun

“Dear sir:

“You may be interested to know that negotiations with the Corn Product people have resulted in my purchasing their entire holdings in this city with the exception of the marsh acres north of the harbor. The deal comprises 26 ½ acres of land, on which there is located about 30 buildings containing something like 500,000 square feet of floor space; nine miles of railroad tracks that are connected with both the Belt line and the Northwestern. Here is also contained on the property foundations, basement and first floors, all reinforced concrete for grain elevators with the capacity of 750,000 bushels. The amount of money expended on this work by the company was something like $80,000. Engineers estimate that this elevator can be completed for about $40,000.

“The purchase also includes two intakes into the lake, one being a 30 inch main, 4,000 feet into the lake and the other a 24 in main, 3,000 feet into the lake, both in good condition. These two main cost to install about $90,000.

“This property has been taken over by me with the view of turning it over to a corporation to be organized among our local people. The plan is to make of this a renting proposition, and will began at once to bring in factories, warehouses and such other concerns that the available space will be suitable for. The prices which we will be able to offer tenants will be so attractive as compared with what similar space rents for in Chicago that we are convinced that we will be able to fill it to capacity within a short time. It is part of the plan to supply power, heat, light ad water to the tenants from the power plant that is now on the property….

“Yours very truly, Carl E Sayler.”

Sept 17, 1915, p?

(124) First plant located at terminal Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Oct 15, 1915, p11

First plant located at terminal

Johnson Machine Company has been operating there for three or four days

To get a broom factory

Deal about closed—expect 3 or 4 concerns to move here inside of 30 days

Waukegan Oct 13

Although the matter is not generally known it was learned today that the first factory has been located in the new Waukegan Terminal, having been in operation there for the last three or four days. This concern is the Johnson Machine company conducted by Napoleon Johnson of Waukegan. At the present time the concern is just starting and naturally is not employing as many hands as it soon will, but the plant is to increase as rapidly as possible.

Announcement was made today that the deal is all but closed for the coming to the Waukegan terminal of a broom concern. This concern will start on a small scale at first, but as soon as it gets firmly established the plan is to operate it on a large scale.

The promoters of the terminal are very enthusiastic over the outlook. They say that the superintendents of many concerns have been here measuring up the floor space and have all signed contracts. Some of these men have been here three or four times.

It was stated today that within the next 30 days the chances are there will be a least three or four concerns located and doing business. With this nucleus it is felt that the growth will be rapid and that the concern will be a bee-hive of activity before too long.

Oct 15, 1915

(125) Waukegan visited by costly blaze Libertyville independent May 9, 1918, P3

Waukegan visited by costly blaze

Fire starting in pile of wood near Govt storage building starts fire which gets beyond control of city and volunteer firemen and cause  worse blaze in many years in Waukegan—estimated loss of half million is considered very conservative—city’s south side fire auto is destroyed—sailors aid fighting fire

At the terminal disastrous fire

Waukegan May 3, 1918

A disastrous fire of uncertain origin today attacked the Manufacturer’s terminal company at Waukegan and caused a loss estimated  at anywhere from $300, to $500,000.

The fire started on the west side of the immense building which the United States government had just taken over as a warehouse for the storing of munitions and clothing. Rumors that the fire may have been of incendiary origin have not been confirmed.

The first call for the fire department was sent in about 11:30 o’clock. Despite the handicap of  low water pressure it seemed at 12 o’clock that the fire was under control. A few minutes later however the fire seemed to break out in several places in the massive seven-story building. With a roar it swept through the building from top to bottom.

Walls give way

At 12:30 the west wall gave way, toppling into the furnace of flames. The roof followed and a few minutes the other side caved outward, falling with a sickening roar that could be heard for blocks.

Flames leaping a hundred feet or more set fire to the old Chicago house which was just east on Market street. This old frame building burned like tinder. In fact, Mrs. Stamberg the proprietress had no time to remove any of her own belongings or those of her roomers. Everything was a complete loss. Even the barn in the rear containing a large number of chickens was destroyed.

Film company burns

The most spectacular even of the whole fire occurred when the flames communicated to the large plant occupied by the Mutual Film company where moving picture films are assembled. The minute the fire touched the inflammable material the flames burst forth from windows in the structure burning with such intensity that people standing on the bluff west of the Northwestern tracks several hundred feet away were driven back by the terrific heat.

It is reported that the heads of the film company felt little concern when the fire first started, even reassuring their girl employees and seeking to hold them in their posts. The employees all fled when the government building nearby began to burn fiercely and when it was seen there was little hope of checking the flames.

Girls quit Mattress factory

There was a real stampede among the 100 girls employed at the Marshall Mattress factory located south of the burning building with but the Manley Motor company building between.

The girls were instructed to resume their work and were told there was no danger.

