The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-28
SUFFOCATED.
Two Engineers Succumb to the
Effects of CarbOnic Acid Gas.
The Steamship Royal Standard
the Scene.

Robinson and William Donaldson, Ihlrd ana
Second Engineers of the British steamship
Royal Standard, lying at Post 33. Third Dis
trict retired as usual to their room abatt the
engine room, both in perfect health.
At 6 o'clock A. M. on Wednesday the
stewards boy, as usual, went to the door for
the purpose of giving them their coffee. He
knocked several times, and, receiving no
answer, thought that the engineers wished to
sleep longer, and returned to the galley with
the coffee.
Oae hour after he again returned to the
engineers room with the coffee and en-
deavored to gain access. He received no
answer and becoming alarmed, as this was an
unusually late hour for the engineers to lay
abed, he ran in search of the Chief Engineer,
Mr.. Thomas Coward, who opened the door
with his pass key.
As he entered the room, he was almost
stifed with the presence of "carbonic acid
gas which permeated the room, which
naturally drove out the "oxigen" He then
went to the little sofa on the side OF the room,
where the third mate, Mr. James Robinson.
was lying. as be thought, asleep, but to his
establishment found the man dead.
He then turned to the bunk where the third
mate, Donaldson, was. and discovered that he
was breathing stertoriously, as If in DEATH
throes He Immediately informed Capt. W.
d. johnson, of the ship. They both pro-
ceeded to the room where the unfortunate
men were lyirg and had them removed aft of
the quarter deck, where the dead man was
laid out, and medical assistance was immedi-
ately procured for the dying man.
Drs. Davidson and Devron attended him,
III %op y
and at IL NJ Wednesday Donaldson was lying
in a semi-comatose state. The physicians
were still in attendance administering anti
dotes for the insiduous poison, which, it was
feared, had partially paralyzed the brain.
The Captain showed BULLETIN reporter
the room in which the men had slept, and
said that he could not account in any way
how the poisonous gas had so filled the room,
unless it had been generated in the coal
bunker, as there was one common ventilator,
a regulation ventilator, and port, which
were sutfi oeut to admit fresh Dir enough, it
would seem, for the sustenance OF the two
men.
when the reporter entered the room, which
was about six by eight the smell OF tae gas
still filed the apartment. The bunk on which
Dona' dson had lain showed that his head was
not more than foot distance from the open
port where the fresh air entered. It is evil
dent from this fact the combination Of the
fresh air and the poisonous vapor must have
heightened their sutfsrings terribly, there
being just enough pure atmosphere to pre-
vent an earlier action on the lungs by the
deadly gas.
The third engineer, James Robinson, who
was found dead has been on the ship tor one
year. He was a young man about ~ years
old, a native of England, and leaves in the
land of his nativity a wife and two children.
William Donaldson is also young man.
some % years ofage. of the same nativity, and
left in England wife and three little ones.
The vessel arrived in port last Wednesday
Capt. Johnson informed our reporter that
both men were noted for their general sobriety
and good conduct, and that he has sustained a
most severe loss in this sad catastrophe.
The case is very peculiar one, and de-
serves the attention of scientists. The steam
ship is one of the finest ever built, and has all
of the latest improvements. both as regards
ventilation and accommodations. How the
two unfortunate men became the victims OF
the deadly atmosphere will doubtless remain
q mystery.
It is a subject that should be inquired into,
for there may be some other accidents Of the
kind on board our vessels. This is, we be-
lieve, the first instance of anything of the
kind, and, for the sake of "those who go
down to the sea in ships" it should be made
the subject of careful Investigation.