New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-02
KILLED BY FOUL GASES.
TWO DEATHS IN A CEsSPOOL AT PAssAIC.
SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES TO SAVE oTHERs-fhhh
HOLDER CONKLING's CAREER.

TWO DEATHS IN A CESSPOOL Al PAoSAiO'
SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES TO SAVE oTHERs-FREh
HOLDER CUMMINGS CAREER
Foul air In cesspool caused the death of Chosen
FreehDlder George w. Conklng anu pa.dhv r
named George Krvnor ut Passaic, n: a., ehorsr
named John Dsg from the suhocatine yapors savo
cessrool, and Krynor perished IN trying 18th An
Couklipp The cesspool was connected VIII an
older one which received the drainage from uooigo
Rettingers Hotel at Passaic and Wllllsm sIs., ,no
being qs saua 199 from the older
the other had evidently become cogged 80 tns te
newer receptacle did not get the oyernoM IN Of
old one This was made clear by the backing up %
waste water into Kettingers Hotel. John Dale
who is employed by Rettinger opened Tue he t%et
cesspool and discovered as had been of
otIensIye matter at the bottom. which was reached
after digging about twelve feet
Dag got ladder and DESCENDED INTO tno oA0as -
tion TO clear out the pipes lie had been down only
a short tlme when he was overcome py tne i9uI
rass, and fell to the rocking ground. freenoluer
George W. Conklng, who was passing oyi 80"
clussr of excited people about the mouth OF the pt
md 6ndng wbatlwas the matter he volunteered to
descend to the rescue he tooA arnpsd NV the by
ISLANDERS to tie the rope around his own person.
mo time for that" he said; the man would pc 10
cead bv the time l got there" he reacned the
bottom and tied the rope around DaIgs waist and
supporting his unconscious burden had Just pun MS
foot upon the lower round Oh the iauuer ~ n
fell heavily into the filth OF the pool Inc unco-
sciOus Daig who wac fast to the rope was haueu W
the surface and resuscitated with great oil mGuity.
Mean while George Krynor, q painter, VINO had
been working OH u new school building near Dy,
sprang to the edge of tho fatal pit lie held ms
breath rapidly descended tue ladder, ana nan Just
secured hold upon the PROSTATE body OF Conkllng
when he too, tainted and fell alongside OF the IN
sensible Freebooter. The crowd at the mouth OF
the pit were hlled with conformation, and lot
few moments no other man dared stir toward the
bottom of q trench whore almost instant death
seemed to lurk Finally man named refer OeGhs-
lein called out: "lf you'll let me- down with
rope. I'll try to save them" The rope was tled
around his waist and he lowered into the cess
pool, but before he reached the bottom where the
two PROSTATE forms lay. Oochsein was seen TO turn
black ia the face and his head to Toll IN an evident
swoon. He WAS hastily pulled lack and restored
after several miBu,es OF work. Some Que DIought
graphing hooks and by this means the bodies Oh
Conkling and KTynor were taken out. BOtn men
were dead. the cOrpses were removed TO nall IN
Rettinger's Hotel around the doors OF which surged
great throng Of excited and horror-strlcken
people. -,
prominent in politics in the City and County OF
PassaIc as a Republican. He was born III Jersey
City July 10, 1929. and was educated rs an archl,
tect and this, togetherwith that Of carpenter ana
builder was his occupation up to the time OF his
death. lie had represented the township oi Lon
III the Bergen County Board or Choaen freehoders
from s63 to 1865. Later he removed TO fassaic
ana was elected to the Common Council from the
Second Ward IN 1869 and 1870. lie was elected 10
the Passaio County Board Ut fTeehOldeIs 10 repre-
sent the second Ward OF Passaic In 1873, ana DIV
successive reflections held that Office up 10 the
time of his DEATH He was elected to the New
jersey House of Assembly as a Republican IN loIo'
defc ating JOIN Kennel, Democrat, by 39l MAJOR
ity And the following year he WAS ree elected over
r. A. HALEY Democrat.by 49, While IN the Legis-
lature he served as chairman of the Committed on
Engrossed Bills and was member OF two other
committees He had been foreman OF the County
Grand Jury lie was one OF the best known men
and most active political workers in Passaic. Mr
Cooking leaves a wife and live adult Children.