Disregarding this many of the girls screamed and started for the front door. Other girls followed. Immediately it is said that one of the heads of the plant took a position in front of the door and denied the girls egress.

“Then we started for the back door,” one of the girl employees told a representative of the Sun. “There we found another man had been stationed to keep us in. We hesitated for a moment and then made a rush for him, pushing him out of the way and making our way outside. There might be no danger, but we preferred to be on the outside anyway.”

Save other plants.

Although the fire communicated to the Manley Motor company plant early in the afternoon the work of the firemen who played a lead on the blaze constantly had the desired effect. At three o’clock this afternoon it appeared the plant would be spared.

The National Kellastone plant lies just north of the government building but unlike the Manley motor company building was not protected by a favorable wind. Scores of times this plant caught fire, but determined efforts succeeded in quenching the flames. At 2 o’clock the flames spread to the lower part of the building and fears were expressed that this building would also be destroyed.

If the firemen are successful in saving the Manley Motor company the large part of the plant which lies to the south and out of the course of the wind doubles will be saved.

Fire truck burned

When the fire first started it looked as if there would be little difficulty in stemming the flames and the south side fire department truck and another auto were left at the east side of the big government building. When the firemen returned a short time later to get them they were driven back by the intensity of the heat. One of the firemen scorched his face severely in trying to save the fire truck. It was useless and both of the automobiles were destroyed.

Other buildings burn

When the Chicago house caught fire and the mutual film company building became a seething furnace, it took only a few minutes for other plants to catch fire. The Oregon Woodenware company and the Tauusch Magneto company in the same building were destroyed. The Safety Egg Case company, the Thomas Andrews company and the office of the Terminal company itself were in flames at almost the same time and were destroyed. Late in the afternoon there were fears that other buildings in the path of flames might be destroyed.

Low Water pressure

The fact that the water pressure was low handicapped the firemen considerably in their work. As the fire progressed it was seen that unless additional pressure was given the entire row of buildings might be destroyed.

An appeal was sent to the American Steel and Wire company and the valve at tenth street was opened, allowing the company to its pressure to that of the city. Even this did not give the desired results and when the public service offered its service they were accepted gratefully by Fire chief Sars O’Farrell. It was said at 3 o’clock that North Chicago also would do what it could but feared the increased pressure might burst the mains.

The three or four hundred jackies from the Naval station rendered efficient service as fire fighters. They formed a bucket brigade which aided in checking the progress of the flames. These jackies also maintained the fire lines.

North western trains continued to run but slackened their speed as they passed the scene of the fire.

Cut down wires

The public service company and the Chicago telephone company sent men to the scene of the fire and cut down their wires running into the plant to prevent possible accidents. Supt Theodore Blech was on hand personally to direct the work of his men.

Gen manager Hart of the gas company was on the scene in person and directed the work of his men in digging up and shutting off the gas main running into the plant.

Many ready to move

Half a dozen families who occupied homes near the big plant made all preparations to move in case the need became apparent, Many of them moved their furniture into the yards and even into the streets so it could be moved with the least possible effort. Many collected articles of value in sheets so there would be no delay in case a sudden change would send the flames sweeping in their direction.

Matt Schutug, an employee of the north plant of the gas company was one of the roomers at the Chicago house. He is reported to have had about $1,000 in cash stored in his trunk. This was destroyed.

Hard to estimate loss

Because of the widespread damage it is extremely difficult to estimate the loss. The terminal plant which formerly was the old sugar refinery property is said to have cost$200,000. The property destroyed forms a considerable portion. Added to the loss of the buildings is all the valuable equipment and manufactured products. There are many who are of the belief that $500,000 is a very conservative estimate of the loss.

Saw the start of the fires

A woman who lives just west of the Terminal plant reported this afternoon that she saw the start of the fire. Her little son had wandered to the railroad tracks and she went there to bring him back.

“I saw a little fire burning at the edge of the pile of lumber which lay alongside the building,” she said. “It was hardly more than a handful of fire and one bucket of water would have been sufficient to extinguish it.

“There was a man standing nearby and I pointed out the fire to him. He didn’t say anything, but went into the building leisurely. I thought he went after water, but I didn’t see him come out so it looked as if he did not have much interest in the matter….”

Film plant burns

The most spectacular feature of the fire came when the building occupied by the Mutual Film company of Chicago as a local branch caught fire. For a time the building seemed to be perfectly safe but all of a sudden there was a gush of flames from all of the windows which showed that the films had caught fire. The building of course immediately caught fire and shortly afterward the walls began to topple.

Off to the north of the film company building stood the Chicago House conducted by Mrs. Stamberg and her three daughters. In this house there is 30 rooms and Mrs. Stamberg had 19 roomers. Some of the jackies assisted in carrying out some of the furniture in this place and thus Mrs. Stamberg does not sustain a complete loss….

