The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-17

TWO HEn KILLED III cARBoNIo ACID aAs-vxD.
DICT or TEE JURY

OASx VI TEE sORxs
From the Reading (PA Times, Juno Is
Shortly before six O'Clock yesterday morning IN
appalling accident on the premises Thomas
Curry, Nos 1870 and l32 South Fifth street. whereby
two men met their death almost instantly and third
was on the brink Of death, but saved BY timely
aid. The property 10 closely built mp There
two houses sort OF double house occupied by two
families On Fifth street. two houses The end
OF the lot on Wood street. and dwelling house OF
court in the OF the lot Midway in the lot there
is cesspool used by several families residing the
premises which had filled up and become obnoxious
tho nsiehborhood On last Thursday Mr.. Curry
menced digging well Immediately adjoining the full
ccsspooL He labored alonc during Friday, and had
dug the we'll to . depth Of about three feet He
then contracted with Mr.. Isaac K Loose. carter.
for the completion OF the well on sasur-
day morning Mr. Loose commenced Operations,
and by afternoon had dug the we'll TO depth
OF nine feet little over. Mr.. Curry then COM
menced wang up the same with brick, and by even
ing had finished his portion OF ths job unalded Mr.
John X. Burkholder, an employe ut Currys coniec.
tionery establishment Fifth and Penn streets, then
endcayored a. the request OF Mr. Curry, to mole
from the well into the old cesspoo for tho purpose
OF tapping the contents OF the latter He was unsuc-
intermediate bank of earth with spade, ne was
stopped by wooden hogshead IN the other we'll Tho
matter was then deferred until yesterday morning On
Sunday terrible stencil arose from the old ccsspooL
which almost sufiocated the family of Mr. Thomas
Eiliotk who resided in the court almost immediately
facing the cesspooL Mr. Elliott who resides IN the COURT
and had previous conversation with Mr.. Curry, ex.
pressed his determination to endcavor 10 tap the old
cesspoo into the we'll To carry out this purpose
Mr. Elliott at an early hour yesterday morning arose
aud proceeded TO the carpenter shop OF Fink Essen
hover Co, OIL Wood street. below Chestnut, where
he employed, and Obtained large auger with
which to bore hole through the hogshead OF
tho old cesspooL II was about hali-past hve
descended into the we'll and and
with tho augur The hole was bored at depth Of some
i've feet from the surface, where strip OF scantne
had been lett in the we'll and temporary platform
been erected Upon boring the mole quantity OF liquid
commenced flowing from the old we'll. and q volume
OF exceedingly carbonic acid gas also flowed
out by which Mr.. Elliott overcome and tell TO The
bottom.
Mr. John Edwards, brorher-in-aw OF MI. Curry,
residing in The family OF the latter, WAS working In
building the lot ireezng cream, at which he had
been employed from hai-past three in the morning.
He fastened 10 Elliotrs assistance, and having do
the well also overcome by the gas.
During this time the Curry and Elliott families
aroused and all was commotion and excitement on the
premises Several female members ran for physicians
while others INTO Wood street and called loudly for
help.
was aroused and descended into the well on STEP
ladder the platform, but unable to assist
Tho men, and was also overpowercd by the terrible
SMELL Mr.. Charles Broschkowsky, residing In tho
same building with Mr. Curry was aroused, ran 10 the
WELL saw the danger, and immediately won't for rope
George Dorsey, the coored coAchman OF the Eckert
family, having been The employ OF the late Isaac
Eckert for number OF years, ran IN from the stable
where he was ceaning his horses and having boon IN
formed that tho men were drowning, be, without
thought OF carbonie acid gas, jumped into tho we'll 10
endeavor the other men, He, too, was over.
come by the gas and became unconscious
All this happened in few minutes Mr. William A.
Fink was passing down Wood at the time, and,
hearing the alarm ran into the yard He tho three
top OF each other In the well and Curry on the
step ladder. Having got whin OF the terribegas he
WAS almost overcome. and, seeing that nothing could
Wood street crying tor holp, and down to Fink,
l. Co.'s shop where he obtained rope,
block and tackle and also got tho help OF his fathef
John Fink.
Mr. Henry s. Jennings, Levi Meyer and others also
responded to the call Tor help. aud assisted in getting
the out. Dorsey rot out just in time, few
seconds would have finished him. He uncon.
scous. but revived alter getting into the fresh
the two men, Elliott and Edwards, were drawn up,
Elliott having been AZ the bottom Of the we'll and
Edwards on Top of Elliott but lie IN both was found =
be extinct
and whose back building Is within few rods Of the
OF the accldent, soon informed OF the terri
BILE aaa,r He proeesdsd to the spot. and made imms-
ing gentlemen were sum moncd as lurors:Jehn Fink,
W. T. Rhoads, William A. Fink, Henry 8. JenningA
Joseph Shirley and William S. h6nyer. After viewing
the bodies witnsesrs examined ~ TO the occur
renee whose testimony was substantially in accord
anco with tho account a. above gwen.
vERDcrs or THE JrRY.
verdcis were rendered by the jury in both casss In
accordance with the foregoing facts, coupled with
Piled with tho rules regulations OF the Board OF
Health and Tor keeping and maintaining full cespoo!
IN q crowned ueiNnOornOod ana recommending tnat
proceedings be instituted against him."
SKETCHES or rnE DECEASKp.
Thomas I. Elliott who met his death in the above
terrible manner, born in Wllamsport Pa He
would been thirty years Of age on tho 11th
OF August next He served IN the Union army during
the late war; For several years he had been foreman
In he refrigerator department Of Eisenhower, FINK
Co = carpenter shops and supcrintendcd tho erection
OF all refrigcrators He leaves wife, son, adopted
daughter and widowed mother. Ho was a member Of
Mount Penn Lodge 81 ODD Fellows Tulpehocken Tribe
Of Red Men and Knights OF the Union
John Edwards n native OF England and the sole
support OF widowed mother residing in that country
He seaman for over twenty years. sailing chiefly
from England 10 the East In lies and China During
this peroa he was shpwrecked i've times and sun
struck TWICE The last time he shipwrccked was
In the China Sea, when he days and i've nights
on q lifcboat before being rescued He came To this
country last August and was given employment by his
brother law, Thomas b. Curry, In his onfectionery
Elliott and Edwards were greatly az
ached 10 each other The latter had intended to TO
North Carolina in a few weeks aud locate there per-
mansntly He Was widower and about forty years Of
Aye.