May 9, 1918

(126) Will lead as a tanning plant Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, May 27, 1910, p8

Will lead as a tanning plant

Improvements costing at a conservative estimate $75,000 are nearing completion at the plant of the Wilder Tanning Company. The result of the improvements, which include a three-story brick building 115 x 45, will be the doubling of the capacity of the tannery, making it one of the most up-to-date tanning plants in the world.

Operates in two weeks

The old building is being rebuilt and the machinery moved into the new building. The steam plant ins being dismantled and the power for operating purposes will be furnished by the north sore electric company. It is expected that the plant will be in full operation within two weeks. Fifty men are now employed in the construction work and in moving machinery.

Forced draft heating

One of the improvements which will be of great value is the installation of the Bayley forced draft heating system. The air in the entire new building can be changed every three and a half minutes by means of this system. This will result in giving the workingmen a good, clean atmosphere in which to work.

The capacity of the plant when in running order will be 600 sides and 600 splits a day in the language of the trade. There will be no complete shutdown of the plant during the period while the removal is going on. One or two departments will be shut down for about two weeks while others will continue to be carried on.

E H Gruber is superintendent and manager of the plant and has held that position here for the past eight or nine years. He is a young man of great ability and is considered one of the best chromo tanners in the country. He has had charge if [sic] several large tanneries before coming to Waukegan.

The officers of the Wilder Tanning company are: John E Wilder, president; T Edward Wilder, vice president and Charles Perkins secretary and treasurer.

May 27, 1910

(127) 35 carloads of material arrive for Tannery building Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun , Dec 24, 1915, p11

35 carloads of material arrive for Tannery building

35 carloads of building material have arrived in Waukegan for the contractors who are to erect the new six-story tannery building on the flats.

Each day from 10 to 15 cars of building material arrive in the city and at 6 o’clock Monday night 35 carloads had arrived. It is generally expected that work on the erection of the first unit of what is to be the world’s largest tannery will start in 10 days time. The delay in starting work was caused by the laying of switch tracks into the site purchased by the company.

The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad has completed the work on its spur line and at this hour their laborers are at work squaring up the street tracks laid last week. The Northwestern railroad has not completed its work and has been delayed somewhat by failure of the steel rails to arrive in the city.

It is said that within three weeks’ time that fully 200 men will be working on the building.

Waukegan lost the contract for the 350,000 feet of maple flooring to be laid on the sixth floor of the building. Word has been received that the contract for the flooring was awarded to a Milwaukee firm. The Waukegan Lumber & Coal company lost the contract by 50 cents on a thousand feet.

Dec 24, 1915

(128) New Tannery in operation within six weeks’ time Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, May 12, 1916, p6

New Tannery in operation within six weeks’ time

Machinery is being installed today—will work many men on Sunday

Waukegan May 6

Within six weeks time the wheels of industry will begin their grind at the new Wilder Tanning Company’s plant.

In an effort to reduce the number of days before it is possible to begin actual work many of the laborers and teamsters in the company’s employ will work on Sunday.

Today hundreds of tons of machinery was unloaded from flat cars at the new plant and the work of installing these machines will be started on Monday.

The foundation for the water tower which will be the highest of the many buildings has been completed and Monday work will begin on raising the walls of the tower. Work on the foundation of the power plant is progressing rapidly and it is expected that the building will be completed within four weeks.

The contractor claims that it will be possible to begin work in the tannery buildings within two months and he expects to have the buildings in readiness within six weeks.

Tomorrow is the first Sunday that workers were called upon to report. No union men will work tomorrow, however.

May 12, 1916

(129) Race Riot brewing; Libertyville Independent May 31, 1917, p11

Race Riot brewing; Jackies push negroes off walk

Police are called upon several times to open traffic on principle streets

Southern boys angry

Claim northerners allow negroes to “walk all over ‘em”—police on guard now.

The hatred which the southerner bears the negro has been most vividly demonstrated in Waukegan time and again since the opening of the tannery and since the united states declared war on Germany.

The tannery brought the negroes to Waukegan.

When the federal government declared war on Germany the boys of the sunny south laid down their tools and joined the navy. They were sent to great lakes for training.

The southerners and the negroes met on the streets of Waukegan. The southerners, it appears, are of the opinion that the northerners let the negroes “walk all over them.”

Last night several negroes were walking up Genesee street and one of them accidently bumped into a bluejacket. The Jackie was a southerner and in a second’s time he had chased the negro to the edge of the sidewalk and ordered him into the road. The negroes were ready to fight and so were the boys from the naval station.

The police were in the vicinity and their presence alone saved bloodshed for the boys from the south had gathered in large numbers by that time and anxious to “mix it.”

“A race riot, I fear, is brewing in Waukegan. The negroes are indignant and claim to have been insulted. The boys from the station are obstinate and I fear they will clash at some part of the city which is without police protection,” said assistant Police Chief Tyrrell today.

He will ask commandant Moffett to instruct the boys at the station that negroes walk the streets of Waukegan with the same privileges given the whites.

May 31, 1917

(130) Waukegan has new problem in Negro situation Libertyville Independent July 12, 1917, p6

Waukegan has new problem in Negro situation

Importation of many negroes to work in local tannery is a pertinent thing

The importation of so many negroes from the south into northern cities, Chicago, St Louis and elsewhere with the result that labor conditions have been radically changed causes attention to be directed toward Waukegan, because of the increased number of negroes seen here of late.

The race rioting at East St Louis and its consequent revelations of greatly increased negro population since the importation began some months ago is a pertinent thing in Waukegan labor circles.

The reason the situation becomes local is because of the increased number of negroes that are being employed at the Wilder tannery on the flats. The number of negroes has been steadily increasing and it is said to have reached such a number that the negroes have been provided with a different lunch room or different part of the lunch room in the company’s eating house. People seeing the help coming from the tannery nights have noted the great number of colored men, strangers in the city, and reports have it that the men have come here from Chicago having been diverted here after arriving in droves from the southern states.

Thus with new conditions facing Chicago and other cities as a result of the influx of many colored folks, it looks as if Waukegan has a new problem to consider because of its increased negro element since the tannery opened up and started employing so many of the southern men.

July 12, 1917

(131) Libertyville independent April 11, 1918, P12

Within the next few weeks the Wilder tannery of Waukegan will spend $125,000 or more in erecting cottages at the model negro community that has been established in the northwest part of the city. The Wilder plant has called for bids for the construction of 50 cottages at cost $2,500 each.”

April 11, 1918

(132) Waukegan Colored men to be trained by selves Libertyville independent Sept 13, 1917, P6

Waukegan Colored men to be trained by selves

War department makes decision which will segregate whites and negroes

The negro men from Lake county who were called in the recent draft will not be ordered to report for service just yet. According to word from Washington, the war department on Monday took the first step toward solving the problem of quartering negro troops recruited through the draft. The calling of all negroes drafted is postponed until after the white troops are mobilized.

Northern negro conscripts will not be trained in the south, it may be stated on the best authorities. There is possibility of Negro organizations being concentrated in one canton-ment side from those which go to the camp in their own state.

Sept 13, 1917

(133) RACIAL OUTBREAK IN WAUKEGAN 

May 31 and June 2, 1920 

Waukegan, Illinois, thirty-six miles north of Chicago and near the Great  Lakes Naval Training Station of the United States Navy, was the scene of  two riotous attacks during the nights of May 31 and June 2, 1920, on a lodging- house for Negroes, by bands of recruits on leave from the Naval Training Station. No lives were lost, and only two persons were hurt, neither of them seriously. 

These outbursts scarcely classify as race riots. The chief motive seems to have been a desire for excitement on the part of young and active naval recruits. 

The Sherman House was a dilapidated place on Genesee Street, the main street of the town. It had been abandoned by whites and was run as a lodging- house for thirty or thirty-five unmarried Negroes, chiefly factory workers. On the first floor was a poolroom and soft-drink "parlor," which some of the naval recruits had patronized. 

A mischievous Negro boy of ten years, George Taylor, was primarily responsible for the outbreaks. On the afternoon of May 31 he and his Little sister had been throwing stones at passing automobiles in Sheridan Road. One of these missiles broke the wind shield of an automobile driven by Lieutenant A. F. Blazier, and officer Bicer at the Great Lakes Station, who allowed this fact to become known to some of the recruits at the station. Late that evening an unorganized mob of recruits assembled at the Sherman House and threw stones, breaking nearly all the windows. The mob was rushed by all the available police in Waukegan, who took six prisoners. One reported incident was the chasing of a Negro by half a dozen bluejackets and marines and his rescue by the police. Provost guards from the Naval Station rounded up the rioters and took them back to Great Lakes, thus ending the outbreak. 

Two nights later, or June 2, 150 boys on leave from the Naval Training Station renewed the attack. They gathered in a ravine near the hotel and at ten o'clock they poured forth, led by a sailor carrying an American flag. The police had been warned and were ready with reinforcements. 

About seventy-five feet from the lodging-house the police ordered the attackers to halt; no attention was paid to the command, and they fired their riot guns in the air, wounding two marines who were some distance away. Hand-to-hand fighting ensued, during which the police seized the flag and arrested two marines. The Great Lakes boys gathered about the police station and demanded their comrades. 

Commander M. M. Frucht, executive officer of the Naval Station, who had already been sent to Waukegan by Commandant Bassett, appeared at the door and quieted the crowd with a promise that all concerned would have a square deal. He also advised them to return at once to the Naval Station. The police released the two prisoners and gave back the flag. Two hundred provost guards from the Naval Station arrived in motor trucks while the crowd was at the police station. 

Waukegan youths, evidently banded together for the purpose, searched the house of Edward Dorsey, Negro, at 905 Market Street, on the night of June 5. Ten of them, ranging from seventeen to twenty- two years, were arrested. They said they had heard that five white persons were held prisoners in Dorsey's home and that it was their intention to effect a rescue. It was asserted that a number of provost guards accompanied the crowd to the Dorsey house. 

The general spirit of the people of Waukegan regarding Negroes may be judged from a proclamation by Mayor J. F. Bidinger, in which he disclaimed for the people of the city any intention to harass the Negro. Referring to reports that some of the white people of the town had participated in the disturbances, the mayor said: "In the first they did not, and in the second in no great numbers. Hoodlums generally run true to form and seldom overlook ready-made opportunity to manifest their peculiar taste in deviltry. Hence the mixing of a few of them into these fracases signifies nothing in so far as our general public is concerned." 

 Observers agreed with the mayor that the disturbances were not race riots. In this connection his proclamation said: 

Now it is a definitely ascertained fact that no adult Negro was even remotely connected with the first stone- throwing; that the colored people did not then retaliate and have not since sought to retaliate in even the smallest measure; and that all the episodes have consisted simply of an attack upon people who have been as inoffensive throughout the entire affair as they could well be. All of which I submit stamps this affair as an example of disorderly conduct indeed, but not as a race riot. 

Newspaper handling of the Waukegan riot.

Considerable excitement was occasioned by reports in all the Chicago daily papers of a race riot in Waukegan, about thirty-six miles north of Chicago. The first news reports gave the following versions: 

THE BEGINNING OF THE RIOT 

Chicago Tribune, June 1, 1920: 

A group of Negro boys in Sheridan Road stood about stoning passing automobiles for several hours, finally shattering a windshield on the car of Lieut. H. B. Blazier and injuring Mrs. Blazier. 

A throng of sailors and marines were passing when Mrs. Blazier was injured and they immediately chased the Negro boys. The chase led to the Sherman House, a rooming place for Negroes, and when the persons living there defended the boys and sought to drive of the sailors, there was a prospect of serious trouble. 

Chicago Daily News, June 1, 1920: 

According to the police a thirteen-year-old colored boy and his little sister had been in ambush near Sheridan Road throwing stones at passing automobiles. One of the stones struck the windshield of a car driven by a coal dealer, Chas. Bairscow, according to Assistant Chief of Police Thomas T Tyrell, and injured a woman occupant of the car. Another shattered the windshield of the car of Lieut. A. F. Blasier a naval officer. Mrs. Blasier was cut by flying glass. When he drove into the city Lieut. Blasier told several sailors of the affair and the news quickly spread. The town was alive with marines and sailors on "shore leave." They concentrated in the town square and upon a signal made an attack on the Sherman House, a hostel occupied by Negroes. 

 CLASHES 

Chicago Tribune, June 1, 1920: 

For hours there were individual instances of attacks by both whites and 

Negroes in various parts of the town. 

Chicago Daily News, June 1, 1920: 

A general man hunt ensued. One group stormed the post office and tried to break open the doors, as it was thought a Negro was hiding there. Another made an attack on the house of Ike Franklin, colored. Ike had fled. Another group chased a Negro across the Genesee bridge in the center of the town. It had nearly captured him when the blue-jacket guards arrived in trucks. Under command of Provost Marshall Lieut. A. C. Fisher the town was quickly cleared. The police arrested the following six marines: Thomas Levinger, Charles Thrawle, John Smith, Burney Poston, Herman Blockhouse and Harold Denning. 

 RACE RIOTS AND THE POLICE 

Chicago Daily News, June 1, 1920: 

Acting Chief Tyrrell, after a cursory investigation, said that, as far as he could learn, Policeman Frank Bence, on whose beat the trouble started, was not in the vicinity at the outbreak. He said that if this proved true the man would be dismissed. The policeman said he was making a tour of alleys at the time of the stone throwing and knew nothing of it. 

Inquiry by the Commission brought out the following facts: The first newspaper accounts of the riot indicated that Lieutenant Blazier and his wife were driving in one automobile, and that Mr. Bairscow was driving in another automobile. The story was that Mrs. Blazier was injured by glass from the windshield broken by stones, and that a woman occupant of the Bairscow car was similarly injured. Lieutenant Blazier and Mr. Bairscow were driving in the same car, the windshield of which was broken, instead of separate cars. There was no woman in the car and Lieutenant Blazier has no wife. 

The story was telephoned into the Tribune by a member of the staff of the Waukegan Sun. This was the source of the report of the woman being injured. 

The stoning occurred one block away from the Sherman House, occupied by Negroes. 

Waukegan riot. — A story with the implication that a sex issue was involved was the significant feature of the riot between marines from the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, aided by citizens of Waukegan, and the Negro residents of Waukegan. It is entirely likely that the outburst was wholly precipitated by the entirely false report that "Mrs. Blazier, the wife of Lieutenant Blazier," was "attacked" by Negro boys.' Lieutenant Blazier, it developed, was unmarried and had no woman occupant in the car. 

THE NEGRO IN CHICAGO :A STUDY OF RACE RELATIONS AND A RACE RIOT BY THE CHICAGO COMMISSION ON RACE RELATIONS COPYRIGHT 1922 By The University of Chicago Published September 1922 

 (134) Seen in riot: Hint “red” activities Libertyville Independent Thursday June 10, 1920, p6.

Disturbances planned to drive colored people from that section, is rumor.

A plot fermented by certain civilians of Waukegan who wished to rid the town of negroes and scheming “reds: who wished to incite further rioting to further their own ends were two of the sinister aspects which presented themselves in the3 investigation of the race rioting which broke out between sailors and negroes for the second time in a week Wednesday night June 2.

Rear admiral Frederick Basset, commandant of Great Lakes Training station expressed belief that “there was some psychological reasons deeper than those made public which incited the rioting.”

“I have special officers at work to probe the matter to the bottom,” said the commandant. “I am going to see which way the wind blows. I cannot say that the sailors were entirely to blame. I am not going to rest until I am sure of the causes of the trouble.

Rear admiral Basset expressed his opinion of the rioting after he had closely questioned marines who had been arrested during the street fighting with Waukegan police. The 500 bluejackets who had swooped down on the Sherman house. [sic]

According to the commandant the Marines told him that they had been led into affairs “for the fun of the thing.” The civilians, after instigating the attack on the Sherman house fled in great haste, the commandant was told. It is believed that the sailors and marines were pushed forward by those civilians to destroy the place. Those behind them would escape then all blame.

Another phase is that several “reds” known to city authorities have been seen in the city lately. They disappeared after the investigation was ordered, it is said. The “wobblies” have been charged with repeatedly trying to incite riots among whites and negroes.

IWW propaganda is also believed by Mayor J F Badinger to be responsible for the race riots.

Some persons have also been told there would be rejoicing if the building was burned to make room for a more imposing structure. The hotel is located in one of the busiest sections and the corner would be a fine retail center as all residents of the southern part of the city pass there.

Thursday June 10, 1920

 (135) Changes are numerous at tannery on flats Libertyville independent Sept 6, 1917, P10

Changes are numerous at tannery on flats

Another radical change comes at wilder tannery as old supt quits suddenly

Wilders sell all stock

Central leather and Priess-Pflager company now own plant absolutely

Edward Graber, for 16 years connected with the Wilder Tanning company and for many years superintendent of the plant has resigned his position. Mr. Graber for the first time in sixteen years is no longer connected with the local tanning industry.

Mr. Graber’s resignation was tendered Tuesday according to reports from the tannery and it was admitted it came in a rather sudden manner.

The retirement of Mr. Graber marks the end of a series of changes made in the plant since the Central Leather company with the Griess Pflager Tanning company took over the interest of the Wilder Tanning Company.

In this connection the interesting report comes forth that the Wilders no longer own a cent’s worth of stock in the big company which the Wilder company erected on the flats during the past couple of years. Lawrence Wilder, it is understood, still remains at the plant and is supposed to be the active manager. However, though no announcement has been made, it is understood that the big man in the plant today is Thomas Kierman of Chicago, who is a representative of the new owners of the plant.

While some time ago the announcement was made of the Central Leather and other company had acquired a big interest in the Wilder Tanning company, it was not known at the time that the Wilders were planning to retire entirely. However during the past couple of weeks, negotiations have been carried on whereby the Wilders, Mr. Graber and others who held stock sold out completely their interest in the local tannery.

Thus it is understood and admitted that Lawrence Wilder is merely there now as an employee of the plant rather than an actual head as represented by being part owner of the plant.

It is also learned that the new owners have closed one of their Chicago tanneries in order to concentrate their efforts to the Waukegan plant and run it to full capacity. Further more, the report is that the plans are to erect a big machine shop at the Waukegan plant in the immediate future. Up to the present time there has been no machine shop there.

The retirement of Mr. Graber after 16 years service is a matter of deep concern among tannery employees because he has been one of the faithful men connected with the plant and is recognized as one of the most efficient superintendents in the tanning business. Zit is understood he has no definite plans for the future, but intends to take a good long vacation.

Mr. Graber before the sale of the old plant to the new Wilder company is said to have owned considerable stock in the tanning corporation. He with others sold his stock when the merger was perfected some time ago. His many friends regret seeing him leaving the tannery and it is the hope that he will continue his residence here.

The report is that Lawrence Wilder will not continue as an active part of the operation of the plant at Waukegan very much longer, seeing that all of his and his father’s interests have been sold to the company who recently took over control.

It is understood that the local plant is not making very much leather excepting for army use and that turned out for the Dodge brothers automobile tops. The general product of leather as formerly made by the Wilder company is not being manufactured it is state as a result of a lack of demand for it.

Sept 6, 1917

(136) Another huge hide house is to be built by co.Libertyville independent Nov 8, 1917, P16

Another huge hide house is to be built by co.

Besides the half million dollar contract let Tuesday Wilders have other plans

Addition to main building

Will be built to north of main structure and to be known as “unit C”

Waukegan November 8

Ground was broken this morning by Philip Olson, mason contractor who was given the contract for all the mason work on the new unit of buildings to be erected at the Wilder Tanning Company’s property on the lake shore north of the harbor. Mr. Olseon will put on as big a force as possible on the mason work and Robert Goldie of Chicago who has been given the carpenter work will also put on a big force.

It is estimated that within two or three days there will be three or four hundred men at work on the mason and carpenter work on the new buildings. These buildings, as explained in the Daily Sun recently, include a two-story warehouse, 400 by 60 feet; a two-story machine shop, 120 by 60 feet; a two-story extract plant 560 by 120 feet.

The contracts given to Mr. Olson and Mr. Goldie provide this work shall be completed within 90 days.

Another new building.

The Wilder company, it develops, is also planning to erect another new building on might be better termed an addition to the main building that is now on the company’s property. This is to be the new hide house and it will be 125 feet long, two stories high. It will be added to the north end of the main building and it is estimated this will cost between $60,000 and $70,000.

This building is not included in the contract awarded to Messrs Olson and Goldie, but is a new improvement which the company has but lately decided upon. However the plans are all finished for the company to go ahead on this improvement even before the contractors have finished the work on the three buildings in question. The new hide house will be known as unit “C.”

Nov 8, 1917

(137) Tannery fire damage by water may be $100,000 Libertyville independent Jan 10, 1918, P6

Tannery fire damage by water may be $100,000

No pro-German plot behind blaze in Wilder plant Wednesday, says Wilder

Sprinklers save building

Fire in finished product department—damage confined to upholster stock

Damage by water but not fire may run up to the hundred-thousand dollar mark as a result of a small blaze at the Wilder tannery, Waukegan on Wednesday. The fire of itself was not of much consequence and little damage was done from the fire. However the damage by water to a large stock of upholsters leather may run into a figure which cannot be estimated at this time.

The fire started is what is known as the finishing room in unit C which is a small building south of the main plant. However as soon as the fire started seven automatic sprinklers started working and poured a deluge of water into the room. Besides this, the volunteer fire department of the company rushed to the scene and turned two big line of hose onto it and soon the fire was under control. However, such an enormous amount of water was poured into the room and over the leather that much of it was ruined completely. It will take several weeks possibly before the exact damage to the big stock of upholstering leather can be estimated.

The fire started in the wall near a fan which is an exhaust duct. Just how it started nobody knows.

“There is one thing about it and that we are certain of, it was not incendiary,” said Lawrence Wilder in speaking of the matter today and denying the report that the belief prevailed that the fire was incendiary and might have been caused by pro-German sympathizers who were endeavoring to prevent the continuation of contracts which the Wilder company had with the government for shoe leather. Mr. Wilder denied that most emphatically and said it was a case of a trivial accident and not due to incendiaries….

Jan 10, 1918

(138) Fire endangers million dollar tannery plant Libertyville independent April  4, 1918, P7

Fire endangers million dollar tannery plant

Waukegan March 30

The “hide house” one of the largest buildings at the north plant of the Wilder Tannery company was threatened with destruction Saturday night from a spark from the chimney or from a passing engine set fire to the roof. The roof was as dry as tinder and fanned by a rather strong breeze and the fire gained a good start before the arrival of the central fire department.

A long hole had been burned in the roof by the time the department arrived. In a few minutes more than the inside of the building would have been in flames and it would have been difficult to save it.

Efficient work on the part of the firemen, however placed the fire under control in a short time and it was extinguished without a great deal of damage being done.

The hide house is one of the longest buildings at the tannery and had the fire once gained a good start inside it would have swept through the entire structure in a few minutes. Undoubtedly the million dollar plant would have been placed in jeopardy.

April  4, 1918

(139) Fire rages in new power-house at the Tannery Libertyville independent Oct 30, 1918, P2

Fire rages in new power-house at the Tannery

Standing in two feet of water Firemen fought flames in basement five hours

Occurs in new addition.

Confined to basement of immense building by fact floor is cement

Waukegan Oct 21

For nearly five house this morning fire raged in the basement of the new powerhouse building at the $3,000,000 Griess-Pffeger tannery in Waukegan. The fact that the floor was of concrete prevented the flames from being communicated to other large buildings at the plant. The origin of the blaze is not known positively. One theory is that it may have started from an electrical motor.

The fire was confined chiefly to the massive wooden supports used as the forms for the concrete walls and floor.

A watchman at the tannery is said to have detected the odor of smoke about an hour before he actually located the fire. The call was received by the Waukegan fire department at 2:45 AM. It was 7:45 AM before they returned to the station. The fire was one of the most stubborn and most difficult to fight the local department has had in a long time.

The fact that the fire was confined in the basement which has a concrete floor, concrete walls and a concrete covering with but two or three small openings caused the smoke and fire to be confined in a limited area. Standing in two feet of water, in smoke so dense that it was impossible to distinguish forms at five feet, the members of the Waukegan department fought valiantly. Smoke helmets could not be used because of the depth of water and it was necessary for the men to seek relief in the open air frequently. Even then some of them were nearly overcome. The fact that the flames had spread to every part of the building which is considerably over 100 feet long made it more difficult to fight.

The building in which the fire broke out is one of the four new buildings which the tannery people have in course of construction as a  $1,500,000 addition to the plant. The fact that the fire was confined to the basement, burning away merely the thousands of feet of lumber used as concrete forms, made the loss a nominal one, whereas it would have been much more serious but for the concrete floor.

The Tannery people served the water-soaked firemen with coffee and donuts.

Oct 30, 1918

(140) Tallest Chimney in county finished at Tannery, Libertyville independent Dec 12, 1918, P4

Tallest Chimney in county finished at Tannery

Huge chimney which rises to height of 203 feet was finished Wednesday

How many bricks in it?

Hard to figure because different size bricks are used

Waukegan December 5

The Griess-Pffeger tannery has just finished what is said to be the highest chimney in Lake county.

It stands 203 feet and to mark the completion of it a large American flag was run up to the top Wednesday and there it will float to the breeze as an engineering feat of considerable importance. (It was suggested that a German flag be placed inside so the smoke could blacken it as much and as thoroughly as possible.)

The chimney has a diameter of 18 feet 6 inches and the bottom and tapers to the top to 11 feet 4 inches. It is made of fire brick and the outside work is all finished. There yet remains the inner lining to be put in place but the chimney is practically finished.

Seeing that people are trying to figure out the Zion city brakeman problem which EW Croft has again put up to the public, it might prove interesting to figure out how many bricks the new chimney at the tannery contains. Anyone who is inclined to mathematics will find considerable sport figuring it out. Here is the dope to work on and the Sun would be pleased to print anybody’s solution as to: How many bricks in the chimney?

Diameter bottom: 18 ft, 6 in

Diameter top: 11 ft, 4 in

It would be impossible to get it exact because there are different size brick in the chimney, but supposing that they are all the same size, approximately how many would there be in it?

Dec 12, 1918

(141) Tannery to build $50,000 sewage disposal plant here Libertyville independent, July 24, 1919

Tannery to build $50,000 sewage disposal plant here

Give this as argument to city not enforce cleaning sand street sewer

The city is unimpressed

Waukegan July 21

That the Gries-Pfleger is planning to construct a sewage disposal plant upwards of $50,000 is the information conveyed to Commissioner Peter McDermott by Edward F Kiernan, general manager of the tanning company in response to the insistent demand of the city that steps be taken immediately to remove the menace resulting from the clogged sewer leading from the plant.

The sewer became clogged as a result of the refuse poured into it by the tannery. City officials served notice on the tannery people to abate the nuisance immediately or legal steps would be taken by the city. Members of the city commission on Monday night voted to insist on an immediate abatement of the nuisance.

The statement of Mr. Kiernan that the sewage disposal plant is planned came to commissioner McDermott Tuesday in the form of a letter which stated that the work of preparing plans for the proposed disposal plant have been underway for the last six months. It was stated further that as soon as these plans are completed they are to be submitted to the North Shore Sanitary district for approval, and if approved the work of putting in the plant will be started immediately.

Suggestion was made that if Mr. McDermott so desired he might inspect these plans which are on the file or suggest some means of removing the present clogged condition of the sewer.

This suggestion did not set very well with the commissioner and he wrote back at once that what the city most desires at this time is to have the present sewer cleaned out so that the menace to health will be removed—then the plans for a sewage disposal can be taken up—but the city does not propose to wait until the disposal plant is put up to have the sewer cleaned out. Whatever is done later about treating the sewage the sewer must be cleaned out instead of being allowed to remain in its present clogged condition.

July 24, 1919